Sponsored Students

• A financial guarantee or financial support letter (FG/FSL) is your financial documentation from your Sponsoring Agency, Government, or Program Manager that provides proof that they will pay for your tuition and mandatory fees.
• Your financial guarantee must be valid at all times and match with your correct major in LOUIE. If anything does not match, your guarantee is not valid. 
• If you have questions about your financial guarantee, you should confirm the validity of your FG with your Sponsor Advisor and then speak to ISSS.
• Your financial guarantee may not cover all fees. If you have questions about your LOUIE financial account and fees, please contact Student & Departmental Student Account Services (SDAS) and then an ISSS Advisor if you have further questions.
• A Prospective Financial Guarantee is not valid for billing of tuition to your sponsoring agency, but is valid for admission purposes.

How do I submit my financial guarantee?

Your financial guarantee may be sent directly to an ISSS Advisor by your Sponsor Advisor OR you will be required to submit it yourself, depending on the policies of your sponsoring agency. Once received, it will be processed by ISSS and Student & Departmental Student Account Services (SDAS).  

• As a sponsored student, you may be provided with health insurance by your sponsoring agency.  
• If your sponsoring agency provides you with health insurance, you must provide a valid financial support letter to confirm coverage every semester by the established deadline, or you will be charged for NAU Student Health Insurance. 
• ISSS processes two waivers at the beginning of the spring and fall semesters. ISSS is unable to process waiver requests received after the deadline.
• Health insurance can be difficult to understand, please check with your sponsor for information about your specific insurance plan. 
• ISSS and Campus Health Services are available to help you navigate healthcare in the US. You can request help from ISSS through advising appointments, email or drop-in. You can contact Campus Health Services directly for advice.

How can I submit a Health Insurance Waiver?

• Please be sure to submit a Health Insurance Waiver through iNAU by the deadline, in order to request a waiver for the NAU health insurance charge every semester. 
• You will need to upload one (1) of the following documents:
  • An active Financial Guarantee/Financial Support letter for the relevant semester
  • A screenshot of your health insurance policy portal (with start and end dates)
  • A Verification of Health Insurance letter from your provider

*Insurance cards are NOT accepted for a waiver.

How can I use the Campus Health Services?

• Campus Health Services is open for all students to support your health and safety.
  • Medical Services
  • Counseling Services
  • Health Promotion
• Remember to show your health insurance card every time you visit NAU Campus Health Services.

If you need support submitting a health insurance claim to your health insurance company for services at Campus Health Services, please reach out to an ISSS Advisor.

• An academic transcript is a document showing a history of your classes and GPA.  
  • Transcripts can be official or unofficial.  Official transcripts are individually sealed and sent directly from the university by the Office of Registrar and unofficial transcripts can be printed directly by students. 
• A Verification of Enrollment is a document that verifies your enrollment, degree, GPA, or consortium status from the university by the Office of Registrar.

How can I request a transcript and/or an enrollment verification?

• You may view and request unofficial transcripts from LOUIE and official transcripts from the NAU Office of Registrar.  
• To request an enrollment verification, you can log into LOUIE and select Enrollment Verification from the Other Academic drop-down list in the Student Center.
• The ISSS sends official transcripts and enrollment verifications directly to your sponsoring agency at the end of every semester you are enrolled at NAU (including Summer & Winter semesters). 

Can I take an online/hybrid class at NAU?

• You must check with your sponsor before enrolling in an online or hybrid class. Your government may have strict rules regarding these types of courses. In many cases, these courses will not be paid for without pre-approval. 
• Taking too many online or hybrid courses could impact your degree authentication in your home country after your NAU degree is complete.
• Be aware that all international students are limited in online coursework for a full-time academic load. Please speak with an ISSS Advisor if you have questions about maintaining your immigration status.
  • F-1 students may take a maximum of 3 credits online in any required term to count toward a full course of study.

How can I request approval for enrollment in an online/hybrid class?

• Meet with your Academic Advisor regularly to plan any online courses you may have to take so that you are prepared when you need to request permission from Sponsor.
• Request for permission from your Sponsor advisor to take the class, and
• Provide a separate financial support letter for each specific online course to ISSS

• Your sponsoring agency may have strict limitations on the number of courses that sponsored students can take at institutions outside of NAU.
• Enrolling in courses at other colleges/universities not authorized by your sponsor will jeopardize degree authentication when you return to your home country.
• International students are required to maintain a full-course of study at NAU during any required semester, unless otherwise authorized. 
• If you plan to transfer a course to NAU, please know that it is your responsibility to check course transferability to NAU and request approval from your Sponsor Advisor. 
  • JacksPath can be used to check if a course will transfer to NAU. If you have questions about course transferability, check with your NAU Academic Advisor.
  • Courses taken outside of NAU must be pre-approved by your Sponsor Advisor AND your NAU Academic Advisor for transferability. DO NOT enroll in classes outside of NAU without prior approval of both advisors.
    • Approval can be requested at iNAU

How can I take summer or winter courses at NAU?

• If you plan on taking online summer or winter courses at NAU, you must provide a separate financial guarantee for that specific course and term 
• If ISSS does not have an active financial guarantee for that course on file on the first day of the summer or winter semester, you will be dropped from the course.

How can I change my major?

• Changes of major affect your immigration and your financial status. All major changes must be approved by your new academic department, sponsoring agency, and ISSS. 
• If you wish to change your major, you must request and be approved for the change of major from your Sponsor Advisor before you request a change of major at NAU.  
• Your current major at NAU and your financial guarantee/financial support letter must match at all times for you to remain eligible for your scholarship.
• Steps to request approval to change your major:
  1. Contact your Sponsor advisor to request a change of major.
  2. When approved, request an updated Financial Guarantee/Financial Support Letter be sent to an ISSS Advisor and submit a paper change of major form to ISSS for review and signature.
  3. Submit the change of major form signed by ISSS to the NAU Registrar’s office.

Maintaining your immigration status is very important so don’t be afraid to visit ISSS for help or information.

• Each student is responsible for maintaining their immigration status at Northern Arizona University, ISSS is here to advise and help you.
• Do not take immigration advice from anyone except ISSS or immigration lawyers. We are always available to help you with questions.
• Always keep your address updated in LOUIE. Immigration regulations require students to provide an updated address in LOUIE and iNAU within 10 days.

Where can I find information about immigration?

More detailed information about how to maintain your immigration status can be found on our F-1 student page  or J-1 student page.

How can I add a dependent or bring my family to the US?

• As an F-1 or J-1 student, you can request to bring your spouse or child(ren) to the United States as F-2/J-2 dependent(s).
• Information may be found on our F-2 dependents page or J-2 dependents page.

What resources/services are available to my dependents?

More information coming soon.

NAU provides students with numerous resources to ensure you succeed academically, professionally and personally. A list of resources may be found on the International Student Resources page. 

As a sponsored student, which departments should I be familiar with?

You would most likely interact with the following offices on campus:

• Office of the Registrar – Manages student academic records and course enrollments on behalf of the university community such as official transcripts, enrollment verifications, graduation, etc.
• Student & Departmental Account Services (SDAS) – One-stop shop for billing tuition and fees, making payments and processing refunds. They also process your financial guarantee to bill your sponsor after being processed by the ISSS.
• Academic Advising – Academic advisors guide and support students as they progress through their academic careers.  They assist you with degree selection, course selection and sequencing, resource and tool referral, enrollment, policy interpretation, and coaching through your academic requirements and challenges.

Where can I find NAU events and clubs on campus?

NAU is home to nearly 400 student organizations/clubs, meaning there are nearly 400 opportunities for you to find other Lumberjacks who share your interests and passions. This is your opportunity to sharpen your leadership skills, learn about yourself and others, make connections and have fun! Check out up to date international student events & workshops on our social media @nauintl. NAU events may also be found on the NAU Events Calendar. 

Can I create a new student club/organization?

Yes! As an NAU student, if you can’t find one you are looking for, you can start your own club! Learn more about the requirements and process to start a new club through the Office of Dean of Students page.