Frequently Asked Questions for Incoming Students

As a full-time student, you have access to health care services, information, and guidance through University Health Service (UHS). Please review their health requirements for entering students.

All full-time students are required to submit the Health History Form before the start of classes. Reference health requirements for entering students for your specific form.

You must also maintain adequate health insurance during your studies. Enroll in the University’s plan through Aetna Student Health or request a waiver by showing proof of comparable coverage. Learn more about health insurance for full-time students.

If your full-time program of study will begin before August 1, you must complete the Health Insurance Summer Enrollment/Waiver process with UHS. This will ensure that you have appropriate health insurance coverage from the beginning of your studies at the University of Rochester.

If you plan to travel or arrive in Rochester before your classes begin, you should consider having travel insurance or other coverage during this time. Please review alternative options for insurance.

The Office for Residential Life and Housing Services oversees various aspects of undergraduate and graduate student living on and off campus.

Students in the Eastman School of Music should contact the local residential life office in the Eastman Commons Student Living Center.

There are a variety of on-campus housing options that vary depending on your educational level. Visit the Office for Residential Life and Housing Services website for a comprehensive overview of campus housing options.

Many students enjoy living in on campus because of the camaraderie that develops within the residence halls and apartments. Students living on campus also enjoy an easy commute to classes. However, with limited space on campus and some preferences for independent living, many students are also successful living off campus.

The University’s Off-Campus Living Program provides resources to help you find off-campus rental housing, understand the leasing process, and negotiate a rental contract. Services include:

• Off-campus living advising: Available by appointment or during posted walk-in hours. Located at 020 Susan B. Anthony Hall, River Campus. Contact the Coordinator for Off-Campus Living at offcampus@reslife.rochester.edu or +1 (585) 275-3166.
• Property visits: Available during peak summer periods, with free transportation and assistance in looking at local rental properties.

When renting an off-campus apartment, most tenants are required to pay the first month’s rent and a security deposit (equal to one month’s rent) at the time they sign the lease. If the apartment isn’t damaged while you are living there, the security deposit should be returned in full when you move out. You’ll need to have sufficient funds available when you arrive in order to cover these costs and to purchase necessary items, such as furniture, linens, and books.

Students expecting an assistantship or fellowship to pay for these expenses should know that the first check often isn’t issued for at least a month. So, you’ll need immediate access to adequate money before your arrival. We recommend having at least US $2,000 upon arrival. You must declare the amount of cash you’re carrying to the Customs and Border Patrol agent at the port of entry.

Plan to arrive in Rochester 2–4 weeks prior to the start of your program if you don’t receive a housing assignment or choose to live off campus. You’ll need time to locate suitable housing, purchase furniture, and become familiar with transportation to and from campus.

The Office of the Bursar handles billing and tuition payment issues for all University students. They can help explain available payment plans, billing procedures, and methods of payment.

If you don’t submit the necessary forms and information to the Office of the Bursar on time, you may be prohibited from timely course registration, which can cause immigration complications.

ISO will provide information on what types of work options are available in the United States while you’re in student status. We’ll also assist you in applying for the authorizations you need to work. Working without authorization is a severe violation of your status and is a deportable offense.

As an international student under the University’s visa sponsorship, you’re eligible to work on campus for up to 20 hours per week during the academic year and full-time during annual vacation periods. J-1 students must report all on-campus employment to ISO in order to receive written work authorization in advance.

If your immigration status is sponsored by another institution (e.g., Fulbright, AmidEast, etc.), all work authorizations must be requested through the program sponsor. All off-campus employment must be authorized and documented in advance, before you start working.

Explore more student employment resources.

A Social Security Number (SSN) is used to track U.S. earnings and to report required tax information. The number is assigned permanently, so you don’t need to get a new SSN if you already have one.

As an international student, you’re eligible to apply for an SSN once you secure an on-campus job or obtain off-campus employment authorization. For details on eligibility and application procedures, visit our SSN page.

As an international student, you’ll be subject to several tax reporting obligations, even if you don’t collect any U.S. earnings. To help you navigate the tax system and meet these requirements, the University has teamed up with Sprintax, an easy-to-use tax preparation software designed for nonresident students and scholars in the U.S.

More information on the US tax system and University resources are available on our Taxes page.

Review the information on our Cultural Adjustment page for advice and tips on understanding the culture in the United States.

Our English Language page outlines local resources and groups to help you learn the English language while you’re here.

Check out our Getting Involved page for ways to get out into the community and find things to check out while you’re in Rochester. And, our Events page includes ISO-specific events where you can meet your fellow international students!

Check out our Banking page to learn about the US banking system, and explore banking options close to campus.

Our Internet and Communication page can help you understand ways to communicate with friends and loved ones, both in the US and outside the US, through cell phone plans and internet communication options.

Visit our Traveling to and Arriving in the US page for guidance and advice on managing your initial trip to the US.

Yes. We recommend that you always carry your University ID, current I-20 or DS-2019, and passport when traveling within the United States, even within the Rochester area. These documents, including your I-94 admission record, document your valid F-1 or J-1 student status.

Even if you aren’t entering or exiting the country, you may encounter immigration and other government officers who ask to verify your status, especially near the airport or train and bus stations. If you’re stopped and questioned about your status, you may contact ISO for help. When you arrive, you’ll receive a card with ISO contact information to carry with you.

You’ll want to check if a visitor visa is required for your entry to Canada, which depends on your citizenship. Our Visiting Canada page has additional information about requirements and Canadian visas, if you need one.

There are some public transportation options for both on- and off-campus. However, many students end up getting a car to help navigate the Rochester area. Review our Cars and Public Transportation page to learn more.

You’ll be notified by email when this tool is available to you. The NSIF is a 3-part process:

1. The University of Rochester Department confirms admission and completes the NSIF Department Section.
2. The student receives email notification and completes the NSIF Student Section.
3. ISO reviews all NSIF data to determine any additional details required and need for UR immigration documents. You will NOT be able to access the NSIF Student Section until your admitting office or academic program has submitted to the NSIF Department Section.

When you receive ISO’s email about the NSIF, it will include important program and funding details that were reported to us, as well as a link to the forms and detailed instructions on what information and documents to prepare. At that time, you’ll need your activated University NetID to access ISO’s client portal, URcompass.

Most automated URcompass messages are queued for delivery twice daily, at 12:30 p.m. and 12:30 a.m. (Eastern time). So, it’s possible that your academic department may submit the NSIF Department Section and notify you directly, but you’ll receive the detailed communication from ISO a little bit later. Such temporary delays are normal and anticipated, as part of our scheduled database tasks.

If there are continued delays, please confirm with your University of Rochester Department that your NSIF was submitted, and they included the appropriate email address. We appreciate your patience and understanding!

On the F-1 I-20, schools are permitted to differentiate between the start of the program, which identifies the start of required in-person arrival and orientation activities before the academic term begins, and the start of classes, which should reflect required enrollment. Therefore, the NSIF prompts University of Rochester Departments to list these dates separately, even if they happen to be the same (when there are no required in-personal arrival and orientation activities prior to the start of classes). The Program Start Date is not arbitrary and must align with required in-person events or training scheduled for new students upon their arrival. On the J-1 DS-2019, only one start date is listed to cover the period of study, which will reflect the NSIF Program Start Date.

ISO’s email notification to access the NSIF will include these dates for your reference and planning purposes. Most F-1 and J-1 students are eligible to enter the US only up to 30 days before the start of their program, with some exceptions depending on the SEVIS category. Please be sure to make your travel plans in accordance with program expectations and arrival services on campus.

ISO’s email notification to access the NSIF will include the estimated expenses for your program of study and any University of Rochester funding support, as provided by your University of Rochester Department. When you access the NSIF Financial Support form in the NSIF Student Section, any additional expenses for dependent family members will be calculated as well. You’re required to show the amount remaining from your total estimated expenses for one year, less any annual support from the school. The NSIF displays a table to help with these calculations. As you list different sources of non-University funding, the form will sum the amount you’ve shown and display the remaining amount required. You’ll be able to submit the NSIF only once the Remaining Funding Required amount is at or below $0 USD. If you have questions about the annual school support listed in your NSIF, please contact your admitting department.

There’s no need to review your information with ISO prior to submitting the NSIF. Our staff will review all information and document copies in detail once the forms are complete. If specific revisions or new document uploads are needed, we’ll unlock the relevant form(s) for editing, and you’ll receive a detailed email communication to return to the NSIF via URcompass. Upon resubmission, ISO will continue processing your request and notify you of further progress.

Note: If there’s a technical issue preventing your NSIF submission, the form will provide prompts to correct omissions and minor errors. All file uploads are limited to 30MB (though we appreciate you compressing file size whenever possible). If you’re still encountering a technical issue, please contact us at admitquestions@iso.rochester.edu for additional assessment.

There are no other forms required or relevant for incoming students while navigating the New Student Intake Forms. Please do not submit additional forms via URcompass without direction, as this will slow ISO processing times.

When you’re due to arrive at the University, you’ll be prompted to complete the Immigration Check-In forms, but it’s not possible to do so until you have entered the United States in the status in which you intend to begin your study at Rochester. Until then, you shouldn’t need URcompass tools for check-in, document uploads, reprint requests, etc.

If you have specific immigration questions about your eligibility for F-1 or J-1 student status, please contact the ISO at admitquestions@iso.rochester.edu.

For questions related to your academics, funding support, University requirements, or arrival programming, please contact your admitting department directly.