We are so excited you will soon be joining the Jackrabbit family! Please take some time to thoroughly read the following information. It will be super helpful as you make your preparations to join SDSU. As always, the International Affairs team is ready to answer your questions, so don’t be afraid to contact us. And don’t forget – we’re on Facebook, too.
Before you depart your home country
Preparation is the most important part of your journey. Please use the following information as a guide.
- Leave a contact number with your family, such as the Office of International Affairs.
- 605-688-4507 or email Islamiah Fuad
- Special Note:
- Canadian students do not need visa stamps to enter the U.S., but they must present the Form I-20 or Form DS-2019 at the port of entry to be properly classified in non-immigrant student status.
- Students who are eligible to enter the U.S. under the visa waiver program should not choose this travel option. Please apply for the appropriate student visa.
- Make arrangements to fly to Sioux Falls Regional Airport, Sioux Falls, SD. The airport code is FSD.
- If your flight connects in another country, ask your travel agent or airline if you need a Transit Visa (or Direct Airside Transit).
- You may enter the U.S. 30 days before the program start date listed on your I-20 (Spring 2024 program start date is January), but on-campus housing may not be available yet.
- Arrive at SDSU before Tuesday, January 2 for International Student Orientation.
- Tell us you are coming! Email Islamiah Fuad all of the following information:
- Given name
- Family Name
- SDSU ID
- Arrival date
- Arrival time
- Arrival airline name and flight number (Ex. American Airlines 3469 or AA3469)
- Port of Entry into the U.S.
- Research the weather and pack accordingly. Plan to buy winter clothes.
Climate in South Dakota
| Average Temp | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sept | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average high in C: | -5.1 | -2.3 | 4.1 | 13 | 19.7 | 24.8 | 27.6 | 26.5 | 21.7 | 14.3 | 14.6 | -3.3 |
| Average low in C: | -16.2 | -13.3 | -6.3 | 0.4 | 7 | 12.7 | 15.1 | 13.8 | 8.3 | 1 | -6.7 | -13.7 |
- Tell us if you need a ride!
- Free shuttle services for new international students runs at 11 a.m., 3 p.m., 7 p.m. and 11 p.m.
- You will receive a confirmation! When you arrive, there may not be someone at the airport until shortly before the designated pick up times. DO NOT take a taxi cab as this will be very expensive (usually around $150 USD). Please wait until the next pick up time to travel to Brookings.
- If you are unsure of your situation when you arrive in Sioux Falls or have questions, please call Islamiah at 605-688-4122. Please note: students arriving for the 11 p.m. shuttle and those arriving on the weekends and who are planning to live on campus will need to stay in a Brookings motel or other accommodations until the next business day.
- Make travel plans if you will be arriving before or after the dates for the free shuttle:
- Jefferson Bus Lines is an economical way of traveling to Brookings. Tickets are estimated at around $29.00 USD (one way):
- Option 1: You can pre-book your ticket on Jefferson Bus Lines
- Departure city would be Sioux Falls, SD. Arrival city would be Brookings, SD.
- Buses leave from Sioux Falls once a day at 10:30 a.m. and arrive in Brookings at 11:15 a.m.
- Option 2: If you have not pre-booked your bus ticket, you can call the Yellow Cab Company from the airport (phone number 605-336-1616) and have them bring you to:
- Cross Couriers, Ltd, 1500 West Russell Street, Sioux Falls, SD 57104
- Cross Couriers will sell you a one-way bus ticket from Sioux Falls, SD to Brookings, SD (business hours until 7 p.m. daily).
- Option 1: You can pre-book your ticket on Jefferson Bus Lines
- Jefferson Bus Lines is an economical way of traveling to Brookings. Tickets are estimated at around $29.00 USD (one way):
- Prepare your medical records.
- Print the “Mandatory Immunization Record”
- Carefully read the instructions and have the form completed and signed by a doctor or health care provider.
- Bring the original form to orientation.
- 2023-2024 academic year fees
- Mumps, Measles and Rubella (MMR vaccination) - $84 each
- Immunization Review (to be completed during orientation) - $59
- TB Skin Test (to be completed during orientation) - $20
- Apply for On-Campus Housing
- If you are 20 years old or younger, you are required to live on campus.
- Please go to Residential Life Housing Application. You will need your SDSU student ID number (listed in your admission letter from the university), your MyState username and access to your SDSU MyState account. The housing application will not allow international payments. As a result, please contact Sarah Bisson when the application fee is requested and ask to have the fee deferred to your SDSU tuition and fees account.
- If you have difficulties with the housing application, please attempt to apply using the Housing Portal. Your username and password will be your student ID. Once you arrive at the confirmation page, please email Sarah Bisson. She will defer your housing application fee to your Spring 2024 tuition and fees account. Please do not attempt to pay the housing application fee as it will not be processed and your application will not be complete.
- Apply for Early Arrival Housing
- Early arrival housing is available to students who will be living on campus for the Spring 2024 semester at a first-come, first-served basis for a nominal nightly fee of $20 per night.
- The Early Arrival Housing application is located in the same portal as the On-Campus Housing application. Please make sure to list your date of arrival in the application so the staff is the Office of Housing and Residential Life are aware of the date you need to access housing.
While Traveling
- Never leave your luggage unattended.
- Travel with moderate amounts of cash or use credit cards or traveler’s checks for immediate personal expenses.
- Keep your I-20, passport and proof of finances in a safe place.
- Please call our office at 1-605-688-4507 or email Islamiah Fuad anytime during your travels if there are flight delays.
Once You Arrive at SDSU
- Check-in at the Office of International Affairs, Hilton M. Briggs Library 119, or at Orientation. Bring your passport and I-20.
- Attend New International Student Orientation from January 2-5.
- Attendance is required and will assist you greatly in your life in the U.S., Brookings and at SDSU.
- Attend the scheduled Health Record Review and receive a Tuberculosis (TB) skin test. Testing will be done during Orientation (please inquire with Islamiah Fuad regarding the charges). A chest x-ray performed in the U.S. will be required for anyone with a positive TB skin test per US Center for Disease Controls standards. The TB CDC page has more details. Email: NurIslamiah.MohamadFuad@sdstate.edu
- Purchase International Student Health Insurance
- Students may choose from one of two plans:
- The Office of International Affairs will host seminars regarding health insurance.
- Pay for tuition and fees!
- Payment is due by January. Financial Guarantees are also due that day. LATE PAYMENT = LATE FEE.
How to Pay
- Bank draft from U.S. bank account (pay at the Cashiers Office in Morrill Hall Room 136).
- Bank transfer from U.S. bank account through your SDSU Self Service account via SDePay.
- Peer Transfer through your SDSU Self Service accounts via SDePay.
- Bank Wire Transfer (you will need to request bank wiring instructions from the Cashier's Office in Morrill Hall 136).
- Traveler’s Checks (You must declare traveling with over $10,000 monetary instruments or risk seizure of funds).
- Credit Card through SDSU Self Service accounts via SDePay. Add 2.75% convenience charge (commission).
- Debit Card through SDSU Self Service accounts via SDePay. Add 2.75% convenience charge (commission).
- Cash at the Cashier’s Office in Morrill Hall 136. Consider other options. We strongly advise against traveling with large amounts of cash. Travelers must declare traveling with over $10,000 monetary instruments or risk seizure of funds.
- Payment Plan: Only a Credit Card (2.75% convenience fee applies) or U.S. Bank Account.
- Students sponsored by their Government must set up third-party billing.
Meal Plans
- Students living in the Residence Halls must select a meal plan. Students who are not living in the Residence Halls are not required to choose a meal plan but may do so if they wish.
- To sign up for a meal plan:
- Visit Meal Plan, but do not log in
- Click “Apply for Campus Dining Meal Plan” link on the right-hand side of the homepage
- Create a new account or log in
- Select a meal plan
- Submit request
- Your meal plan will be added to your tuition bill.
- Meal plans are per semester. If you are living on campus, you will need to sign up for a meal plan each semester.
- Flex Dollars and Block Meals must be gone by the end of the academic year (end of finals week in May).
- You can always add Flex Dollars to any meal plan at any time throughout the semester.
Employment
- International students are limited to twenty hours of on-campus employment during academic periods.
- When seeking on-campus employment, please ask for hourly or non-work study positions.
- You must have a job offer in order to obtain a social security card. Once you have received a job offer, please stop by the Office of International Affairs, Hilton M. Briggs Library 119, for a social security card application packet.
- On-campus employment is often hard to come by the first-year students are studying at SDSU. As a result, you should not rely on finding employment to pay for your tuition and fees, living expenses, and books.
- The Office of International Affairs will be hosting a Work Authorizations Seminar.
Transferring Academic Credit
- Students transferring from a U.S. institution to SDSU:
- Transcripts will be sent to the Records and Registration office as part of the admissions process for evaluation. This will determine the number of credits that will transfer to SDSU and the class status of the student.
- Students transferring from a college or university outside of the U.S.:
- Please use one of the following official websites to evaluate the credits you have taken:
- A Course by Course evaluation (WES) or Catalog Match evaluation (ECE) should be completed BEFORE you arrive.
- The cost of the evaluation is paid by the student and should be started as soon as you receive your visa.
- Due to the differences in the educational systems around the world, SDSU reserves the right to require you to take the necessary courses to meet the requirements of your desired program.
- The sooner you complete the credit evaluation process, the better we will be able to provide you with accurate academic advising for you to fulfill your degree requirements at SDSU.
SDSU considers it a privilege to educate students from around the world. We are very much looking forward to welcoming you to the SDSU campus and Brookings community!