Congratulations on your admission to Syracuse University! As an admitted international student, you will want to familiarize yourself with information below to help with your transition to Syracuse University.
Center for International Services
The Center for International Services is the official liaison with U.S. immigration offices for all nonimmigrants at Syracuse University. The office provides orientation, programming, advice and counseling on immigration regulations and academic, cultural and personal matters. You must participate in the center orientation program upon arrival (in addition to the Syracuse Welcome program for all new students) and comply with all requirements before your SEVIS (Student Exchange Visitor Information System) record will be registered with the Department of Homeland Security.
Find additional information and instructions on the New Student Programs Required Tasks webpage.
Charges and Payments
International students at Syracuse University are generally not eligible for financial aid in the form of housing or meal grants, loans, work opportunities or merit scholarships.
Before the beginning of each semester, you will receive a statement of charges less anticipated financial aid, if applicable, that lists what you must pay for one semester for tuition, housing, meals, health insurance and mandatory fees. Your statement will also show credit for the $500 advance tuition payment and the $450 advance housing payment. The statement for the fall will be made available via MySlice in June and the middle of November for the spring. Each semester you must pay the balance owed on your bill by the due date listed on the billing statement. Learn more about how to pay your bill and bill payment methods.
If you have not made satisfactory payment arrangements with the Bursar’s Office, the University may not let you register or may cancel your preregistration schedule. Please contact the Bursar’s Office with any questions or concerns via email to bursar@syr.edu or by phone at 315.443.2444.
2023-24 Estimated Expenses
The 2023-24 estimated expenses are available via the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarship Programs. Estimated expenses for the 2024-25 academic year will be available in the spring.
Attendance at summer sessions is voluntary and requires an additional tuition charge. The usual course load is six credits for each of the two summer sessions.
Charges for tuition, housing, meals and fees will increase annually. The University carefully considers all increases in cost to ensure they are reasonable. It is important for students and families to plan for annual cost increases and be prepared for financial consequences.
Syracuse University Prepaid Tuition Plan
If you wish to pay four years of undergraduate tuition in advance, you may participate in the Prepaid Tuition Plan.
This plan allows you to lock in the rate of tuition in effect at the inception of the plan and avoid future tuition increases. Participation is limited to full-time Main Campus undergraduate students who are not receiving institutional scholarships or grants in excess of $8,000 per academic year. This plan does not cover fees, housing and meal costs, books or other University charges, which will be billed and payable in accordance with University policies. This agreement covers the fall and spring terms only. Summer study such as Maymester and Summer Sessions I and II, as well as any Winterlude courses, are not included in this plan.
If you are interested, it is recommended that you consult your financial planner/tax advisor.
For details or a copy of the Syracuse University Prepaid Tuition Plan Agreement, please contact Steven Kelly, Associate Treasurer, at 315.443.3411 or stkelly@syr.edu
Monthly Payment Plan Option
Many families use the University’s Monthly Payment Plan Option because it allows them to pay their balance over the course of the semester. There is an annual nonrefundable application fee of $75 to participate, which will be calculated into your monthly payments. Students desiring to use the Monthly Payment Plan Option are encouraged to sign up as soon as possible to realize the maximum number of months over which to pay the balance due. A Monthly Payment Plan application must be completed each year.
Continued participation in the Monthly Payment Plan Option is contingent upon a satisfactory payment history.
Your $500 advance tuition payment and $450 advance housing payment as well as any anticipated financial aid, if applicable, will be credited against the spring charges on your plan. Work-study grants are not credited to your payment plan.
To apply, complete the Monthly Payment Plan Option application. Complete the section on financial aid only if you have filed the CSS/Financial Aid Profile and the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) by the deadline. The form must be signed by the person who is financially responsible.
Health and Wellness Requirements
Explore instructions on how to complete health and wellness requirements—including the Health History Form, Immunizations Records, Student Health Insurance, Community Wellness Requirements and more—from the Prioritized Required Tasks.
Log in to the patient portal at suhsportal.syr.edu to submit your health history and upload your immunization/physical form.
International students and any dependents are required to have comprehensive health insurance. You may choose to purchase the health insurance plan that the University has selected, or provide proof of enrollment in another health insurance plan that meets the minimum requirements.
In addition, all full-time students are charged a mandatory health services fee that is included with billing from the Bursar’s Office. Part-time students are eligible to use Syracuse University Health Services on a fee-for-service basis. The health fee does not cover all expenses. Expenses not covered are pharmacy, laboratory and X-ray services, emergency room care, referral to specialty service providers and hospitalization. Syracuse University provides student-centered ambulatory health care.
Learn more about Barnes Center at The Arch services today.
Transfer Records
If you have completed previous college coursework, your credits will need to be evaluated. Please ask the registrar or appropriate officer at your current college or university to send two copies of official transcripts/credentials to the recorder in the Syracuse University school or college to which you have been admitted.
You will be sent a credit evaluation explaining the number of credits you will receive for courses you have taken at other universities. Official acceptance of credit will not be complete until Syracuse University receives your transcripts. Course descriptions must also be sent.
Please note that all course descriptions must be translated into English, or they will not be accepted.
New International Student Orientation
Fall 2024
International student orientation sessions for the Fall 2024 semester will take place in late August. Specific dates will be posted soon. During this program you will meet with your academic advisor, take any required placement examinations (including the English Language Assessment Exam) and attend opening ceremonies for the University. The orientation schedule for international students differs from the schedule for U.S. nationals due to the mandatory international student pre-orientation programs.
Prior to orientation, international students must check in with the center and bring the I-20 or DS-2019, I-94, passport with visa and proof of health insurance. You can check in prior to your travel to Syracuse, then report to the center as soon as you arrive in Syracuse to complete the check-in process.
If you do not have an assignment in a residence hall, it will be necessary to make hotel reservations in advance of your arrival. Please review new student arrival information about temporary housing on the Center for International Services website.
Tobacco-Free Campus
To help ensure a healthy, productive, respectful environment, Syracuse University is pleased to provide a smoke- and tobacco-free campus. Learn more about our tobacco-free campus.
