Before You Start

Welcome to University of Kansas

Soon you’ll be on campus. How exciting! There is a lot to consider before you arrive. While moving to a new country can be intimidating, we’re here for you. Follow the seven steps below to make sure you have everything in place before you board the plane.

Contact your advisor This action is required.
Apply for your visa This action is required.
Plan your Arrival This action is required.
Pay Your Tuition and Fees This action is required.
Set up your KU online ID and email alias
Log in to iHawk
Finalize your housing selection
Submit final academic documents
Prepare for life in the US

Our advisors are always available to answer your questions and ensure you have a smooth transition to the University. If you have any questions about next steps, please contact us at admissions@shorelight.com

After you receive your I-20, complete the following steps before booking your visa appointment:
  1. Schedule a free visa information and preparation session with your personal Enrollment Advisor.
  2. Check that the details on your I-20 are correct (including your date of birth) and make sure your name is the same as it appears on your passport.
  3. Prepare the documents you will need to take to the embassy when attending your visa interview.
After you complete the above steps, you should apply for your visa as soon as possible. It requires an interview with the U.S. Embassy and can sometimes take several weeks to schedule.
    1. Complete your Visa Application.
    2. Pay your I-901 (SEVIS) fee.
    3. Visit usembassy.gov  to learn more about scheduling your visa appointment, what to expect when you arrive, and required documentation.
    4. Notify your personal Enrollment Advisor of the date and embassy of your visa appointment.
    5. Watch these videos to help you apply for your visa and prepare for your interview:

How to Apply for Your F-1 Student Visa

Can’t see the video? View on Youku.
Can’t see the video? View on Youku.
Check out these additional useful resources:

You will view and pay your bill in the KU Enroll & Pay portal. Bills are available in Enroll & Pay on or about the 21st of the month and are due on the 15th of the following month.

Please refer to this link for more details, including payment instructions and a link to the KU Enroll & Pay portal – https://sar.ku.edu/due-dates-and-late-fees.

When purchasing your travel ticket to your new city, plan to arrive on or before your scheduled Arrival date. Please visit Important Dates page to plan your arrival accordingly.

We are so excited for you to join us on campus! To ensure a smooth transition to your new home, plan to arrive to the Kansas City International Airport (MCI).

All students are required to have a KU ID and email set up to access the first part of International Student Orientation from home, before arriving to campus. Here are the instructions on how to create your ID and email.

All incoming students are required to log in to iHawk, respond to pre-arrival questions, and submit all the e-forms as directed.

Click here for an overview of iHawk.

Click here if you are having iHawk log in problems.

After you received your final admissions letter and 7-digit KU ID number, you must submit your housing request and contract in the KU Student Housing portal. Your final admissions letter provides instructions for accessing your KU ID number online at https://world.ku.edu/arrive. Directions to complete the housing application process are available online at https://housing.ku.edu/apply. KU Housing does its best to place you in your preferred housing option, however based on availability, your preference is not guaranteed.

Please note that you will need to pay the $50 housing application fee at the time you submit your KU housing application online.

Housing placements are assigned on a first come first serve basis.

Additional information about campus housing options is available at https://housing.ku.edu/affordability

Students living off-campus must work directly with the property manager for the off-campus location. KU Student Housing has reached capacity in all buildings and will no longer be accepting housing contract applications for the 2023-24 school year. We encourage students in need of housing to explore other community options.

All incoming students must send their final transcripts from high school and any university-level coursework. If you have taken any additional tests, send those official results (e.g. SAT, ACT, IB, A/AS Levels, AP).

Option 1: Mail your final official transcripts* and/or test scores directly to the address listed below before you arrive.

Option 2: Bring your final official transcripts* and/or test scores with you to KU and deliver them to the address listed below when you arrive.

KU International Admissions
1450 Jayhawk Boulevard, Room 126
Lawrence, KS 66045

*Final official transcripts must be in an envelope that was sealed by your school. This applies to both options above.

Contact your local personal advisor for additional options to submit your final academic documents.

There are many things to consider when preparing for university, let alone moving to a new country! To make your transition to the US easier, we’ve put together a list of everyday necessities.

We’ve partnered with campusSIMS to help connect you with mobile phone service. Get your US. phone number in your home country and have service that’s ready to use as soon as you land. Click here to get your free SIM card.

campusSIMS helps international students get connected with mobile phone service in the US. Through campusSIMS’ exclusive partner Mint Mobile, students can sign up and get their US phone number while in their home country, and have mobile phone service ready to use as soon as they land.

Students can get low-cost, reliable mobile phone service starting at as low as $15 per month that includes:

– A free SIM card
– Unlimited talk and text
– High speed data
– Nationwide coverage on the fastest, most advanced network

For more information, visit campussims.com

International Student Loans

Embarking on your educational journey in the United States shouldn’t come with the roadblock of finding a co-signer for financial aid. Shorelight recognizes this hurdle and has proactively partnered with premier financing organizations such as MPower Financing, and Prodigy Finance. This strategic collaboration eliminates the traditional barriers international students face, such as the need for a co-signer, collateral, or an established US credit history, streamlining your path to securing educational funding.

Find the right loan organization for you on Shorelight.com.

Explore options

Center for Academic Success

A website with access to virtual tutors, career advisors, and online resources to help you throughout your university studies

Getting ready to study abroad can be challenging! Would you like some help with that? Shorelight’s Center for Academic Success (CAS) has many free resources for you! For example, you can watch a quick webinar on Culture Shock and Mental Health, or take a short eLearning course on Obtaining Your Visa, Understanding Health Insurance, Major & Career Exploration, and so much more.

If you wish you could just ask a real person a question, you can also use the Live Chat button to reach one of our highly-trained support staff, or you can schedule a Zoom session with one of our friendly Student Success Coaches, Professional Tutors, or Career Services staff—all of whom are experts at helping international students with anything from pre-arrival support and campus life to academic subject areas and career guidance.

Don’t wait to activate your free account at CAS—you are eligible as soon as you pay your university deposit.

How to register:

  1. Click here or scan the QR code to find our Home page.
  2. Click the orange “Sign up now” button to request access.
  3. On the signup form, type your given name and family name as you are registered at your university.
  4. Type any email address that your university has on file for you (it can be a personal or university email).
  5. Create a password with at least one special character and 6-50 characters total.
  6. Type your password again. Write it down or save it in your browser.
  7. Type the full name of your university, not the abbreviation. Your status must be checked.
  8. Check the first box to accept the Terms & Conditions (feel free to read those first).
  9. Check the last box if you wish to receive emails from us.
  10. Click the large orange button that says, “Start your learning journey.”

After you register:

  • After self-registering, you’ll receive an email within two business days to let you know that your account is approved (or if not, how to fix the problem). Just follow the link to log in!
  • Check your spam folder if you don’t see our email within two days—or just return to the Home page linked above to try logging in with your email and password. If you encounter any trouble, just use the Live Chat button at the bottom of our Home page.

 

If you were pre-registered:

  • Some students may be admin-registered at the request of their university to save you the trouble of signing up.
  • If you get an email from Shorelight’s Center for Academic Success saying that your account has been created, just follow the link to complete your registration. You only need to create your password and check the boxes (Steps 5-10 above).
  • If you are told that you were admin-registered, but you can’t find our welcome email, just go to our Home page, click “Sign up now” and complete Steps 3-10. If you can’t guess the right email or how your name was entered, use our LiveChat to get help.

Important Dates

For important dates, including payment and move-in dates, please visit our Shorelight profile page.