Faculty and Staff Resources

The International Student & Scholar Services (ISSS) office at TWU provides education and support to campus partners in Denton, Dallas, and Houston. Below is information on common academic and administrative questions asked by TWU faculty and staff.

ISSS Office role in administering Federal regulations

Texas Woman’s University (TWU) is certified to admit international students on F-1 visas through the approval of a Form I-17. This certification, which is renewed by the International Student & Scholar Services (ISSS) office every two years, requires the TWU Designated School Officials (DSOs) to comply with U.S. Department of Homeland Security regulations for documenting and reporting on each F-1 international student.

Principal Designated School Official (PDSO)

Dr. Gregoria Zamora, ISSS Director
Email: gzamora3@twu.edu

Designated School Official (DSO)

Valerie Borgfield, ISSS Assistant Director
Email: vborgfield@twu.edu

All TWU academic policies related to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) federal regulations can be found on the TWU ISSS Regulations & Policies webpage. The responsibility of the (P)DSO is to stay updated on federal regulation changes, interpret them in the context of TWU’s academic policies, and communicate this information to faculty, staff, and students.

International students at TWU

An F-1 Student Visa is required for students entering the U.S. to pursue a degree or academic credential from a certified U.S. institution.

Not all students who identify as international are governed by F-1 guidelines. However, students on F-1 visas must follow the guidelines on the TWU ISSS Regulations & Policies page to maintain their visa status.

Students with other visa types, or those with immigrant or non-immigrant status other than F-1, are not restricted by F-1 regulations and do not need to report to the TWU ISSS office.

On-campus resources

F-1 international students should contact the ISSS office for inquiries about their visa status, off-campus work authorization, social security letters (for both on- and off-campus employment), international travel, updates to their student record, authorized exceptions to policies, and issuance of an updated Form I-20. For additional information on maintaining F-1 eligibility, students can also refer to the TWU ISSS Regulations & Policies page.

F-1 international students, as well as non F-1 international students, should use the same campus resources as domestic students for academic, financial, and personal support needs.

Admissions and registration

Admissions
For questions regarding international admissions and the application process.

Academic Advising
For questions related to undergraduate schedule planning and degree requirements.

Scholarships
For information on scholarship eligibility eligibility, applications, and awards.

Bursar
For questions about tuition, fees, and payment options.

Registrar
For inquiries about student records, transcripts, and graduation.

Student Health Services
For questions about mandatory student health insurance.

Employment opportunities

Handshake
For searching on-campus employment opportunities.

Student Employment
For information about the Student Employment policy.

Internships
For details on internship opportunities and related events.

Career Connections
For guidance on preparing a resume or CV and career exploration.

Student support

CARE
For support with personal issues affecting academic progress.

CAPS
For mental health support and coping strategies.

PCSE
For academic skills and coaching support.

Pioneer Engage
For support with student engagement.

Workshops and tutoring

Write Site
For writing resources, workshops, and tutoring.

Mathematics & Technology Success Center
For in-person and virtual tutoring.

Science Learning Resource Center
For in-person and virtual tutoring.

Determining F-1 eligible academic programs

All academic programs at TWU that support the enrollment requirements for F-1 international student visas are listed on the Form I-17 (as mentioned in the ISSS Office Role in Administering Federal Regulations section above). Programs that are ineligible for F-1 students or that become ineligible will not be listed or will be removed as changes occur. New programs must be approved by the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) before F-1 international students can be admitted.

Annual review of course rotations and course program modalities by TWU Deans and Program Coordinators helps the ISSS Office DSOs report accurate information on both the I-17 and to prospective F-1 international students. Any updates or changes should be reported to the ISSS office as soon as possible.

100% Online programs: Not Eligible

F-1 international students must maintain consistent physical presence on a college or university campus.

Graduate students: Must be enrolled full-time, with at least 6 of the 9 hours taken in person or in a hybrid format each fall and spring semester.
Undergraduate students: Must be enrolled full-time, with at least 9 of the 12 hours taken in person or in a hybrid format each fall and spring semester.

Hybrid programs: Eligible and Not Eligible

Eligible: If F-1 international students can meet the physical presence requirement (taking required in-person or hybrid hours) each fall and spring semester from matriculation through graduation.
Not eligible: If course offerings shift between online and in-person/hybrid, or if more online courses are offered than in-person or hybrid, preventing F-1 students from meeting the physical presence requirement each semester.

Traditional programs: Eligible

Eligible: If course rotations include enough in-person and hybrid courses to meet the F-1 international student’s physical presence requirement each fall and spring semester from matriculation through graduation.

The TWU ISSS office DSOs verify F-1 international students visa eligibility based on the course modality listed in the student’s schedule each fall and spring semester.

Courses published as lecture, seminar, field experience, practicum, thesis, professional paper, internship, dissertation, hybrid, or hy-flex meet the in-person or hybrid requirement. No verification of contact hours is required.
Courses published as online will be reported as online.

Non F-1 international students in online programs

Because an F-1 visa is only required for entry into the U.S., international students who are living abroad and earning an online degree through TWU are not subject to F-1 policies or regulations. When applying for TWU admission to an online degree program from outside the U.S. students must fill out an international student application, meet the TWU Admissions requirement for English proficiency and transcript evaluation, and may apply for TWU scholarships for which they are eligible. International distance learning students studying from their home country are not granted in-state tuition.

Changes to course modality

It is not uncommon for academic program leaders to consider changing the modality of courses for various reasons, such as faculty staffing or student needs. If information gathering or discussions about changing the course modality of F-1 eligible programs are taking place, please contact PDSO, Dr. Gregoria Zamora at gzamora3@twu.edu. This includes changes that could either make a previously eligible program ineligible or make a previously ineligible program eligible

Changing a previously ineligible program to eligible for F-1 students

If there is interest in making an academic program eligible for F-1 students, guidance will be provided on:

Enrollment regulations.
Course rotations.
Timelines for issuing non-immigrant documentation related to recruitment and admissions.
On-campus and assistantship employment policies.

If the program has not yet been verified on TWU’s I-17 certification (see ISSS Office Role in Administering Federal Regulations above), guidance will also be provided on the process and timeline for verifying the program and recruiting and admitting students.

Changing a program from eligible to ineligible for F-1 students

If there is interest in making an academic program ineligible for F-1 international students, guidance will be provided on:

The current number of F-1 students enrolled in the program.
Options for those students to complete graduation requirements with remaining in-person or hybrid coursework.
The possibility of changing their major or transferring out of the program.

F-1 international students cannot receive individual exceptions to their schedule if their program no longer meets the F-1 eligibility requirements.

Certifying a new F-1 program

Departments with new majors within existing degree programs that are already approved on TWU’s Form I-17 certification may begin admitting F-1 international students as part of their existing THECB accreditation. However, new programs or those with provisional or probationary status must be validated through an I-17 update by the PDSO, Dr. Gregoria Zamora (gzamora3@twu.edu).

The I-17 adjudication process through the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) can take several months. To ensure timely processing, it is recommended that program leaders contact Dr. Zamora early if they are interested in admitting F-1 international students.

Please note, to remain in compliance with federal regulations, admission to new programs cannot begin for F-1 international students until approval for the program has been granted through an updated I-17.

J-1 scholars

J-1 scholars, who are either currently enrolled in a graduate program in their home country or hold a terminal degree from outside of the U.S., are invited by TWU faculty to engage in scholarly activities for a specific period. J-1 scholars and their TWU faculty mentor should contact the ISSS Director, Dr. Gregoria Zamora (gzamora3@twu.edu), as early as possible before the visit for information on visa requirements, mandatory orientation, documentation, and academic logistics related to the visit.

The ISSS Director works directly with the Texas International Education Consortium (TIEC) J-1 coordinator and assists the scholar in organizing the necessary documents to submit to TIEC to obtain the DS-2019 paperwork required for the J-1 visa application.

Required documents include:

An invitation letter from the faculty mentor (template provided by the ISSS Director)
An up-to-date CV
Financial documentation
A copy of a valid passport
Proof of English proficiency
Proof of health insurance that meets federal guidelines.

The scholar is responsible for securing their own housing, meals, and transportation for the duration of their stay.

Requirements during the scholarly visit:

A mandatory orientation with the ISSS Director
Ongoing communication between the faculty mentor and the scholar as outlined in pre-arrival conversations
An annual report from the faculty mentor on the J-1 process and scholar activities from July to June each year

At the end of the reporting year or after the scholar’s visit, the ISSS Director will contact the faculty mentor and provide a template for preparing the annual report.

Page last updated 9:45 AM, March 10, 2025