International Students
Santa Fe College is a dynamic, innovative, learning community committed to academic excellence, cultural diversity and equity. With a growing community of international students on our campus, we strive to provide an environment that inspires our students to seek their highest potential, and ignites passion to pursue social and global responsibility. The Office for International Student Services (ISS) is the designated place on the SF campus where students and their families can get help with immigration questions. ISS staff are committed to providing accurate and personalized support. We’re here to help!
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ABOUT SANTA FE COLLEGE ® Winner of the 2015 Aspen Prize – Named #1 community college in the U.S. (out of over 1,000!) for exceptional levels of student success. ® SF has the state’s highest “gold” performance rating. SF has caring faculty who nurture and guide a diverse community of students from across the country and around the world. SF has 17,000 students enrolled annually – a student population representing over 100 countries. ® A safe campus, with a dedicated and award-winning police department that protects and serves the students, a counseling center that provides mental health services, and a student health care center that provides basic care.
STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS ® Student Life is committed to creating and supporting opportunities for involvement, leadership, and service on campus and in the community. ® International Student Support and Advising supports international students as they transition to Santa Fe College, connects them with the local community, and keeps them on track through graduation. ® Over 50 different student-run clubs, e.g., International Student Cultural Association, African Union, Black Student Union, Hispanic Organization of Latino Activities, etc.
BRAZIL
ABOUT GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA Gainesville – a great COLLEGE TOWN and a great CITY where nature and culture meet! It is a little of what you might expect, and a whole lot more! See how Gainesville and Florida rate: ® Gainesville was ranked No. 1 in North America out of 400 metro areas evaluated in the United States and Canada according to Cities Ranked & Rated (2nd Edition, 2007) ® Florida is No. 1 for Best States for Higher Education by U.S. News and World Report (https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/rankings/education/higher-education) (2018)
® Florida is No. 2 for Best States for College Cost by U.S. News and World Report (https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/rankings/education/higher-education) (2018)
® Gainesville is ranked as a top 10 college town and scored the highest for its health care options, affordability, and for amenities like culture, recreation, entertainment and healthy living (https://livability.com) (2017)
Francisco Lourenco Francisco joined the Honors Program at Santa Fe College, where he studied Health Sciences. After graduating with a 4.0 GPA, he took a job conducting medical research at Harvard University. He recently earned the prestigious Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Scholarship.
DEGREE PROGRAMS A.A.: An Associate in Arts degree is specifically designed as the first two years of a bachelor’s degree program. A.A. degree-seeking students work with an academic advisor on a specific academic track to facilitate transfer into a bachelor’s degree program. The track includes general education courses and courses required for the specific bachelor’s degree program. The A.A. degree generally takes about two years to complete.
A.S.: An Associate in Science degree program prepares students for a career. In some cases, such as nursing and information technology, students can also transfer into a bachelor’s program. A.S. programs are a good balance of general education course work and hands-on, professional training. The end goal is to prepare students to enter the workforce with competitive skill sets.
B.S./B.A.S.: Bachelor’s degrees are the next step after obtaining an A.A. or A.S. degree, and usually take two more years to complete. They allow students to learn advanced skills and be prepared for promotion in a chosen career field. Santa Fe College offers bachelor’s degrees in accounting, clinical laboratory science, early childhood education, health services administration, information systems technology, industrial biotechnology, multimedia and video production technology, nursing, and organizational management.
TRANSFER OPPORTUNITIES ® More than 65 percent of SF students who apply to the University of Florida get accepted annually, and nearly 90 percent of SF Honors Program graduates are admitted to UF. ® SF has articulation agreements with Florida A&M University, New College of Florida, the University of North Florida, the University of South Florida, the University of West Florida, and the University of the Virgin Islands that guarantee admission for SF graduates as part of the SF2Universities program. ® International students at SF have also gone on to complete their bachelor’s degrees at Texas Tech, Georgia Tech, Purdue University, University of Central Florida and more.
VENEZUELA
ADMISSION STEPS
The following five steps will guide you in the process of being admitted to Santa Fe College. Be sure to visit our website (sfcollege.edu/iss) for further details and application deadlines.
1. Complete the Online Santa Fe College International Application 2. Provide Proof of High School or Secondary School Completion Official high school or secondary school transcripts must be sent to a NACES-approved foreign credential evaluation company for verification, translation and evaluation such as Foundation for International Services, SpanTran, Josef Silny & Associates, Inc., and Academic Evaluation Services, Inc.
3. Present Proof of English Language Proficiency • • • • • • •
TOEFL ≥ 32 IELTS ≥ 4.5 Earned ‘C’ or higher in ENC1101 -ORDuolingo Academic Exam ≥ 65 -ORCertificate Level ≥ 40 in all sections of English Language Institute (ELI) at the University of Florida -ORSAT: ≥ 24 in the Reading section and ≥ 25 in the Writing section -ORACT: ≥ 19 in the Reading section and ≥ 17 in the Writing section -OR• Diploma from high school with valid “Council of International Schools” (CIS) accreditation -OR • Diploma from valid US high school -OR• International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma -OR• Proof of citizenship from an English-speaking country
4. Confirm Availability of Funds • Submit Proof of Funds form • Submit a bank letter
5. Submit Passport (e-copy acceptable) Upon receipt of your acceptance letter and I-20, please pay the I-901 SEVIS fee and apply for an F-1 Visa at a U.S. Embassy or Consulate.
CAMPUS RESOURCES Counseling Center: We want you to learn, grow, and be happy here at SF! The Santa Fe College Counseling Center provides short-term, solution-focused counseling to SF students free of charge, as well as crisis intervention, outreach, workshops and consultation.
Career Resource Center: This is a great place to find informational resources to assist students in finding an academic or career path.
Learning Commons: An exciting learning center aims to boost student engagement and success across disciplines through convenient facilities, tutoring and academic support services, comfortable meeting places and individual learning spaces.
Tutoring Services: Face-to-face and online tutoring services are available to support learning success of SF students. Some often used tutoring services on campus or online are the Reading/ELS Lab, Writing Lab, Math Studio, Smarthinking online tutoring, Chemistry/Biology Tutoring Center, Accounting/Economics Lab.
CAREER OPPORTUNITIES As an F-1 student, you have the option of training in the U.S. by engaging in practical training during your program or after it ends. There are two types of practical training: ® Curricular Practical Training (CPT): With CPT authorization, students are able to do an internship in their field of study as long as it is an integral part of their program. ® Optional Practical Training: With OPT authorization, students are able to seek employment in their field of study once they graduate and meet the requirements established by USCIS.
HOUSING AND TRANSPORTATION
Although Santa Fe College does not offer housing, the city of Gainesville has many apartment complexes and college communities near our campus. University of Florida’s off campus housing locator is a great resource for finding an apartment (housing.offcampus.ufl.edu). Parking on campus is free, and so is the local bus system when you have an SF ID card. Six bus lines stop directly at the Santa Fe College campus and branch out to reach local shopping centers, theaters and cinemas, hospitals and medical facilities, countless housing communities, the historic downtown area, the Gainesville Regional Airport, and the University of Florida. Also, most Gainesville apartment complexes are on the main bus routes. SF students can fully experience living in one of the nation’s great college towns without having to worry about the cost of owning, insuring or maintaining a car.
ESTIMATED ANNUAL COSTS (SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT NOTICE) Per Academic Year (2 terms) Tuition (12 credit hour term)
A.A. and A.S. Degrees
Bachelor’s Degrees
$9,190
$10,292
$783
$783
Room and Board
$9,547
$9,547
Personal Expenses
$3,213
$3,213
Transportation
$1,387
$1,387
Mandatory Health Insurance
$1,200
$1,200
$25,320
$26,422
Books
Total per year
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International Student Services 3000 NW 83rd Street, S-310 ® Gainesville, FL 32606 international@sfcollege.edu ® sfcollege.edu/iss Commitment to Equal Access and Equal Opportunity Santa Fe College is committed to an environment that embraces diversity, respects the rights of all individuals, is open and accessible, and is free of harassment and discrimination. For more information, visit sfcollege.edu/eaeo or contact equity.officer@sfcollege.edu. MC 2-2022