International Students

Application Information for Prospective International Students

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Thank you for your interest in Jacksonville University. The Office of Admissions is committed to helping you through the international application process and answering your questions.  We recommend that international students apply months in advance of their expected entry term to allow enough time to complete the process.

In order to ensure the quickest possible review of your application and receipt of your I-20 form, please carefully follow all directions included in the instructions below.  If you have any questions about what documents are acceptable, please email Yvonne Martel in the Office of Admissions at ymartel@ju.edu or call 1-904-256-7000, ext. 7006.  Students who have previously studied at a university in the United States may be exempt from some of the requirements below.  If this describes your situation, please contact the Office of Admissions for more details.

International applicants must submit the International Student Application with a $30.00 application fee. The application fee may be paid by credit card (over the phone) or international money order.  Please take great care when filling out the application to ensure that you do not skip any required parts.  Especially important are the Confidential Financial Statement, the essay questions, the educational history form (if you are a recruited athlete), and the transfer verification form (if you are currently studying in the United States).

We highly recommend that all international students take the SAT or ACT in order to be considered for the highest scholarships.  Students from English-speaking countries must take the SAT or ACT test.  In addition, all recruited athletes, regardless of nationality, must take the ACT or SAT in order to satisfy eligibility requirements for playing sports.  All students from non-English speaking countries must demonstrate English proficiency with scores of at least 207 on the computer-based TOEFL (540 on the paper-based TOEFL, 76 on the Internet-based TOEFL), a band of 6 or higher on the IELTS, OR a critical reading score of over 400 on the SAT test.  For more information about these exams, go to: http://www.toefl.org, http://www.ielts.org/, http://www.collegeboard.com/, and http://www.act.org/.  Students must contact the testing service to request that score reports be mailed directly to Jacksonville University. 

We require certified true copies of your secondary school transcripts/mark sheets and diploma/leaving certificate/leaving exam results.  If your school is able to send official documents directly to Jacksonville University, please ask the appropriate school official to do so.  If your school is unable to send documents directly, an appropriate school official should verify that your photocopies are authentic copies of the originals by affixing an original signature and school seal/stamp, and then returning them to you.  If the documents are not issued in English, you must also include official translations (prepared by the school or a translation agency) in addition to the native language documents.  Please note: Photocopied documents may not be certified by a notary or commissioner of affidavits.  They must be certified by the issuing school, examinations council or testing center, or Ministry of Education.  Please contact the Office of Admissions for more specific information about the document requirements for your country.

If you have attended a post-secondary institution, university transcripts and diplomas certified by the appropriate university official are also required.  Transcripts from non-U.S. universities must be professionally evaluated by World Education Services or Josef Silny & Associates.  See http://www.wes.org or http://www.jsilny.com/ for details on how to obtain a course-by-course evaluation. 

One letter of recommendation from a principal, dean, professor, teacher, counselor or other school official is optional, but recommended.  It should briefly describe your academic ability and personal qualities. Originals are preferable, but photocopies are acceptable.

The application includes a Confidential Financial Statement for the purpose of demonstrating financial solvency, required by the U.S. government.  This form must be completed by your family member or financial sponsor and his or her bank representative.  The bank representative must verify that bank accounts contain at least $30,685 -- enough immediate funds to pay for your first year at Jacksonville University (based on 2005-06 school year).  (Students planning to study Aviation Management & Flight Operations must have funds in excess of $47,727 due to this program’s additional fees.)  If more than one person will be contributing funds, each of these sponsors should provide a separate Confidential Financial Statement.  We will only accept original financial documentation.

Jacksonville University provides partial (not full) academic scholarships to international students with good academic records and TOEFL/SAT scores.  The maximum amount is $15,000 per year.  No additional paperwork is required in order to be considered for an academic scholarship.  Financial awards are also available to recruited athletes and students excelling in fine arts.  Fine arts students must submit a videotape or portfolio.  Athletes must directly contact the coach of the sport they wish to play.  Aid that is based on financial need is not available.  Jacksonville University scholarships do not include travel and miscellaneous living expenses; the student is responsible for these costs.  All students, including recruited athletes, must submit a Confidential Financial Statement showing enough funds for expenses not covered by a Jacksonville University scholarship. 

The Office of Admissions will send you an I-20 form only after all of the required documents, including the financial documents, have been received and evaluated by the admissions staff.  You must have an I-20 in order to apply for your F-1 student visa at the U.S. embassy or consulate in your country.  Detailed information about student visas may be found on the U.S. Department of State website at: http://travel.state.gov/visa/tempvisitors_types_students2.html.

Again, please contact the Office of Admissions with any questions, and refer to the checklist below for a summary of all requirements.

Checklist for International Applicants

  1. Completed international application for admission, including answers to two essay questions
  2. $30.00 application fee
  3. Certified secondary school transcript and diploma/leaving certificate/leaving exam results (Or: Notify school or examinations council to send them directly to the Office of Admissions.)  Translations must be included when appropriate.
  4. Notify the appropriate testing service(s) to send score results of the TOEFL, IELTS, SAT I, or ACT to Jacksonville University.
  5. Letter of recommendation from school official
  6. Confidential Financial Statement, completed by the sponsor and bank official, or with an original letter from the bank official attached
  7. Transfer students: Certified true copy of university transcript and diploma (Or: Notify university to send them directly to the Office of Admissions.)
  8. Transfer students: Arrange for World Education Services (WES) or Josef Silny & Associates to send an official evaluation of university credit to the Office of Admissions.
  9. Athletes only: Educational History Form
  10. Students already studying in the U.S.: Transfer Verification Form with photocopies of the current visa, I-94, I-20, and passport ID page attached