A home away from home

If you’re thinking about earning a degree in the United States, SFA is a great place to explore, learn and grow. Not only will you find engaging classes and outstanding faculty members here, you’ll have opportunities to explore other cultures, make lifelong friends and take part in all that university life has to offer. We invite you to discover the Lumberjack experience for yourself.

Estimated Cost of Attendance

Note: If you are applying for an F-1 student visa, view the current financial requirements to complete the I-20 form upon receiving acceptance from SFA.

The Office of Admissions Cost of Attendance page offers details on the average cost to attend SFA. You may meet the requirements to establish Texas residency; otherwise, you are considered an out-of-state resident for tuition and fees.

Applying to SFA: The requirements

An international student is someone who is not a U.S. citizen or a permanent U.S. resident (i.e., those who are visa holders). Deferred Action Childhood Arrivals are not considered international students.

Minimum incoming cumulative GPA

  • Undergraduate, first-time student:
    • Minimum 2.5 cumulative GPA on all secondary coursework.
  • Undergraduate, transfer:
    • Minimum 2.0 cumulative GPA on all post-secondary coursework.
  • Graduate:
    • All international graduate applicants must meet the same requirements as all graduate applicants

English Proficiency requirements

All applicants must submit an English test score or a waiver of equivalency as part of their complete application. Testing can be done through one of the following official exams:

  • TOEFL: Test of English as a Foreign Language
  • IELTS: International English Language Testing System
  • DET: Duolingo English Test (for undergraduate admission only)

If you have attended school in the U.S., including select language schools, additional options are available to meet the English requirement.

A waiver of equivalency may be available for students with academic credentials from certain countries.

Applicants to any Educator Preparation Program must adhere to requirements listed in the EPP handbook.

Visit the English Proficiency Requirement page for more information.

Credential Evaluation

All international applicants must submit course-by-course credential evaluations from previous schools that are outside the U.S.

  • Undergraduate, first-time student: all secondary schools
  • Undergraduate, transfer: all secondary and post-secondary schools
  • Graduate: all post-secondary schools

The Office of International Programs will accept a credential evaluation from most recognized companies. Although we do not recommend any one company, we have had successful experience with the following companies:

Transferring credits from another educational institution?

In addition to the credential evaluation noted in the above requirements, if you are transferring from another educational institution and would like to transfer course credits, you may be required to submit syllabi from those courses.

Ready to apply? 

Undergraduate applicants

Apply to SFA

Note: If you have trouble entering your high school code, try using eight asterisks (*) instead.

After you submit your application, complete the additional documents and send them to international@sfasu.edu.

Graduate applicants

Applying to SFA's graduate school is easy with the online admissions application. This application can be completed from anywhere in the world.

The cost for applying to SFA is $50. You'll pay this at the end of the application process.

After you submit your application, complete the additional documents and send them to internationalgrad@sfasu.edu.

All applicants: mail additional documents

You will need to send the additional documents listed below to the Office of International Programs to complete your application for admission paperwork. 

Once you've collected all required documents, submit these to OIP by email:

If you need to mail the documents, view mailing address options.

All applicants must submit:

Undergraduate applicants also can submit:

  • Official SAT/ACT scores
    • Test scores are never required for international student admission but may be used to satisfy the Texas Success Initiative.

Graduate applicants:

The following documents should only be submitted if required by your academic program. An application guide for your academic program should be requested from the Office of International Programs by emailing internationalgrad@sfasu.edu.

  • Letters of recommendation
  • Personal goal statement, or similar
  • Official GRE, issued directly by ETS
    • SFA school code: 6682
  • Official GMAT

Note: Official GRE/GMAT scores must have been taken within the last five years to be considered valid for admission.

Once all application materials are received, decisions are typically made within three to four weeks.

Accepted? Congratulations! Here's what to do next:

United States Citizenship and Immigration Services requires all F and J student visa holders to verify they will have funds available to pay for their education, living and other expenses. This funding may come from the student, a sponsor or multiple sponsors (such as family members), loans and scholarships or on-campus employment (such as a graduate assistantship).

You will need this proof of financial support when:

  • requesting an initial certificate of eligibility (I-20 or DS-2019) from the Office of International Programs
    • This allows you to apply for your student visa.
  • applying for a visa at a U.S. Embassy or Consulate
  • and making certain updates to the student immigration record.

Step 1: Collect proof of financial support 

J student visa holders may have different funding requirements based on the partnership agreement with their home university/institution.

The information from the following documents will be used to complete your I-20 or DS-2019 form, which will allow you to apply for your student visa.

  1. certification of finances form completed by you and your sponsor(s).
  2. Bank statement or other financial documentation from your or your sponsor(s) verifying funds of at least:
    • Undergraduate students: $38,208 USD.
      • If you have been offered and accepted the International Student Scholarship or other scholarship of $1,000 or more: $27,128 USD
    • Graduate students: $32,389 USD.
      • If you have been offered and accepted the International Student Scholarship or other scholarship of $1,000 or more: $23,829 USD

Scholarship funds are limited, so apply early to SFA!

If you are transferring from another educational institution in the U.S., you also will need a transfer-in form completed by you and your international student advisor to transfer your SEVIS record.

Step 2: Send us your documents

Once you've collected all required documents, submit these to OIP by email:

Receiving your I-20/DS-2019 forms

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's I-20 Guidance policy and the U.S. Department of State's updated options for form DS-2019 allows OIP the option to email your I-20/DS-2019 forms to you.

We'll email you additional details about this option and you will choose if email or hard copy is best for your situation.