Summer Semester Policies
Summer Semester Enrollment Policy
Summer Semester – Continuing Students
The summer session is considered a normal break for those in undergraduate and graduate studies. If an undergraduate or graduate student has studied at JSU (or another US university) in the prior spring semester and will study at JSU in the upcoming fall semester, then that student is not required to enroll in summer classes. If an international student who was enrolled full-time in the preceding spring semester wishes to enroll in summer classes, there is no minimum requirement. An international student in this case is also not restricted in the number of 100% online classes they can take. Any combination of online and hybrid/in-person classes are allowed for the summer only.
However, there are three very important exceptions for summer enrollment:
Summer Semester – New Students
- Summer as First Semester (for new, initial SEVIS records): If summer is your first semester at JSU on a new initial SEVIS I-20/DS-2019, then you must register full-time as in any other semester. This includes a new initial SEVIS record for those who have previously fallen out of status and have been issued a new SEVIS record and have entered the US on the new SEVIS record for the summer session.
- Full-time enrollment is 12 credit hours and at least 9 of those 12 must be hybrid/in-person. Be careful as there may not be enough physical presence classes offered in the summer session.
- Full-time enrollment is 9 credit hours and at least 6 of those 9 must be hybrid/in-person. Be careful as there may not be enough physical presence classes offered in the summer session.
- Summer as a SEVIS Transfer or Change of Education Level (COEL): If you are transferring your SEVIS record into JSU from another US university or institution, or if you are beginning a new degree program at a higher level (e.g., bachelor’s to master’s) in the summer term, then you must register part-time. If you transfer your SEVIS record into JSU, and summer is your first semester, then you must be registered for at least 3 physical presence credits (i.e., hybrid or in-person) in the summer to maintain status. The 3 credits cannot solely be 100% online. If you are transferring into JSU from any institution outside the US and have been issued a new initial I-20, then you must be registered full time as stated above.