Academic Progress & Credit Requirements
F-1 international students are required by the U.S. government to make ”normal progress toward completing a course of study.” Likewise, F-1 students must enroll full-time every term, except for during approved vacation terms or when authorized for a Reduced Course Load (RCL). Full-time enrollment is defined as at least:
- 12 credits of in-person or in-person+online classes for students studying ESOL with an I-20 at the Language Training level.
- 12 credits with at least 9 credits of in-person or in-person+online classes for students in an Associate degree with an I-20 at the Associate level.
Academic Standards Policy
In order to meet academic success standards and normal progress, F-1 students must do the following each term:
- Earn a 2.0 or higher term GPA
- Have a term credit completion rate of 66.67% or higher
Failure to Meet Academic Standards
The consequences when an F-1 student fails to meet one or both of these standards depends on the student’s academic standing in the previous term.
First Time Failing to Meet Academic Standards
If the student is in Good Standing during the previous term, the first time a student fails to meet the Academic Standards, their standing will be “Academic Warning.” If the student earns a 2.0 GPA or above, and passes 67+% of their credits in the next term, they will move back into “Good Standing.”
Second Time Failing to Meet Academic Standards
If the student is in “Academic Warning” during the previous term and fails to meet the Academic Standards, their standing will be “Academic Probation”. The student must meet with their Academic Advisor in the next term to create an “Academic Success Plan”. The student is no longer eligible for an I-20 extension. This means that the student:
- will not be able to study in their current program after the Program End Date on their most recent I-20
- might need to take more than 12 credits and/or fully study during vacation term to complete degree by Program End Date
- might need to transfer to another school or return home without completing their program at PCC.
Third Time Failing to Meet Academic Standards
If the student is in “Academic Probation” during the previous term and fails to meet the Academic Standards, their standing will be “Academic Suspension”. The student is no longer eligible to continue studying at PCC. The student must transfer or depart the U.S. immediately. If no action is taken, the student’s SEVIS Record will be terminated for “Suspension.”
Additional Information
- If you are struggling with your classes, please contact oiss@pcc.edu as soon as possible to understand what options are available to you.
- If you already passed a class with an A, B, or C grade, you cannot repeat that class and have its credit counted towards full-time enrollment. Only classes that received a D or F grade can be retaken and count towards full-time enrollment.
- Students studying in an Associate degree with an I-20 at the Associate level cannot take ESOL classes to count towards full-time enrollment.
- ESOL students must take Reading, Writing, and Communication every term until they complete the highest level of that class.
- If you were previously on “Academic Warning,” were able to move back into “Good Standing,” and then failed to meet the Academic Standards again, you would begin at “Academic Warning” instead of moving to “Academic Probation.”
- If you are approved for a Reduced Course Load, your academic standing will be based on the classes that you are required to be in, depending on the type of Reduced Course Load authorized on your I-20.