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On-campus presence is required each fall and spring semester for international students to maintain their F-1 status. This means you must enroll in and attend in-person courses that require physical attendance for classes, exams, and other essential aspects of the class.

For both undergraduate and graduate students in F-1 status, only 3 credits of online/remote/distance education coursework can count towards the full-time enrollment requirement.

• Undergraduate Â鶹ÒùÔº: You can take a 3-credit class online, but you must have at least 9 additional on-campus credits that are for in-person classes that take place on the CU Boulder campus.
• Master’s Â鶹ÒùÔº: You can take a 3-credit class online, but you must have additional on-campus credits that are for in-person classes that take place on the CU Boulder campus. How many in-person credits you need depends on your graduate status and whether or not you are also taking undergraduate level credits. Contact ISSS if you have any questions.
• Ph.D. Â鶹ÒùÔº: Meet with an ISSS advisor to discuss your on-campus presence requirements.

Note: Some academic departments offer two sections of the same course, an online section and an in-person section. If the course is being taken to contribute towards an international student’s in-person enrollment requirements set by their F-1 status, students mustenroll in the in-person section ANDattend the in-person section. 

• Even if professors allow their students the flexibility of attending the online section while enrolled in an in-person section, international students must forego this flexibility and continue to attend the in-person section when counting the course towards their on-campus presence requirements.

Hybrid Coursework Considerations

• Hybrid In Person and Online and/or Remote (HY) courses may count towards a student’s in-person enrollment requirements IF the student attends all available in-person components of the course.
  • ISSS recommends students keep careful records of their attendance at the in-person components associated with the course.
• Hybrid Remote/Online (HR) courses do not  count towards a student’s in-person enrollment requirements.

Failure to comply with the on-campus presence requirement set by the F-1 regulations may result in the denial of future immigration benefits including Optional Practical Training (OPT) or readmission to the U.S. after traveling abroad.

If you are unsure whether your enrollment meets the on-campus presence requirement, contact ISSS.