Pre-Departure Information

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security requires that all F-1 visa applicants pay a nonrefundable US$350 SEVIS Fee at least three days before they apply for a visa.

You can find more information about the SEVIS Fee by visiting:  https://www.wichita.edu/SEVIS. 

Most students will need to obtain an F-1 visa (student visa) at the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate before coming to Wichita. Depending on the country, obtaining a visa can range from being quite easy to very difficult. To apply for an F-1 student visa, you must submit the following to the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate:

1. Form DS-160 (completed online)
2. Nonrefundable US$160 visa application fee
3. Receipt* that you paid the US$350 nonrefundable SEVIS fee.  *Make sure to keep the receipt and bring it with you to the U.S.
4. A passport valid for at least 6 months (plus any old passports you may have)
5. A current Form I-20 from Wichita State University
6. A photo (visit: http://travel.state.gov/content/visas/english/general/photos.html for details)
7. Evidence of sufficient funds to study in the U.S. including a bank statement
8. U.S. Visa requirements differ from country to country, find visa information for your country by visiting:  http://www.usembassy.gov/

Check out our Visa Interview Tips

All first-year students, including undergraduate international students and Intensive English students (unless otherwise eligible for an exemption under provision two of this policy statement), must live in Shocker Hall, The Suites, or The Flats during their first two semesters at Wichita State University.

First-year students who meet one or more of the following criteria are exempt from living on campus:

1. Twenty-one (21) years of age or older.
2. Transferring 24 or more credit hours.
3. Married and living with spouse.
4. Living with an approved relative (parent/legal guardian, grandparent, aunt or uncle)

We recommend that you make a housing reservation before coming to Wichita. We require new International Students to arrive at WSU before the residence halls officially open for the semester. If you are living in Shocker Hall, The Flats, or The Suites you must email housing@wichita.edu to let them know when you plan to move into your room so they can prepare it as an early arrival.

Apply for Housing

The Wichita airport is called Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport (airport code ICT). If you are coming from a country outside of the U.S., you will have at least one connecting flight before arriving in Wichita. We suggest you allow for at least a 3-hour layover in your first arrival city in the U.S. so that you have sufficient time for immigration processing, customs inspection, and a required security check before your connecting flight leaves for Wichita.

When to Book Your Air Tickets

Semester/Session	Fall Semester 2025	October Session 2025	Spring Semester 2026	March Session 2026	Summer Session 2026
Recommended Arrival Date	Aug 10 (Sun) - Aug 12 (Tue)	Oct 10 (Fri) - Oct 12 (Sun)	Jan 11 (Sun) - Jan 13 (Tue)	Mar 15 (Sun) - Mar 17 (Tue)	May 24 (Sun) - May 26 (Tue)
Earliest Date Allowed to Enter the U.S.	Jul 13 (Sun)	Sep 12 (Fri)	Dec 15 (Mon)	Feb 15 (Sun)	Apr 26 (Sun)
First Day of Classes	Aug 18 (Mon)	Oct 15 (Wed)	Jan 20 (Tue)	Mar 23 (Mon)	Jun 1 (Mon)
Last Day of Final	Dec 11 (Thu)	Dec 11 (Thu)	May 14 (Thu)	May 14 (Thu)	Jul 24 (Fri)

Note: The university will be closed for winter holiday, starting at the end of the day on Friday December 19, 2025, through January 4, 2026. The university will reopen Monday, January 5, 2026. 

We offer FREE airport transportation from the Wichita airport. If you would like a free ride from the airport, fill out the form at: https://www.wichita.edu/arrival at least 48 hours before arrival. We only provide rides from Wichita Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport and will not provide pickups from any other airport. You can choose to take a taxi or Uber/Lyft to the University, taxi fare is approximately US$30-$40.

If you arrive late and do not arrange airport pickup, you may have to stay in a hotel for one night at your own expense. There are many hotels near the airport that cost approximately US$150 per night.

You will receive further email communication from our office on how to schedule your check-in time approximately one month before the start of classes. You will not be allowed to enroll without completing the check-in process.

You will need your passport and I-20 (if you are on an F-1 visa) for check-in. If you did not submit official transcripts when you applied for admission, please bring your official final transcripts with you to Wichita. For details on our transcript requirements, visit: https://wichita.edu/CountryRequirements

All University offices are open Monday - Friday from 8:00am to 5:00pm. Offices are closed on Saturdays and Sundays. 

After arriving in Wichita, you may open a bank account. We have popular banks nearby - Campus Credit Union at the Rhatigan Student Center (RSC), Meritrust Credit Union at Braeburn Square on campus, and Bank of America has a branch next to our campus. Most of these banks have an ATM located in the RSC.

In order to open an account, you will need to show the bank your passport, your I-20, and proof of your address in Wichita (such as your housing contract or apartment rental contract). You will receive an ATM card after opening an account so you can get cash quickly and easily. 

Students are not required to pay their tuition and fees before coming to Wichita. Tuition, fees, and housing payments are charged on a semester-by-semester basis. Payment deadline is usually two weeks after school starts. There are several options to make payment to the university:

• Direct Deposit from U.S. Bank Account: After you open a bank account in the U.S., you can setup direct deposit from your U.S. bank account to your student account at WSU.
• Electronic Bank Transfer: Wichita State University uses a payment platform called Flywire to process international payments via wire transfers. Please visit our website for details: https://www.wichita.flywire.com/
• Check, Bank Draft, Money Order, or Traveler’s Checks: If you bring a check or bank draft with you to Wichita, it is very important that the check be made payable to “Wichita State University” (and not to you). Your check should include the address of the bank in the U.S. for collections. If the check is made payable to you, you may not be able to use the money for 1-2 weeks after the check is deposited to your bank in the U.S. If your check is for an amount that exceeds what you owe, any extra amount will be applied to your next semester’s tuition and will not be refunded to you.
  
  NOTE: For any student who does not have an existing bank account, for your convenience you can take your cash and get a cashier’s check at the Campus Credit Union in the Rhatigan Student Center. Let them know that the cashier’s check is for payment of your tuition, fees, or housing so that you will not be charged a fee.
• Credit Card: If you use a credit card to pay for your tuition, fees, medical insurance, or housing, a nonrefundable 3% service fee will be added to domestic transactions and 4.25% for international transactions. Credit cards are accepted online only.
• Debit Card - VISA, MasterCard: Payment is available online only through the Student Account Suite. To avoid the 3% - 4.25% fee associated with credit card payments, we encourage you to pay using electronic check process by entering the bank routing and account number attached to the debit card. Debit card payments cannot be made to a cashier in the Accounts Receivable office.
• Installment Payment Plan: This allows you to pay for your tuition and fees in smaller installments each semester. With this plan, you can make a nonrefundable payment of US$130 (which includes a US$30 administrative fee) before the payment deadline in each semester. After the initial payment of US$130, the balance will be split into three equal installments due on the 15th of each month. You can arrange the Payment Plan by logging into your WSU student account. 

The cost listed on your I-20 is an estimate. Actual tuition and fees depend on your major and number of classes you take. The amount you owe will be posted in your WSU student account. Actual housing expenditures depend on 1) the residence hall or apartment in which you live, 2) whether you have a roommate, and 3) your meal plan. You should bring extra money for personal expenses (such as shopping, entertainment, etc.).

Check out undergraduate tuition and fees       Intensive English tuition and fees

Wichita State University requires international students to have medical insurance. You will be automatically charged for medical insurance unless you can provide proof of medical insurance coverage from another provider that meets U.S. Affordable Care Act benefit requirements.

A tuberculin (TB) blood test, requiring an initial payment of US$80, is required for all new students and is given by WSU’s Student Health Service. Please bring your vaccination records with you to the U.S. If you need any vaccinations when you arrive, your student health insurance will cover them and you can get them at Student Health.

We recommend that you take care of any existing medical or dental problems at home since student medical insurance does not cover routine dental work or eye examinations.

Medical Insurance       TB Testing and Routine Medical Care