What are the Admission Requirements for International Students?

You must be 18 years of age at the time your first semester of attendance begins. However, you may apply up to one year in advance of your planned start date. Additional admissions requirements for international students are affected by U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) regulations.

How to Apply

Submit a completed LCC international student application form (PDF).

And, if you have the F-1 or M-1 student visa, or plan to apply for one of these visas, the following items should be attached to the application form:

1 - Original or Certified proof of successful completion of studies equivalent to U.S. high school (secondary) (see High School Documents).  Test scores are not proof of High School completion.  Will not accept a fax or photocopied document.
2 - Write a brief personal statement explaining your previous educational and employment background and your future educational and career plans.
3 - Provide proof of competency in the English Language (see English competency). Test reports must be received directly from the testing center. Canadians from English speaking provinces are not required to provide proof of English competency.
4 - Provide Original or Certified evidence of financial resources (see Financial Resource Form).  Will not accept a fax or photocopied document.

TRANSFER STUDENTS

Transfer students are students currently attending another U.S. college and intend to come to LCC, obtain a LCC I-20, and work toward a program of study. In addition to the documents listed above, a transfer student must also submit:
5. A copy of your current I-20, front and back.
6. An official copy of your current college or university transcript
7. A photocopy of the current visa page from your passport.
8. A photocopy of your current I-94 card.
9. A completed LCC transfer form. (Obtained from Enrollment Services Office)

High School Documents

Lansing Community College requires proof of successful completion of studies equivalent to U.S. high (secondary) school for F1 or M1 admission. This requirement related to the DHS regulations that F1 or M1 students maintain full-time study and make progress toward completion of a program.

As proof of successful completion of U.S. high school equivalency, you should submit a certified copy or original of the primary document in your country that shows completion of studies. Test scores are not proof of High School completion. This may be a transcript that shows all courses taken, grades received and graduation date, or it may be a certificate of national examination results, or some other document. A certified copy is an original document or attested (signed with official stamp or seal) photocopy that has been issued by the educational institution or government agency responsible for issuing the document. An official English translation must accompany the document.

If you have not yet completed the last year of high school, you may still apply, Submit an official transcript showing the courses you have completed and a letter in English from your school stating that you are currently enrolled and your expected date of completion. You will be required to provide proof of completion when you arrive at LCC.

LCC uses the guide book, Foreign Educational Credentials Required for Consideration of Admission to Universities and Colleges in the United States, prepared by the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers as its primary resource on determining U.S. high school equivalency. If necessary, other world-renowned reference will be consulted to determine if your prior education meets LCC requirements.

Official college or university document can be submitted in place of high school completion documents. If you have completed college or university work in the United States, please read the section titled Transfer Credit.

Transfer Credit

If you have completed course work at another college or university, either in the United States or another country, you may choose to apply for transfer credit.

How to apply for U.S. Transfer Credit

To apply for transfer credit for course work done at a U.S. college or university, you will need to submit an official transcript from your previous school. Lansing Community College keeps current catalogs (course descriptions) on file from public Michigan institutions so it is not usually necessary for you to provide course descriptions from these schools. If your transcript is being submitted from a school outside of Michigan, course descriptions are required. It is the students responsibility to provide the necessary materials for a transcript evaluation to occur.

Official transcripts are mailed directly from school to school. Hand delivered transcripts, even sealed in envelops, are not accepted for transfer credit evaluation but may be used for academic advising or counseling. Transfer credits will NOT be posted to the Lansing Community College academic record from transcripts that are not received directly from the issuing institution or Ministry of Education.

How to Apply for Foreign Transfer Credit

Request a credit evaluation report prepared by a member organization of the National Association of Credential Evaluational Services, Inc. (NACES) to be sent directly to LCC at 1121-Registrar, Lansing Community College, P O Box 40010, Lansing MI 48901-7210.

Please contact one of the NACES member organizations listed below to obtain a credit evaluation request form:

Educational Credential Evaluators, Inc.
P O Box 514070
Milwaukee, WI 53203-3470
Phone: 414-289-3400
Email: eval@ece.org
Website: www.ece.org

International Education Research Foundation, Inc.
Credit Evaluation Service
(medical/health career credentials)
P O Box 3665
Culver City, CA 90231-3665
Phone: 310-258-9451
Fax: 310-342-7086
Email: info@ierf.org
Website: www.ierf.org

World Educational Services, Inc.
P O Box 5087
Bowling Green Station
New York, NY 10274-5087
Phone: 212-966-6311
FAX: 212-739-6100
Email: info@wes.org
Website: www.wes.org

World Education Services, Inc.
Chicago: 312-222-0882
Miami: 305-358-6688
Washington, DC: 202-331-2925
San Francisco: 4-15-677-9378

Financial Aid and Scholarships

Very few financial aid opportunities exist for international students to study in the United States at the undergraduate level. Most grants, scholarships, and loans from public and private sources are restricted to U.S. citizens, including U.S. government loans. Some countries provide financial assistance to their citizens for study in the United States. Funds may be available from private organizations in your country that provide support for study in the United States. Most private scholarships for international students require that you apply from your home country so you should search for these opportunities before you arrive in the United States.

To find information on financial assistance, you might want to contact your Ministry of Education, the U.S. Information Agency through the nearest U.S. Embassy, and the Agency for International Development, Office of International Training, Washington, DC 20523. If you have access to the Internet, you might want to visit the financial aid web page at http://www.edupass.org.  If you are already in the United States, public libraries usually reference materials available to research private scholarship sources. Paid Scholarship search services are available in the United States, but they will be searching the sources that are usually restricted to U.S. citizens, so it is unlikely that funds will be found for you. These services are expensive.

Personal Representative

Authorization for Personal Representative needs to come directly from the student. An email or fax will not be accepted.

Sometimes applicants have a friend or relative in the United States who has agreed to assist them in getting admitted to a U.S. school. Or, they would like this person to receive the applicant’s I-20 and acceptance materials for special mailing. If you wish LCC to provide information about your application status or your I-20 to someone other than yourself, you must give LCC written permission to do this.

On a separate piece of paper, type or write one of the following statements providing the name, address, and telephone number of your personal representative. You must type or print your name at the bottom of the statement as it appears on your application and sign and date the statement. Choosing a personal representative is optional. If you name a personal representative, you should make sure that the individual has agreed to assist you.

Sample 1

(Insert name, address, and telephone number of personal representative) is authorized to act as my personal representative regarding my application to Lansing Community College. He/She is to receive all correspondence regarding my application, including the I-20 form, which I will need to obtain my student visa from the U.S. Embassy.

Sample 2

(Insert name, address, and telephone number of personal representative) is authorized to act as my personal representative regarding my application to Lansing Community College. He/She is to receive copies of all correspondence regarding my application. The I-20 form, which I will need to obtain my student visa from the U.S. Embassy, is to be mailed directly to me. is authorized to act as my personal representative regarding my application to Lansing Community College. He/She is to receive copies of all correspondence regarding my application. The I-20 form, which I will need to obtain my student visa from the U.S. Embassy, is to be mailed directly to me.

Sample 3

(Insert name, address, and telephone number of personal representative) is authorized to receive the I-20 form, which I will need to obtain my student visa from the U.S. Embassy.

Guest Students

Guest students are students who are currently attending another U.S. college who intend to take a small number of classes at LCC. Guest students must have written permission from the international student office at their primary college to attend LCC. No other application forms or documents are required for guest admission. A new guest form or letter must be submitted for each semester. Michigan State University students should obtain an "LCC Attendance Approval Form" from their MSU academic advisor. All other guest students should obtain a letter from the foreign student advisor at their university authorizing LCC attendance. Please request Fact Sheet #4, Information for Guest Students, for additional information.

English Competency (F-1, M-1 only)

For admission to academic courses proof of English competency is required. To prove English competency you may submit a test score report from one of the following tests: 1) TOEFL, 2) the Michigan State University (MSU) Test of English as a Foreign Language, or 3) University of Michigan English Language Assessment Battery (MELAB). Test reports must be received directly from the testing center. An English competency test is required before an admission decision can be made.

Applicants outside the United States should contact the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate for TOEFL registration information. LCC requires a minimum score of 173 on the computer-based TOEFL, minimum score of 500 on the paper-based TOEFL test, or minimum of 61 on the iBT, Internet-based test, for academic admission. The LCC TOEFL institution code is 1414 and score reports must be received directly from the TOEFL company. Please note that TOEFL score reports from applicants outside the United States must be received by the semester deadline date.

Applicants in the Lansing area may contact the MSU English Language Center, A714 Wells Hall
(517) 353-0800 for current information regarding test dates and cost for the MSU Test. A score of 75 is required on the MSU test. Or, you may contact the MSU Testing Services Office, Room 207, Student Services Building, (517) 355-8385, for current information regarding the TOEFL.

Applicants who wish to take the University of Michigan English Language Assessment Battery (MELAB) may contact the University of Michigan English Language Institute, 1205 N. University Building, Room 3020 Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109 for current test information. MELAB Test information can also be obtained by telephone at (734) 764-2416 or by fax at (734) 763-0369. A score of 72 is required for academic admission.

Countries where English is the Language of the Education System

(Applicants educated in these countries are exempt from the English competency test requirements.)

Instruction in English as a Second Language

Students with visas other than the F-1 or M-1 are eligible under USINS regulations to take full or part-time courses in English as a Second Language (ESL) through the LCC Language Skills Department. The Language Skills courses are charged tuition by the credit hour. ESL courses range from 2 to 4 credits per course and are offered on the semester schedule. The curriculum code is 0097.

LCC also offers a full-time, intensive English program that meets the requirements of the F-1 and M-1 visa. Students who desire English as a Second Language instruction, who have the F-1 or M-1 visa, or who plan to apply for the visa, must apply to this program. Students with visas other than F-1 or M-1 may also apply to the ELCC. The program is offered through the LCC English Language and Cultural Center (ELCC). The 2007 ELCC program tuition is $1,425 per 8-week session ($2,850 per semester). An application to the ELCC may be obtained by writing to 8114-Center for International and Intercultural Education (CIIE), Lansing Community College, PO Box 40010, Lansing MI 48901-7210, USA. The ELCC can also be contacted by telephone at (517) 483-1006 and by fax at (517) 483-9638.