FAQ

• Are official documents required?
  • Please watch our video here about Official Documents.
    

    Official documents are not required for admission purposes. However, if you are admitted, you must submit official copies of all documents before you can register. 

    Documents should be sent in an envelope sealed by your institution to one of our addresses below 

    Postal Address:
    International Admissions
    P.O. Box 1800
    State University, AR  72467

    Shipping Address:
    International Admissions
    105 North Caraway Rd #1800
    State University, AR  72467

    OR if your school uses an approved third-party transcript service, they may send them to us through one of these services listed below to Arkansas State University-Jonesboro at international@astate.edu depending on the email address that is specified by each verified site you use.

    • TranscriptsNetwork / Credentials Solutions (http://www.credentialssolutions.net/)
    • Parchment (https://www.parchment.com/)
    • Digitary  (http://www.digitary.net/)
    • My eQuals (https://www.myequals.edu.au)
    • Clearinghouse (http://www.studentclearinghouse.org/)
    • SPEEDE (https://www.speedeserver.org/)
    • Scrip-Safe (https://www.scrip-safe.com/)

    *We do not accept any official transcripts sent via email from you or your institution if not through one of these verified electronic sites.

      

• Where can I find a list of the required admission documents?
  • You can find a link to our document tool here. Once you choose the correct information on the drop-down menus, it will show you a list of the required documents.  

• Do I need to submit the WES/ECE evaluation? 
  • No, the Office of Admissions does not require third-party transcript evaluations. The Office of Admissions accepts WES/ECE evaluations.

• Do I have to submit a financial statement before admission?
  • Yes, since the financial statement is a required item by the U.S. Government to create immigration documents, A-State collects the financial statement during the admissions process. You will not be fully admitted to the university or issued any immigration documents until we receive a financial statement that meets the required guidelines.

• • Watch our video about Financial Statement Requirements here.

• How long does it take until I receive an admission decision?

  • ESL applicants: You will receive an admission decision 1 – 2 days after we receive all proper documents. 

  • Undergraduate applicants: You will receive an admission decision in 1 – 2 days after we receive all proper documents. 

  • Graduate applicants: Academic departments are responsible for admission decisions for their degree programs. Once we receive all proper documents and your application is processed, it is sent to the department for an admission decision. As each department is different, it is difficult to predict how long it will take for each department to evaluate an application and make an admission decision. For example, some departments make admission decisions in a committee or some departments must assign advisors before admission decisions are made. However, once the International Admissions office receives the department decision, we can process the decision usually between 24 – 48 hours. 

• Can I get my application fee waived?
  • The application fee cannot be waived and needs to be paid in order to complete your application.

• How do I send my official GRE/GMAT, TOEFL, or IELTS scores? 

  • A-State’s institutional code to receive electronic tests is 6011. You must enter this code when requesting your test score to be sent. You must also submit the scanned copies of your test score by uploading to the document uploader for admission purpose only. Official GRE/GMAT and TOEFL scores will need to be submitted after admission. 

  • We do not need official IELTS sent from the testing board as we verify these online before admission.

• What is the financial statement and how much does it need to show?

  • The financial statement is also called a bank letter. This should be submitted in English and issued by the bank or financial institution. The document must be less than one year old and show a cash-ready account (such as a checking or savings account). The ending balance must be at least $25,000. We can accept multiple statements adding up to $25,000. If you are being sponsored by someone, please also submit a sponsorship letter, also called an affidavit of support. There is no specific form; this is just a letter from your sponsor agreeing to pay your costs.

• What is a financial sponsorship letter? 

  • A financial sponsorship letter is required if your financial statement belongs to someone who does not share your last name. 

  • A financial sponsorship letter is a statement of your sponsor’s pledge to provide support. Include all relevant details, including the date, student’s name, sponsor’s name, and financial amounts and sign the letter to make it legally binding. The letter should accompany a bank statement under the sponsor’s name. 

  • If you are sponsored by your government, you can submit a financial guarantee in place of the financial statement. 

Samples:

General Letter of Financial Support for University

Financial Sponsorship Letter 

• What is a graduate assistantship and how can I apply? Can I apply before I am admitted to A-State? 

  • Graduate assistantships (GA’s) are part-time jobs granted to graduate students to help provide supervised paid work experience while completing an academic degree program. These are jobs that support various departments on campus. A-State has three different types of graduate assistantships: teaching, research, and administrative support. The responsibilities and duties of the GA position will be decided by the department. 

  • Some of the benefits of graduate assistantships include: 

    • Bi-monthly pay (stipend) 

    • In-state tuition rate for Master’s Degree candidates, provided they are appointed on or before the 11th day of class 

    • Full tuition waiver for Doctoral candidates 

  • Graduate assistantships are granted at the discretion of the department and are not guaranteed with admission. The best thing to do is contact the department you are applying to and introduce yourself after you have applied. You can let them know why you applied to that department and that you are hoping to be considered for a graduate assistantship position. 

• How do I apply to A-State?
  

  Application guide can be found at:

  • For graduate program applicants
  • For undergraduate applicants
  • For ESL applicants
  • For exchange program applicants 

• Are A-State programs accredited?
  

  Yes! Accrediting organizations set the academic standards by which their member institutions must comply. This quality assurance process is performed by private membership associations. Arkansas State University is accredited by the regional institutional accreditor, the Higher Learning Commission, Chicago, IL. 

  Individual programs are accredited by specialized accrediting agencies for the respective programs, as noted here. 

  The English Learning Academy is accredited by the Commission on English Language Program Accreditation (CEA). 

• What scholarships are available for International Students in A-State?
  

  A-State’s Scholarship Opportunities and other non-A-State scholarships can be found here. 

• How much is the cost of living in Jonesboro, Arkansas?
  Arkansas State is one of most affordable place to live in the U.S. The cost of living in Jonesboro is about 16% lower than the national average! The estimated cost for international students can be viewed here and the rates and information about on-campus housing and meal plan can be viewed here.

• Can I study online?
  • If you are outside of the US: You can study online. There is no restriction on international students studying online as long as there are living outside of the US.
  • If you are currently in the US: Your ability to study online depends on your visa type. Please consult your immigration professional or USCIS.

• Does Arkansas State University provide online students with an I-20?
  • No, studying at a U.S. university in a fully online program does not provide a student with an I-20. International online students must either be in their home country or (if they are in the US) already hold a visa which allows for online study. 

• What is the cost?
  • For all programs except the online MBA, the tuition for international students is 10% above the tuition advertised online. For the online MBA, the tuition for international students is the same as the tuition advertised online. Click on the program at https://degree.astate.edu/tuition/ to find out the tuition for the program.

• What are the application requirements?
  • For all programs:
    • A completed online application. International students should start here.
    • The application fee
    • Transcripts and diplomas from secondary and post-secondary schools you have attended 
    • A copy of your passport (and visa, if you are currently in the US)
    • Proof of English proficiency; requirements can be found at the link above
  • *You can be admitted with non-official documents; however the Official Documents Signature Page will state that you agree to submit official documents from your high school or previous universities after admission.
  • Some programs have additional requirements: Please check your program’s website for specifics 

• Do I need to submit a WES Evaluation or other evaluation for my academic transcripts?

  • No, the Office of Admissions does not require or accept third-party transcript evaluations.

• How do I know what courses will transfer as equivalent A-State courses?
  • Before admission, check the Transfer Course Equivalency Tool. In the section titled “Search by Non-AState Course,” you can look up your previous university and the courses from that university which have been reviewed for credit in the past. If your university and course are not already in the transfer course equivalency tool, then you will work with the transfer specialists in the Office of Admission after admission. 
  • After admission, you will receive a PDF from your transfer specialist. This will tell you which courses have already been evaluated as equivalent to specific A-State courses, and which courses we will evaluate. Courses which we will evaluate will be marked with the note “send syllabus.” 

• Will I get credit for all of my courses I took at my previous school? 
  • You will receive credit for every class you have taken, even if we do not have an equivalent class at A-State. The exceptions are English as a Second Language classes and developmental or remedial classes. 

• Where do I find the syllabus for a course?
  • If you don’t have the syllabus, you should contact the professor of the course or department that the course was taught in. Some universities will also make the syllabus available online. 

• What information should be on the syllabus?
  • The syllabus should include at least a course description, the textbooks used, and the weekly topics. It might also include information such as learning objectives and assessment methods. 

• What if I can’t obtain the syllabus?
  • Unfortunately, we can only accept transfer equivalencies for courses if we have the syllabus for review. 

• My syllabus isn’t in English. What should I do? 
  • If the original syllabus is not in English, please send the original syllabus and a translation. You can translate the syllabus yourself or have someone else translate it for you. 

• What happens after I send you the syllabus? 
  • The transfer specialist will send the syllabus to the appropriate department at Arkansas State University. The department will decide if the course from your original university is equivalent to a course at Arkansas State University. If there is an equivalent course, the department and the transfer specialist will fill out the paperwork and the course will appear on your Arkansas State University transcript and degree evaluation as transferred. 
  • If the course under review is not accepted as equivalent to an A-State course, it will remain as “transfer credit” on your A-State transcript. In some cases, the department might give you elective credit for a course that does not closely match an A-State course. 

• If I send the syllabus, will I get credit for a course? 
  • Sending a syllabus doesn’t mean that you will receive credit for a specific course. The academic departments at Arkansas State University make that decision, so they might decide not to accept a course. Departments reject course transfers for reasons related to the number of credit hours (the number of hours spent in class per week), the topics covered, the course’s level, and laboratory requirements. 
  • For example, let’s say you took a calculus course at your previous university. If the math department at Arkansas State University evaluates that course as being equivalent to MATH 2204 Calculus I, then you will receive credit for MATH 2204 Calculus I on your A-State transcript. However, the math department might decide that the course from your previous university does not cover the same topics as MATH 2204 Calculus I; in that case, the course will remain on your transcript listed as “GENL 1000 Transfer Credit.” 

• I don’t want to transfer my courses because my grades are low. Is that possible? 
  • Every class you have taken and every grade that you have received at a previous university will be on your transcript at Arkansas State University, marked as transfer credit. 

• I have completed another semester since I applied. Can I transfer these courses as well? 
  • Yes, you can. You will need to work with the International Programs office. To help speed up the process, please include a PDF of your new transcript and PDFs of your syllabi for these new classes. Remember that you will need to turn in your official final transcript showing these additional classes before they are added to your A-State transcript. 

• I already have a bachelor’s degree from a previous university. What is the process for me? 
  • We do not do a transfer equivalency process for students with previous a bachelor’s degree. For these students, transfer work isn’t entered into their A-State transcript, except for composition and US history courses taken at other US universities. Post-degree students are able to waive certain general education course requirement at the discretion of their academic advisor. 

• I have a nursing degree. Can I receive transfer credits at A-State nursing program? 
  • You must be a licensed registered nurse in the State of Arkansas to receive transfer credit at A-State for nursing courses taken in another country. The link to Arkansas State Board of Nursing licensure by exam information for internationally educated nurses is here.