Arizona Western College is home to international students from over 40 countries. We welcome all students interested in studying abroad with us. Our friendly staff is eager to help with the entire application process—from your initial inquiry to your arrival and all throughout your stay in the U.S. We do our best to make your experience as an international student as rewarding as possible. We think you will find Arizona Western College the perfect place to call your home away from home.
Working Side-by-Side & Together with Your DSO (Designated School Official)
New Students
- Apply for Admissions as an International Student
- Upload the Supplemental Documents:
- Financial Verification
- Bank Statement or LOI. Students must demonstrate an ability to pay for their studies either through their personal bank statement, scholarship or a sponsor bank statement or a combination of there to total USD $15, 000. Note: Letter of Intent for Sponsorship is required if a sponsor is being used.
- Color Copy of International Passport
- Official High School Transcript (Translated into English) Note: Athletes must submit an official certificate of completion or a diploma to be eligible for competition.
- Financial Verification
- Arrive on campus before the session start date
- Must register 12 credits or more in the program of study
- Students must check-in with the DSO/ International Student Coordinator at the beginning of each semester to maintain status.
- Update your DSO about the changes in your information or situation – Transfers, Program extensions, etc..
Important: All international students must have medical insurance, including coverage for repatriation of remains. AWC provides the necessary insurance coverage through a group plan, or students may purchase their own. If you choose to purchase your own personal insurance, you must inform the International Office about your coverage and provide a copy of your insurance card. If you don't provide your own insurance within a week of classes, you will be added to our AWC international group insurance at your own expense.
Important: Effective July 1, 2025, all first-year students will be required to live in on-campus housing for their first academic year. This policy is designed to support your academic success and ease your transition into college life by fostering a strong sense of community and access to campus resources. In addition, we strongly advise all incoming students to enroll in ORI 101-004: Strategies for Success. This course is designed to help you build essential academic skills, set personal goals, and make the most of your college experience. Although this course is targeted at international and club leaders, it is open to any AWC student!
Active Students
- Have to have and maintain at least 12 credits in program of study to maintain status
- Before the DSO to register you in SEVIS, you need 12 credits classes registered
- See the DSO before each session to register you
- Do not drop classes without talking to the advisor and your DSO
- Discuss emergency situation and needs with your DSO
- Campus employment has to be authorized and supported by the international student office/ DSO
- If you cannot arrive before the session start date, communicate with us to find solution
Transferring Students
- Graduate in Spring/ May -- Transfer before the 60 days after graduation expires
- Graduate in Fall/ December -- Transfer before the next session starting date meaning before January session start date. If you did not find the next school, come see us so we can extend your program end date to avoid the status to be terminated for failure to enroll (specially for athletes)
- We are going to start a new system to fill out the transfer in and transfer out form online/Maxient
Leaving the Country (USA)
- Before you leave the country, your I-20 has to be signed by your DSO.
- The travel Endorsement signature is good for one year
- Make sure you are meeting the VISA requirements for any country you wish to visit. IE: Mexico
- Authorized Early Withdrawal: You cannot spend more than 5 months out of the United States/ SEVIS status will be terminated or complete depending on the cases.
- If your SEVIS record (I-20) is completed or terminated you will need to work closely with SEVIS for possible reactivation. Communicate with DSO for support.
- We can help, but you have to ask for that help to make us aware
- You must read your school and personal email and respond because it is important.
- To meet with your DSO Schedule your appointment international.students@azwestern.edu.
- We stop accepting initial applications 20 days before the start each session date
- The International Student Club will be meeting twice a month.
- Do not go to Mexico, Why? Visa purposes and safety purpose
International Student Acceptance Process
Requirements for a complete International Student Application:
- Student Profile / International Admissions Application
- Demographic Information
- Name on Passport
- Date of Birth (Month/Day/Year)
- Complete Physical Address
- Student’s Personal Email address
- Telephone number (+Country code)
- Other Required information
- Intended major or course of study
- F-1 Students must choose and Associates Degree
- M-1 Students must choose a certificate program
- Intended major or course of study
- Required documentation attachments (Supplemental Attachments)
- A COLOR copy of passport Personal information and photo page
- Financial Verification: Students must demonstrate an ability to pay for their studies either through their personal bank statement, a sponsor bank statement (including sponsor intent letter), a Scholarship or a combination of these to total $15,000.
- High school transcripts translated into English:
- Athletes must submit an official certificate of completion or a diploma to be eligible for competition.
- Proof of Insurance/ Request for Arizona Western College International Student Insurance.
All international students must have medical insurance, including coverage for repatriation of remains. AWC provides the necessary insurance coverage through a group plan or student may purchase their own. If you are going to purchase your own personal insurance, you must let the International office know who you are covered through & provide a copy of your insurance card to our office.
Special Requirements for Minors
If you will be a minor (less than 18 years old) at the time you apply to Arizona Western College, your parent must print & sign the minor consent form.
You will receive an email via recruit when all of your documents have been received and the application has been reviewed by the International Student Program.
Once you have been accepted, you will automatically receive a notification of your account being created and the steps on how to access it. This information is sent to the personal email address you provided during your application process.
- Canvas: Where your classes are organized online,
- Student Mail: Student email for you to communicate within our school system: https://login.microsoftonline.com/?whr=azwestern.edu
- Self Service: Registration and Schooling Records
- PAY THE $350 SEVIS FEE
- Submit form I-901 & pay a $350 fee to register with the Student & Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) online at www.fmjfee.com. Print out a copy of the receipt & take it to the visa interview. Watch the tutorial on how to pay the SEVIS fee HERE.
- APPLY FOR YOUR STUDENT VISA
- Complete the DS-160 Online Non-immigrant Visa Application at https://ceac.state.gov/genniv/. Have your passport & I-20 form in order to complete the application online. Print out a copy of the DS-160 Barcode page & take to the visa interview.
- PAY $150 VISA APPLICATION FEE & SCHEDULE VISA INTERVIEW
- Visit the U.S. Embassy or Consulate website http://www.usembassy.gov/ for specific instructions for paying the visa application fee & scheduling visa interview. In some countries, this can be done online. Get a printed receipt of your fee payment & take it to the visa interview.
- PREPARE FOR YOUR VISA INTERVIEW
- You must demonstrate to the consular officer that you meet the student visa requirements: having a residence outside the U.S., strong ties to home country, & sufficient financial resources to pursue your course of study. Familiarize yourself with Arizona Western College & intended program of study at www.azwestern.edu.
- Make sure you have all of the following NINE documents:
- Passport, Official and Signed I-20 form, I-901 SEVIS registration receipt, Printed DS-160, Previous school transcripts, Official Admissions Letter, one 2x2 color photograph, Visa Fee payment receipt and Proof that you can afford the tuition and expenses (LOI and/or Bank statement).
- ATTEND YOUR VISA INTERVIEW
- Visit the website of the U.S. Embassy or Consulate in your country for specific instructions on what you should do the day of your interview. Bring all nine necessary documents:
- Passport
- Printed DS-160 form
- Visa fee payment receipt
- Official Admission Letter
- Previous schools’ transcripts
- One 2x2 in. color photograph
- I-901 SEVIS registration receipt
- Official Printed and Signed I-20 form
- Proof that you can afford the tuition expenses
- Visit the website of the U.S. Embassy or Consulate in your country for specific instructions on what you should do the day of your interview. Bring all nine necessary documents:
- NOTIFY INTERNATIONAL STUDENT PROGRAMS THE OUTCOME OF YOUR VISA INTERVIEW
F-3 Border Commuter Admission Requirements
- Provide a valid passport
- Provide a school transcript
- Provides a Financial proof of $5,000/Bank statement from parent or whomever wants to financially support the student through his study
- Residence Hall Application
- Please go to https://www.azwestern.edu/housing and complete the Housing Application. Web account must be set up prior to applying for housing.
- $100 Deposit
- All applications must be accompanied by a $100 deposit. Refer to housing link above for more information. You may pay the $100 deposit by calling our Business Department at (928) 317-7666.
- Proof of Immunizations
- All students living on campus MUST provide proof of immunizations (shots, jabs, injections) in order to live in campus housing. Specifically, you must be sure you have received MMR1 and MMR2 (measles, mumps, and rubella), Chicken Pox Varicella, Tetanus (Diphtheria), Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Meningitis, and Polio.
Please send immunization records to: housing@azwestern.edu.
***Friendly reminder: these three items must be submitted to the Residential Life Department at AWC prior to your arrival or you will not be able to stay on campus.
Special Housing Requirements for Minors
If you will be a minor (less than 18 years old) at the time you apply to live on campus, your parent must print & sign the residence hall application. Your parent’s signature on the residence hall application MUST BE NOTARIZED before submission. Email or fax your signed and notarized application.
***Exceptions are made on a case by case basis by the Coordinator of International Students. If you are granted an exception, you must make housing arrangements prior to your arrival and inform the International Student Program where you will be living at all times.
All students must pay tuition, housing, & other fees before checking into the residence halls & attending classes.
Payments
The AWC cashier accepts payment by Flywire, cash, money order, traveler’s check, credit card, and bank wire transfer. Bank wire information available upon request. Contact the Business Office (Cashiers) for questions: (928) 317-7666.
To wire money, please refer to these two options:
- We recommend that you choose Flywire to pay for your tuition balance. Go to www.flywire.com/pay/azwestern to pay through Flywire. There’s also a Flywire flyer attached in this package for you to refer to.
- You may also transfer funds to AWC by bank wire or pay online by credit card:
- If you choose to transfer funds by bank wire, please notify us and also be certain to allow at least 10 days for this transaction to be completed.
- If you choose to pay by credit/ debit cards, please go to https://selfservice.azwestern.edu/Student/Finance/Payments and log into your school account.
*** Tuition is due within 24 hours of registration, otherwise your classes will be dropped.***
Once you have registered for your classes, please go to https://selfservice.azwestern.edu/Student/Finance/Payments and log in to your school account to view the exact amount of balance due.
Insurance
ll international students must have medical insurance, including coverage for repatriation of remains. AWC provides the necessary insurance coverage through a group plan or student may purchase their own. If you are going to purchase your own personal insurance, you must let the International office know who you are covered through & provide a copy of your insurance card to our office.
U.S. Taxes
Scholarships
Student Athletes receiving an athletic scholarship for anything other than tuition and fees will owe U.S. taxes based on the amount of the scholarship.
Student Employment
Students who obtain part-time on-campus employment or receive travel, room & board, or room or board, insurance, and/or honors scholarships are responsible for paying any state & federal taxes. The AWC business office may withhold any anticipated taxes & charge that amount to the student’s account. Visit (https://www.sprintax.com/azw) to get assistance on complying with U.S. Taxes.
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1042-S |
This form is used to report:
If you received this type of income, the 1042-S will be mailed to you by |
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W-2 |
This form reports your wage earnings if you worked. If you had more than one employer you should get a W-2 from each employer. It is issued by the end of January for the previous year. Make sure all employers from last year have an up-to-date address for you. |
Foreign student liability for Social Security and Medicare taxes
In general, aliens performing services in the United States as employees are liable for U.S. Social Security and Medicare taxes. However, certain classes of foreign employees are exempt from U.S. Social Security and Medicare taxes.
Federal income tax withholding and reporting on other kinds of U.S. source income paid to nonresidents
Withhold federal tax on income other than wages paid to nonresidents using the following rules.
TAX TREATY TABLE
- Book a Flight
- Please plan to arrive in Yuma prior to the first day of class. Your final destination airport is Yuma, Arizona (YUM).
- Send Us Your Flight Information
- Please contact International Student Programs as soon as you have booked your flight so we can update your SEVIS record. Provide all flight details, starting at your home airport, ending at your final destination in case of any emergencies or flight changes.
AWC Contact Information
Mailing Address:
Arizona Western College
Attn: International Student Programs
P.O. Box 929
Yuma, Arizona 85366-0929 U.S.A.
Office Location: 3C Building, Campus Life Office
Phone: (928) 344-7576
Fax: (928) 317-5188
E-mail: international.students@azwestern.edu
Again, congratulations on your acceptance to Arizona Western College! You have made an excellent decision to prepare for your future and we are glad you chose us to be a part of it. Go Matadors!
Frequently Asked Questions
An I-20 is a Certificate of Eligibility issued by a school, which states an international student has met the admission requirements, financial criteria and has been accepted for a full course of study. It does not guarantee a student will receive a visa or gain entrance to the United States.
Campus housing is based on availability.
The professional advisors will assist you in selecting your classes.
If you have not already wired your funds to Arizona Western College before your arrival, you must pay your tuition when you register for classes.
No, financial assistance is not available for international students.
No. F-1 students are non-immigrant students. Non-immigrant students are temporarily present in the U.S. and are not eligible for in-state tuition.
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services allow international students to work on campus for up to 20 hours per week while classes are in session. During vacations, students can work up to 40 hours per week. There are limited jobs available at AWC, and the college does not guarantee students a job.
If you were physically in the U.S. in F or M status anytime between January 1 - December 31, 2019 you're obligated to send one form, Form 8843, to the U.S. tax agency IRS (Internal Revenue Service), even if you had no income. For the 2019 tax season, if you earn over $0 of US source income, you may need to file a federal tax return with the IRS. Depending on your individual circumstances, you may also need to file a state tax return(s).
How to File:
We have teamed up with Sprintax https://www.sprintax.com/azw to provide you with easy-to-use tax preparation software designed for non-resident students in the U.S.
Note: Staff at AWC are not qualified or allowed to provide individual tax advice.