International Students
From Application to Admissions
International students at Calumet College of St. Joseph, which is located in Hammond, Indiana, will enjoy the College’s proximity to Chicago and Lake Michigan. As a private, four-year, liberal arts institution, CCSJ provides international students the opportunity to obtain a quality education in a personalized setting.
We are committed to making the enrollment process as simple and efficient as possible.
Admissions Process
Our admissions process is straightforward and clear.
Complete an Online Application for Admission
There is a $50 application fee.
The following programs are not approved for International Applicants:
- Online Programs
- Transition to Teaching
- Bachelor of Science in Public Safety Management
- Master of Science in Public Administration
Submit Your Transcripts for Evaluation
Students coming directly from high school must submit secondary school transcripts. Students transferring from an international college or university must submit official transcripts only from the post-secondary institution if more than 24 transfer hours (one academic year) have been completed. If less than 24 hours have been obtained, both secondary and post-secondary transcripts must be submitted.
CCSJ does not evaluate international transcripts at the College. International students who are also Athletes are required to submit their high school, college, or university transcripts to InCred to be evaluated. All other students, may submit their academic records to any of the evaluation services below:
Be aware of application deadlines as some evaluations may take up to five weeks to be evaluated.
Demonstrate English Proficiency
Students whose first language is not English must demonstrate proficiency by submitting results from an English proficiency exam.
ACCEPTED ENGLISH LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY EXAMS
(Updated 8/27/20)
Score of 68 or higher
Score of 6.0 or higher
Score of 95 or higher
Score of 47 or higher
TOEFL exemption will be granted if:
- You have completed one academic year of study at a university or college in a country where English is the official language (this does not include intensive English language programs), OR
- If you are at an institution in the United States and have completed a 100-level English Composition course and at least 12 credit hours of 100-level courses, OR
- If you are from a TOEFL Exempt Country.
Demonstrate Proof of Financial Support
See Cost of Attendance below.
Students should complete the Declaration of Financial Resources for International Students Form. The Declaration of Financial Resources form should list all sources and amounts of financial support that will help to cover the costs listed under the Cost of Attendance page below. The Declaration of Financial Resources form as well as all proof of support should be submitted as part of the application process. Insufficient proof of support and/or available funds may result in an application being rejected.
Application for I-20
- Students who have successfully submitted all documentation for admission and who are admitted to Calumet College of St. Joseph will be provided an I20.
- Once the previous steps have been successfully completed, a Designated School Official will send you a SEVIS I-20 form.
- Pay the SEVIS fee
- You will present the I-20 form to the U.S. consulate in your country in order to obtain the F-1 visa necessary to enter the U.S. as an international student. Please contact the consulate to verify any supporting documentation needed to present along with the I-20 form and to schedule an interview with a consular officer.
2024– 2025 Cost of Attendance
The table below provides a breakdown of estimated costs regarding the necessary fees and expenses for international students at CCSJ. Please keep in mind that, with the exception of tuition, all dollar amounts are estimates and may vary.
Tuition | $22,500 |
Living Expenses | $13,914 |
Books & Supplies | $2,350 |
Transportation | $2,412 |
Technology Fee | $300 |
Student Association Fee | $100 |
Misc. Fees / First Year Experience | $1,600 |
International Fees | $1,200 |
Total | $44,376 |
International Student Housing
Calumet College of St. Joseph does student housing. It is the responsibility of the international student to make living arrangements. Students interested in applying for student housing may read more about the application process as well as available options can do so by visiting https://www.ccsj.edu/student-life/residence-life/.
In addition to dormitory space, there are numerous rental options in the area surrounding the CCSJ Hammond campus. The neighboring community of Whiting and the north Hammond area called “Robertsdale” offer apartments and other rental units that are often within walking distance of the CCSJ campus.
Good sources for locating affordable rental space are available below as well as utilizing the regional newspaper publications, Northwest Indiana Times, in addition to real estate web sites such as rent.com, apartments.com, and craigslist.com, among others.
In the wake of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 the United States government created the Department of Homeland Security. One of the goals of the DHS, which appropriated the responsibilities of what had previously been called the Immigration and Naturalization Service, was to better monitor non-immigrant visitors to the United States. This has directly affected international students in U.S. colleges and universities through the creation of the Student Exchange Visitor Information System database (SEVIS). This database has as its purpose to maintain information on international students in the U.S.
The I-20 form, which the prospective international student will need to obtain an F-1 (student) visa is created by the Designated School Official of the college to which you will apply and submit the necessary documentation. The DSO creates this document through the web based SEVIS database. As of September 1, 2004, in order to help maintain the SEVIS database, international students are required to pay $350 SEVIS fee. This fee will need to be paid after you receive the I-20 from Calumet College of St. Joseph, but before you request your F-1 visa from the U.S. consulate.
Arriving in the United States
It is important that you follow the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement guidelines when you are traveling to the United States with an F-1 visa. Please review the following procedures when preparing to arrive to begin your studies as an international student at Calumet College of St. Joseph:
- As an initial student entering to attend school for the first time, you may not enter the U.S. more than 30 days before the program indicated on your I-20 form. If you are a transfer or continuing student, this rule does not apply to you.
- When departing for the U.S., be sure to have a current passport, the sealed immigration documents given to you by the consular officer, evidence of financial resources, SEVIS form I-20, and the name and phone number of the Designated School Officer of Calumet College of St. Joseph.
- You will complete (usually on the airplane) form I-94 Arrival Departure Record before passing through U.S. immigration.
- The immigration officer will stamp your SEVIS form duration of status or “D/S” and also stamp the I-94 and staple it in the passport.
- Once you have arrived in the Hammond area, report to Calumet College of St. Joseph as soon as possible and register for classes. The Designated School Official at CCSJ will need to make copies of your passport and I-94 forms.
- If you are transferring to Calumet College of St. Joseph from an institution in the United States and you leave the country, you will need to have an updated I-20 from Calumet College of St. Joseph before returning to the United States in order for you not to be considered “out of status”.
Scholarships Available for International Students
International students enrolled with F-1 visas in the United States are not eligible for federal or state forms of financial assistance. However, Calumet College of St. Joseph does consider international students for institutional scholarships and grants.
Frequently Asked Questions
No. CCSJ does not evaluate international transcripts. All international secondary and post-secondary transcripts must be sent to one of the two evaluation companies that CCSJ uses, Educational Credential Evaluators or World Education Services. Be aware that it can take up to five weeks for transcripts to be evaluated.
Depending on the type of visa you are on would determine if you are eligible to take classes at CCSJ. Unfortunately, CCSJ are unable to accept students who are on a J or M visa. If you are on a B visa for visitors, you will not be able to take classes until your status has been changed by USCIS. In order to do that, you will need to complete Form I-539 in order to change your status, if you are currently in the United States and have been accepted to CCSJ and received your I-20 form. However, you may be denied a change of status if USCIS determines that you had a “preconceived intent” to student in the United States while on another visa or if you did not file the paperwork in a timely manner. If you are on an M visa, you will not be able to change your status while in the United States.
Calumet College of St. Joseph is NOT LIABLE for any decision that is made by USCIS with regards to your F-1. If you have any questions on why your F-1 visa was denied, please contact USCIS.
Yes, students are required to take the TOEFL test if you are from a country that its native and government recognized language is not English. However, if you are from a TOEFL exempt country, you are not required to take the test. Here is a list of TOEFL exempt countries. Our TOEFL test code is 1776. If you have taken at least 12 transferrable credit hours at an accredited institution in the United States and one of your courses is an English Composition course, you will not need to take the TOEFL test.
It is a good idea to start turning in all of your paperwork in at least six to eight months in advance in order for an admissions decision to be made and your I-20 to be sent in a reasonable amount of time to your home. If you turn your paperwork in after the deadline, your application may be deferred to the next semester. We ask that international students apply for the Fall or Spring semesters due to limited class availability for the Summer semesters.
Here are the deadline dates:
Application Deadline*
Fall Semester – June 15
Spring Semester – November 15
* Application, Evaluated transcripts TOEFL test scores (if needed), Financial Documents
I-20 Final Date**
Fall Semester – August 10
Spring Semester – December 15
** These are the last dates that any I-29’s will be mailed out
We do not require ACT or SAT scores for admission to CCSJ. However, if you are looking for academic scholarships, it is required for students to take either the ACT or SAT test. If you are looking to possibly play a sport, the ACT or SAT test will be required for the NAIA Clearinghouse.
Yes, there are academic scholarships and athletic grants available for international students.
We do not require international student to have health insurance. It is highly recommended that international students purchase health insurance just in case you happen to get ill.
We do not offer an Intensive English Language program at CCSJ. Here is a list of institutions that offer Intensive English Language Programs within the Chicagoland/Northwest Indiana area. Once you have successfully completed their Intensive English Language Programs, you will have the opportunity to re-apply for admission to Calumet College of St. Joseph. Please contact each institution regarding their admissions requirements for that program.
You would still go through the same procedures with the admissions process; however, you may be able to qualify for financial aid through the United States government. In addition, if you completed your schooling in a non-TOEFL exempt country, you will be required to take the TOEFL test as well as having the transcripts evaluated by one of the two evaluation companies that we use.
If you are suspended by the institution academically (meaning not maintaining at least a 2.0 GPA), your visa will be terminated and you will have thirty days to leave the country. If you are charged with a crime, your visa may or may not be revoked, depending on the nature of the crime. CCSJ WILL NOT be able to represent you in court.
You must be making “normal progress” towards completing a course of study. What this means is that you will need to maintain at least a 2.0 GPA and be enrolled for a minimum of 12 credit hours during the Fall and Spring semesters. If you are placed on academic probation, you will have one semester to be taken off of probation. If you are placed on suspension or have a reduction of course load while on probation, you will be in violation of your visa and it will be terminated.
You are considered a legal adult at the age of eighteen in the State of Indiana. However, you must be the legal age of twenty-one (21) in order to consume alcoholic beverages in the United States.
You are allowed to go back to your home country during school breaks. You must have either the Primary Designated Student Officer (PDSO) or the Designated Student Officer (DSO) sign off on your I-20 in order for you to leave the country. If you stay longer than five months in your home country during a break, you will have to file for a new visa. If you changed your visa to an F-1 while in the US, be aware that you may not be able to travel outside the US due to your previous visa status.
Unfortunately, we do not offer any on-campus employment for international students.
International students have the opportunity to compete in CCSJ athletics. Please contact the individual coach for the sport that you are interested in. All new and transfer students-athletes will be required to complete the NAIA Clearinghouse form in order to be eligible to compete in CCSJ athletics. The cost is $150 U.S. dollars for International Students.
Office of Enrollment
Phone: (219) 473-4215
Office: Room 116
E-mail: admissions@ccsj.edu
HOURS
- Monday: 9:00 A.M. – 7:00 P.M.
- Tuesday – Thursday: 9:00 A.M. – 5:00 P.M.
- Friday: 9:00 A.M. – 4:00 P.M.