International Students
Frequently Asked Questions
Arrival and Visa Information
Can I come to the United States
early (before the arrival dates)?
You can enter the United States
NO earlier than 30
days before the I-20 or DS-2019 Report Date.
Can I come to the United States
late (after the arrival dates)?
You will need to
report to UW-L NO
later than the arrival date indicated on the I-20 or DS-2019
Report Date. If special circumstances occur (i.e. delayed
flight, illness), please contact one of the international
student advisors to make special arrangements.
Once I arrive in the La Crosse, how do I get to UW-L?
You must inform one
of the international student advisors of your travel
arrangements and your planned arrival date and time in
La Crosse. If you have correctly informed
us of your arrival date and time, we will have someone meet you
when you arrive in La
Crosse to take you to UW-L. If you arrive
in La Crosse before or after
the specified arrival dates, our office can pick you up for a
$25.00 fee for this service. If you plan on arriving early you
must contact an international student advisor as soon as you
have your flight information. If space is available, you may be
able to stay on campus for an additional fee of $35.00 per
night.
Once I get to UW-L, I want to call home to let my family know
that I’ve made it to the U.S. safely. How can I do this?
To call home you can
purchase an international calling card once you arrive in the U.S.; the staff
in the Office of International Education (OIE) can help you find
the most cost-efficient card. If you brought a computer with
you, you may want to call home by using Skype. Calling
computer-to-computer is free of charge; calling a landline costs
a small amount. For more information, please visit Skype’s
website at www.skype.com.
Do I have
to participate in orientation week?
All new international
students (holding an F-1 or J-1 visa) are required to attend the
international student orientation. These orientation sessions
will help you to learn more about UW-L and the services offered
by OIE. Orientation sessions also serve as a great way to
explore the La Crosse
area and meet new people.
Can I stay in the United States
after the date on my I-20 or DS-2019?
F-1 students are
allowed to stay in the
U.S.
up to 60 days from their program end date. J-1 students are
allowed to stay in the
U.S.
up to 30 days from their program end date.
Housing Information
When do I know whether or not I’ll get on-campus housing?
If you send your
housing reservation form with your application, a room will be
reserved for you.
When the
Office of International Education receives your housing
application, we will send you a notice confirming your request
for on-campus housing. If you send your housing reservation form
after you submit your application, we will try to reserve a room
for you, but cannot guarantee a room will be available if the
application is submitted late. We encourage you to submit your
housing application with the rest of your application materials.
I plan to live on campus. How can my parents and friends contact
me once I arrive at UW-L?
If you will be living
on campus, you will receive your address and room assignment
when you arrive at UW-L. You will also receive your telephone
number when you move into the residence hall. (Note: Please do
not send packages or mail to UW-La Crosse until you know your
campus address. Please do not send packages to the Office of
International Education). Additionally, each hall has a computer
lab, which is connected to the University network. Once you
receive your log-on username and password for the UW-L network,
you will be able to use the computers in the residence hall or
any other open access computer lab on campus.
I
plan on living off campus. What do I need to do?
You will be
responsible for making living arrangements if you choose to live
off-campus. The Office of International Education does not
provide any assistance for locating off-campus housing. There
are, however, several places to find off-campus housing options,
including through the website listed by UW-La Crosse’s Residence
Life (http://www.findaplacetolive.com/);
the La Crosse Tribune, a newspaper (www.lacrossetribune.com);
Craigslist, a community-centered website (www.craigslist.com);
or at the Apartment Connextion website (www.apartmentconnextion.com).
Off-campus housing close to campus fills quickly, so if you
prefer to live off-campus, we recommend you begin your search
well in advance to your planned move-in day.
Please note
that the Office of International Education recommends that new
students live on campus for at least their first year at UW-L.
Please also note that students living off-campus are REQUIRED to
provide OIE with their local address and telephone number as
soon as they arrive.
Do I need to bring
my own bedding?
Your residence hall
does not provide bedding (blankets, sheets, pillows) or towels,
but we schedule a shopping trip during orientation week so that
you can buy these items. You can choose to bring these items
with you if you would like, but since the cost of flying with
excess baggage can be expensive, we encourage you to buy these
items upon arriving in
La Crosse.
Payment Information
When do I
need to pay my university bill?
You will need to pay
your university bill on the due date specified in the e-mail you
will receive from the Cashiers Office. Your UW-L bill will be
sent to your UW-L email account during the first week of classes
and will be due 30 days after school starts. The date(s) that
your university bill will be due can also be found at the
following website:
http://www.uwlax.edu/cashiers/tuitionfeeschedule.htm
How do I pay my student
bill?
Tuition bills are
emailed to your university email address. (Note: Please check
your UW-L email account frequently, as you’ll receive important
information from the Office of International Education, other
offices, as well as from your instructors through this email
address). Current billing details can also be viewed online
through WINGS. To access WINGS, you will need to enter the
username and password you have been assigned by UW-L.
There are
several ways you can pay your UW-L bill. The two options most
highly recommended by the Office of International Education are
to pay your bill through a wire transfer or to go through
Western Union to pay your bill.
If you
choose to do a wire transfer, you will be able to set up a bank
account during the first week of orientation. The person paying
your bill will then be able to wire money to your American bank
account.
If you
choose to go through Western Union, you will need to advise the person paying
your bill to send the money to the exact address written below:
Check Advance
510 Cass Street
La Crosse, WI 54601 USA
You may
prefer to pay your bill by credit or debit card. Please be
advised that paying by credit card will cost you an additional
2.75% surcharge. Your tuition bill can be paid online through
WINGS by electronic check (e-check) or by credit/debit card.
MasterCard, Discover, American Express and Diners Club are
accepted, but VISA is not accepted because of their surcharge
structure.
As for
paying with cash, please note that U.S. Customs does not allow
individuals to carry more than $10,000 USD. Additionally, the
Office of International Education does not advise carrying large
amounts of cash with you. If you do pay by cash or check, you
can pay at the Cashiers Office, 121 Graff Hall or by mailing a
check to the Cashiers Office at the following address:
UW-La Crosse- Cashier's
Office
121 Graff Main Hall
1725 State Street
La Crosse, WI 54601 USA
Registration Information
How do I register for
classes?
Undergraduate Students:
There will be an academic advising session during orientation
week. At this time, students will have a chance to register for
academic courses. If students prefer to register earlier, they
must pay the $100 registration deposit before registering for
courses. Students can pay the deposit and register for courses
through WINGS at
https://wings.uwlax.edu/psp/csprod/?cmd=login&languageCd=ENG&.
Graduate Students:
Graduate students may
contact their program advisor for registration information or
they may wait until after they arrive at UW-L to meet with their
advisor to register for classes.
Conditional/Restricted Admission
Status or ESL Students:
Students will be
registered by the ESL Institute after completing the English
Placement Exam during Orientation Week.
Exchange Students:
Please contact your
academic advisor. For more information, please visit
http://www.uwlax.edu/oie/Exchange/Exchange_Program_Info.htm#Registration_Information:
and click on “Registration Information.”
Where can I find which classes will be available next semester?
You can find which
classes are available for next semester by clicking on the
following link:
https://timetable.uwlax.edu/psp/TB/EMPLOYEE/HRMS/c/COMMUNITY_ACCESS.CLASS_SEARCH.GBL
and selecting the semester you are checking availability for.
Employment Information
Can I work on campus?
International
students holding an F-1 Visa and students on J-1 Visas sponsored
through UW-L are allowed to work up to 20 hours per week on
campus while school is in session and up to 40 hours per week on
campus when school is not in session. If a student takes one
class during J-term or summer session, the student can only work
up to 20 hours per week during that session.
Can I work off campus?
F-1 and J-1 students
are not allowed to work off campus. The only exception to this
rule is if a student faces severe economic hardship. If this is
the case, the student will be able to apply to work off-campus
through Homeland Security after the student has been at UW-L for
at least nine (9) months. The student will then need to make an
appointment with one of the international student advisors to
fill out the necessary paperwork. In addition, if a student has
been offered an off-campus internship, the student will need to
contact one of the international student advisors in order to
fill out the necessary paperwork.
What is the process to get a job? A Social Security Number
(SSN)?
Once you have applied
and received an offer to work for a department on campus or
Chartwells (University Dining Services), you will need to
contact one of the international student advisors.
If you have
a SSN and have never worked on campus, you will need to contact
one of the international student advisors in order to complete
the I-9 form. You will need to bring your passport, I-94 card
and I-20 or DS-2019 and an ‘offer of employment letter’ to this
meeting. After completing the I-9 form the student will need to
make an appointment with Mark Flottmeier (flottmei.mark@uwlax.edu)
in Human Resources (144 Graff Main Hall).
If you have
worked on campus before, please make sure your paperwork is
current.
If you do
not have a SSN, you must first receive a job offer from a
department on campus or Chartwells. You will then need to obtain
a letter requesting a SSN from your employer. After this letter
is filled out, you will need to drop the letter off at OIE for
one of the international student advisor’s signature. After the
letter is signed, one of the advisors will place it in the
‘International Student Pick-Up Basket.’ This may take up to
three days. You will then need to take the letter, passport,
I-20/DS-2019, and I-94 card to the Social Security Office
located at Suite
100, 210 Seventh Street South,
La Crosse, WI 54601. Next, you will need to make
an appointment with Diane Sasaki’s Student Assistant, Ashley
Jochimsen, (jochimse.ashl@students.uwlax.edu)
to complete the I-9 form (you will need to bring your passport,
I-20/DS-2019, and I-94 card). After completing the I-9 through
the Office of International Education, make an appointment to
meet with Mark Flottmeier (flottmei.mark@uwlax.edu)
in Human Resources (144 Graff Main Hall).
Transportation Information
I don’t have a car; how can I travel around
La Crosse
and the surrounding area?
Getting around in La Crosse and the
surrounding area without a car is simple once you understand the
bus system, the La Crosse Municipal Transit Utility (MTU).
The MTU service area currently
includes La Crosse, French Island,
a portion of Onalaska, and
La
Crescent, Minnesota,
and is free to UW-La Crosse students. Once you have your Student
I.D. card (which you’ll receive during the first week of
orientation), you can simply show the bus driver your card to
ride the buses free of charge. To view more information about
La Crosse’s MTU, please visit
http://www.cityoflacrosse.org/index.aspx?NID=19.
Additionally, taxis are available for traveling around
La Crosse and the surrounding area.
Although taking a taxi can be expensive (depending on how far
you will be traveling), it is sometimes a faster way to get from
one place to another. There are several taxi companies in
La Crosse; a few include CTS Taxi (608)
784-7700; A-1 Taxi Service Incorporated (608) 781-6655; and Bee
Cab Incorporated (608) 784-4233.
How do I get
a Wisconsin
driver’s license?
You can drive with
your home country’s valid driver’s license for up to one year as
long as your privilege to operate a motor vehicle in
Wisconsin
has not been suspended, revoked, cancelled or disqualified.
After one year, you must meet the same
licensing requirements as a
Wisconsin resident. Please visit the following link
in order to see the complete list of licensing requirements:
http://www.dot.wisconsin.gov/drivers/drivers/apply/index.htm.
The Office
of International Education also has an information sheet about
how to get a Wisconsin
driver’s license; please stop by the office for more
information.
Insurance and Health-Related
Information
I have insurance at home. Do I still need to purchase insurance
through the university?
Participation in the
UW-L group health insurance policy is
required for all
international students. This includes Exchange students (except
ISEP, IREX, and NESA students, HESSEN exchange, Fulbright
scholars, and government sponsored Middle
East countries). The cost of the insurance is $69USD
per month and will be added to your student bill.
You will
receive an email from the Office of International Education when
your health insurance card is ready to be picked up. Until then,
if you need to go to the hospital tell them that you have health
insurance through CISI (Cultural Insurance Services
International); the policy number is CISI0090, University of Wisconsin-La
Crosse.
Students
who are exempt from UW-L health insurance (ISEP, IREX, and NESA
students, HESSEN exchange, Fulbright scholars, and government
sponsored Middle East
countries) will be required to turn in their health insurance
policy in an English-translated version during orientation week.
Failure to submit the policy will result in charges from the
UW-L group health insurance company.
What happens when I am sick and need to see a doctor?
If you need to see a
doctor, please be sure to bring your insurance card with you to
the medical facility. If you forget to bring your insurance
card, you will need to return the next day to the medical
facility with your insurance card so that your paperwork can be
processed and correct billing to the insurance company can take
place. After doing so, you will need to fill out a claims form.
You will need to stop by the Office of International Education,
where one of our international student advisors or student
assistants will help you fill out and send in the necessary
paperwork.
If you have
health insurance through the university, you will need to visit
the Student Health
Center first before going
elsewhere (please see exceptions below). The
Student
Health Center
is located in the
Health
Science
Center,
Suite 1030,
1300 Badger Street, La Crosse, WI 54601. Please visit the following
website to view the days and times that the Student Health
Center is open:
http://www.uwlax.edu/StudentHealth/index.htm.
If you do
not go to the Student Health Center before going elsewhere
during the Student Health Center’s normal business hours you
will be required to pay a $50USD co-payment to the UW-L
insurance company.
Please
note that the Student Health Center
personnel may refer you to a different medical facility,
depending on your needs. If this is the case, you will
not be required to
pay the $50USD co-payment to the UW-L insurance company.
If the Student Health
Center is closed when you
are in need of medical assistance, you should go to the nearest
clinic or hospital, depending on your needs. Again, you will
not be charged the $50USD co-payment to the UW-L insurance company
if this is the case.
Please also
note that your UW-L insurance policy will cover many of the
medical services you will receive, though the
Student
Health Center
may charge a small fee for certain lab tests, immunizations, and
medication. To view a listing of the
Student
Health Center’s
common fees, please visit
http://www.uwlax.edu/StudentHealth/Costs/Fees.htm.
Technology-Related Information
Should I bring my own computer or should I buy a computer in the
U.S.?
If you wish to have a
computer, you will be able to purchase one for a relatively
inexpensive price once you arrive in the
U.S.
The Office of International Education recommends that you
purchase a computer locally, as
UW-L will only support U.S. version
operating systems and does not support any foreign software or
operating systems. Additionally, UW-L does not support
pirated and illegal software and/or operating systems. It is
illegal to use pirated and illegal software and/or operating
systems in the
U.S.
The use of these items can lead to fines from government
authorities.
Please note
that if you do have your own computer, all residence halls have
individual resident network hook-up (ResNet). Information
regarding minimum requirements for your computer is listed at
http://reslife.uwlax.edu/reslifeis.
Where can I get a cell
phone?
The answer to this
question depends on how long you plan on being in the U.S. If you plan on being in the U.S. for less
than one year, you may not wish to purchase a cell phone because
doing so usually means you are agreeing to either a 1- or 2-year
contract with the cellular company. If you do purchase a cell
phone and agree to a 1- or 2-year plan and then decide you no
longer wish to have your cell phone, canceling your contract can
cost more than $100USD.
If
you are considering buying a cell phone and signing a contract
in the U.S.,
there are several providers in
La Crosse you may choose from. Some of
these companies include Sprint, Alltel, and US Cellular. Please
visit one of these locations for more information regarding
available plans and pricing information.
If you do
not wish to sign a contract, there are other options. In the U.S. you can purchase a prepaid cell
phone. You will be able to make calls from this cell phone as
long as you have credit on your account. One company that offers
this service is Alltel. Please click on the following website if
you are interested:
http://www.shopalltel.com/product/browse.htm?pgId=101&tNav=4&t=1
International calling cards are an option, too. You can either buy these
cards locally (for example, Walgreens and Wal-Mart both sell
these cards) or you can stop by the Office of International
Education for further suggestions.
Involvement Information
How can I get
involved on campus?
If you want to get
involved, UW-L is the place for you! From numerous student
organizations to opportunities to enhance your leadership skills
while getting involved in the La Crosse community, we are
here to help you connect to others on campus and beyond. For
example, joining
LIFE
(La Crosse International Friendship Exchange) is just one way to
get more involved by hanging out, meeting new friends from other
countries, and participating in dozens of fun activities. To see
all of the other student organizations on campus that you may be
interested in joining, please visit
http://www.uwlax.edu/current_students/studentorganizations.aspx.
In order to see volunteer opportunities, please check out
http://www.uwlax.edu/uc/involvement/.
Office of International
Education
University of Wisconsin-La Crosse
116 Graff Main Hall
1725 State Street
La Crosse, WI 54601 USA
