1. Complete an Admissions Application and submit it along with a $25 non-refundable  application fee.  If you are an F-1 prospective student, you must provide your foreign physical address on the application. If possible, we will need your local U.S. address as well.  You will also need to provide your official/legal name on the application.  The application fee must be paid by check, money order, or credit card in U.S. dollars.
2. If English is not your native language, you must demonstrate English proficiency by providing minimum TOEFL scores that are less than two years old:
             

   Minimum Paper-based TOEFL	500
   Minimum Computer-based TOEFL	173
   Trident’s TOEFL Code iBT (new internet based)	5049 61

   You must schedule to take Trident’s Placement Test or provide qualifying Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT) or American College Testing (ACT) scores.  If you submit college transcripts with equivalent English and math courses, you may be allowed to exempt all or part of Trident’s Placement Test.

Qualifying SAT/ACT Scores:
SAT –Taken on or after April 1, 1995: Verbal 480, Math 440
SAT - Taken on or after March 1, 2005: Critical Reading 480, Math 440
ACT- English 19, Math 18
      **SAT and ACT are valid for five years from date of test**.

You must provide documentation certifying that you have successfully completed a secondary education program equal to a U.S. high school diploma.  You may be required to have your high school records evaluated by a recognized evaluation service.  For evaluation services, go to http://www.wes.org/, http://www.jsilny.com/, or http://www.ece.org/.

A notarized Affidavit of Financial Support is required and must be completed by the sponsor .  You may have more than one sponsor; or you can sponsor yourself, however you must prove you have sufficient funds to support yourself for one year.   To download the forms, go to http://uscis.gov/graphics/formsfee/forms/files/i-134.pdf.

A notarized bank statement must also be provided from your sponsor showing sufficient funds to study in the United States.  The annual expense for an F-1 student is $18,000.00 (US$7,424 for tuition and books and US$10,576 for living expenses).  The annual increased cost of living expense in the U.S. is approximately 7%.  If you bring a spouse to the United States, the annual expense will be $6,000.00 and $3,000.00 for each child.

A tuition deposit in the amount of $6,308.00 (money order or certified check in U.S. dollars) is required.  The deposit may not be used for tuition or fees during this time but remains on deposit until after the second full semester you are enrolled.  In addition to this deposit, you must pay tuition and fees on the published due date of your first two semesters.

An I-20 will be issued to the student once all official documents have been received, reviewed, and student qualifies for acceptance. 

Before you go to your Embassy or Consulate, you will be required to pay a SEVIS fee of $100.00 to apply for your F-1 visa.  The SEVIS fee is required of all foreign nationals who come to the United States for the purpose of pursuing a full course of study in institutions such as colleges, universities, and language training programs.  It is payable one time for each single educational program in which an F-1 student participates, extending from the time the student is granted F-1 status to the time the student falls out of status, changes status, or departs the U.S. for an extended period of time.  The fee is separate from and in addition to the visa application fee.  The fee must be paid by the Internet or by mail.  It cannot be paid at a U.S. Embassy or Consulate and it cannot be paid at a Port of Entry.  The fee can be paid by one of two means:

1.  Electronically, by completing a form I-901 through the Internet and using a Visa,   MasterCard, or American Express credit card at http://www.fmjfee.com/.  Be sure to write your name exactly as it appears on your I-20 form.  Print a copy of the online receipt.
2.  By mail, by submitting form I-901 together with a check or money order drawn on a U.S. bank and payable in U.S. currency, made payable to “The Department of Homeland Security”, to the address listed on form I-901. You can download the form from http://www.fmjfee.com/.

Whether you pay by mail or on line, you must bring a copy of the receipt form I-797 with you to the Embassy or Consulate when you are applying for the student visa.