ARRIVAL INFORMATION FOR GRADUATE STUDENTS 

Dear International Student:

Welcome to UNC Charlotte for the SPRING 2008 semester.  Please read this arrival information carefully, including important meeting dates for your first days at UNC Charlotte.

ARRIVAL PLANS & MOVE IN

Please return the ENCLOSED Arrival Information Form to give us your travel plans if you’d like someone to meet you at the airport.  Also, please note that the residence halls do not officially open until Sunday, January 6^th, however, if you return the enclosed Arrival Form to the ISSO by Wednesday, December 12, special arrangements can be made for new international students with housing assignments to move-in on Friday, January 4^th.

INTERNATIONAL STUDENT ORIENTATION

This activity is designed especially for students on F-1 & J-1 visas and you are expected to attend.  If you hold a different visa category, you are also welcome to attend. We will review immigration regulations, complete tax papers if you will be working on campus, and provide general information.  PLEASE NOTE: The Graduate School and your department may also hold orientations but they are not a substitute for the International Student Orientation.

IMMIGRATION MATTERS FOR F1s/J1s

a.       Students outside the U.S. – Contact the nearest U.S.   consulate to make an appointment for your visa interview as early as possible.  One of the required documents will be evidence that you have paid the US$100 SEVIS fee. 
Instructions for paying this fee can be found at https://www.fmjfee.com/index.jhtml 

You must use UNC Charlotte’s I-20 or DS-2019 when entering the U.S.  See www.travel.state.gov for more information and tips on preparing for your visa interview.  

b.    Students transferring from another U.S. school –

Your I-20 document will be held in our office and must be processed for immigration ‘transfer’ during the International Student Orientation.  Failure to do so within 15 days will result in immigration complications. If you will be traveling outside the US prior to arriving at UNC Charlotte you must use our I-20 for re-entry purposes. Contact our office and we will send it to you.

FINANCES

Have all checks issued in US dollars and made payable to you so that you can open a U.S. bank account and pay all bills from there.  If your bank will not issue a check in your name, have a check made payable to UNC Charlotte.  Exact figures can be found at http://www.finance.uncc.edu/Tuition_and_Fees.htm  

·          Tuition, fees and on-campus housing (if you’ve been assigned) can also be paid by credit card via your 49er Express account.  This can be done at any time after registering for classes.

·          A bill will be sent to you after you have registered, and full payment is expected by the date listed on the bill.

WIRE TRANSFER

Below are the instructions that should be given to the bank that is wiring the funds 

UNCC Special Clearing Account

Bank of America, Charlotte, NC 28255

Account #0001390632

ABA #053000196

Swift Code #BOFAU3N

ONLY U.S. DOLLARS WILL BE ACCEPTED

Be sure to include the student’s name, student ID number, and the reason the funds are being wired (tuition & fees, housing, etc.).  This information must be included in order for us to accurately identify and credit the money properly.

There will be a fee of $10.00 deducted when the funds are posted to the student’s account. Please take this into consideration when determining the amount that is to be sent.

If you have any questions about these wire instructions, please contact the Office of the Recon & Control at (704) 687-2102.

Please be aware that it takes several days to properly identify and credit the student’s account once your bank has wired the money.

ESTIMATED EXPENSES FOR FALL SEMESTER

Tuition & Fees (9 credit hours)                 $7427*
International Student Fee                            50
Off-Campus Housing                               2,250
Meals                                                   1,300
Books                                                     500
Medical Insurance                                     330
Incidental Expenses                                  850
TOTAL                                              $12,707

*Tuition & Fees for MBA = $9,927

ADVISING & REGISTRATION

Upon arrival at UNC Charlotte, contact your academic department for advising and registration. 

IMMUNIZATIONS

REQUIRED HEALTH INSURANCE

All students will be automatically billed for the university’s health insurance plan unless they provide evidence of a comparable plan that has a U.S. carrier.  Full details may be found at http://www.healthsvcs.uncc.edu/

CAMPUS HOUSING

If you are interested in campus housing you need to apply at:
https://nypublic.uncc.edu.  First you will need to activate your account using your Student ID number and your 49er Express email address (to look up your email address, go to https://secure.uncc.edu/its/UserNameLookup/ ). Then begin the application process following the instructions online.  For further questions about housing, contact the Housing & Residence Life Office online at: www.housing.uncc.edu  or call (704) 687-2585.  If you experience difficulty logging onto 49er Express, send an inquiry at http://www.labs.uncc.edu/magic/magic_help.cfm

In order to learn about all of the different options, read the ‘Housing Information’ including the various rates associated with each location.  Please also understand that your housing request will be considered, however you may be given a different assignment based upon availability.

OFF-CAMPUS HOUSING

Off-campus apartments are available near the campus and within 1-10 miles of the university. The rent, when shared with other students, ranges from $300-350 month plus utilities. Arrangements for renting this type of facility are done directly with the apartment manager. For information on off-campus apartments visit http://www.dso.uncc.edu/offcampus/index.htm

FOOD ON CAMPUS

The University food service has several meal plans. Information on the plans will be available during orientation.  For more information consult the Dining Services web site at: http://www.auxiliary.uncc.edu/dining/diningservices.htm

MAIL/POST

The International Student Office may be used as a temporary mailing address:

(Your name here)
International Student Office, UNC Charlotte
9201 University City Blvd.
Charlotte, NC  28223-0001

UNC CHARLOTTE’S LOCATION AND CLIMATE

UNC Charlotte is located on the edge of Charlotte, a city of over 600,000 people. Its climate is mild with temperatures ranging from 75°F (25°C) in the summer to 20°F (7°C) in the winter. Some winter days are below freezing and there is occasional snow. Summer is quite humid and some days have temperatures above 90°F (32°C).
See http://search.uncc.edu/maps for campus map.

ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS

Please contact our office at: isso@email.uncc.edu; phone (704) 687-7781; fax: (704)687-3168 Monday-Friday 8am-5pm or (704) 568-6920 evenings & weekends.  Also, check out www.isso.uncc.edu for more information. 

We look forward to meeting you in January!

Sincerely,

Marian Beane, Director
mebeane@uncc.edu

Denise Medeiros, Assistant Director
dvmedei@uncc.edu

Debbie Wilson, Administrative Assistant
dawilson@uncc.edu  

Chau Tran, SEVIS Coordinator