Admitted Students

Confirm your spot by submitting the $500 enrollment deposit through your application portal/status page. When you enroll at TU, this deposit will be credited toward your first semester bill.  

Enrollment Deposit Refunds
Tiffin University’s international enrollment deposit is non-refundable, except in the case of an F-1 visa denial under section 214(b). To be eligible you must have applied for an F-1 visa using your Tiffin-issued I-20, and you must: 

1. Report your interview date in the application portal prior to the appointment. 
2. Inform TU of the outcome within 5 business days of the interview. 
3. Access your visa outcome confirmation here and upload a copy to the portal 
4. Request your refund within 30 days of the denial by contacting your admission counselor 

To request this refund, follow the steps listed above and contact your Admission Counselor. 

The Form I-20 will enable you to apply for the F-1 visa necessary to study in the United States. The F-1 application should be completed immediately as it is difficult to determine the length of time for processing. We will issue the Form I-20 and your official letter of admission after your supporting documents have been received.

I-20 Required Documents

1. A copy of your passport.
2. Complete the Financial Affidavit in your application portal
3. Financial support document indicating source of expected funding (e.g. bank statement issued in English, personal sponsor) to show you can meet estimated costs for first year of program. Must be from within the last 3 months.
4. If you are already in the US on an active F-1 student visa, contact your current DSO to request the transfer* of your SEVIS record.

*Tiffin University does not require students to complete a “Transfer-In form” with their current school. The Office of International Affairs at TU does not complete Transfer-In forms for departing students. 

After you receive your Form I-20, your next steps are to pay the I-901 SEVIS Fee and apply for the F-1 visa. For a complete guide, visit our page on Applying for a Student Visa.

 

Once you have paid your deposit you will receive an email notification with your official username and password to log into your Tiffin University portal and email (this will be a Gmail account).

 Complete your housing application so you can select where you want to live on-campus.  Housing options are on a first-come, first-served basis.

All Tiffin University international students and domestic student-athletes are required to have health insurance. Tiffin University has partnered with Wellfleet Student Health Insurance to provide students with medical, dental and prescription drug coverage.

Visit Student Health Insurance to learn more.

Official hard copies must be mailed directly to Tiffin University at the following address:

Tiffin University
Registrar’s Office
155 Miami Street
Tiffin, OH 44883
USA

You can also submit official transcripts to the Registrar’s Office upon your arrival to campus.

Traveling to the US

• Plan to arrive in the U.S. no earlier than 30 days prior to the start date listed on your DS-2019 Certificate of Eligibility for J-1 visa or I-20 Certificate of Eligibility for F-1 visa.
• Carry your passport with valid F or J student visa in your carry-on luggage.
• If you have any other visas in your passport, be sure to present the F or J student visa issued for your Tiffin program of study to the Customs and Border Patrol agent.

Arrival in the United States

PORT OF ENTRY PROCEDURES

Once you have obtained your U.S. student visa, you are ready to finalize your travel plans. Be sure to have your I-20 and your proof of Federal SEVIS fee payment with your passport and visa when you go through your immigration inspection at the U.S. port of entry. Remember that if you plan to attend Tiffin University, you must present a certificate of eligibility (your I-20) endorsed for study at Tiffin.

DO NOT enter on another school’s certificate of eligibility, as that is considered to be a fraudulent entry by the U.S. Immigration authorities.

DO NOT attempt to enter the United States on a visitor/tourist visa (B-2) unless it is designated “Prospective Student” by a consular officer. The U.S. Immigration Service rarely authorizes a change of status from B-2 to F-1, and you will be prevented from enrolling in school until your change of status application is approved, which could take several months.

DO NOT attempt to enter the United States under the visa waiver program, available to citizens from nearly thirty countries throughout the world. The waiver program is designed for tourists only, and attending school under the waiver program is a clear violation of U.S. Immigration law.

Expect to go through both immigration and customs inspection at the U.S. port of entry. You may also be required to go through a pre-inspection procedure at certain airports abroad. At the immigration booth, present your passport, visa, I-20, your proof of Federal SEVIS fee payment, and your completed I-94 arrival/departure card (if the card was distributed on the airplane). Expect to have your index fingers scanned for fingerprint purposes and a digital photograph taken, as required by U.S. federal regulations. In the vast majority of cases, there will be no difficulty. In certain cases, if there is some problem with your documents, you may be issued a 30-day entry on your I-94 card and issued a form I-515, usually with instructions to see your international student advisor. Examine your I-94 card and I-20 carefully as you leave the immigration booth. F-1 students should have their I-94 cards marked “D/S” which means “Duration of Status,” along with a stamp indicating the date you entered the United States. The same stamp and “D/S” notation should also be on the I-20. If an expiration date is written on the I-94 instead of “D/S,” and you are in F status, come to the International Student Services Office as soon as possible.

Anyone who is denied admission at a U.S. port of entry should be very cautious about arguing with the immigration official. You may risk being issued “expedited removal,” which now entails a five-year ban on admission to the United States. If you are denied admission, first try to contact the International Student Services Office for assistance, but also make it known to the immigration official that you are willing to withdraw your application for admission to the country rather than be subject to expedited removal.

After arriving at Tiffin University, it is required that all new international students attend the International Student Orientation.  Orientation will be held before classes start each semester.

You will be emailed the orientation schedule so make sure you are checking your email regularly.  At orientation, you will learn about Tiffin University, meet other new students, Tiffin University resources and get acquainted to campus so that you are prepared for your first day of classes

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WHAT TO BRING

Climate and Clothing

Temperatures vary considerably from year to year. During spring, summer and fall, moderate periods of rainfall occur; snow falls periodically throughout the winter months. Three basic types of outerwear are essential. In winter, heavy jackets or overcoats, hats, scarves, gloves and boots are needed. During chilly autumn and spring days, raincoats or medium-weight jackets or coats are worn outdoors and sweaters are often worn indoors. A light-weight jacket is sometimes necessary for cool nights during spring, summer and fall.

Northwest Ohio has a varying climate with four distinct seasons.

SEASON	MONTHS	TEMP. IN FAHRENHEIT	TEMP. IN CENTIGRADE
Summer	June-September	50 to 90 degrees	10 to 32 degrees
Fall	September-November	20 to 80 degrees	-7 to 26 degrees
Winter	December-March	0 to 45 degrees	-18 to 7 degrees
Spring	April-June	40 to 72 degrees	4 to 22 degrees

If you are an undergraduate who will live on campus, basic furniture is provided in campus residence halls (bed and mattress, desk, chair, closet) but bed linens, blankets, pillows and towels are not. You will have the chance to purchase these items at a local Wal-Mart during Orientation before classes start. 

Things to Leave at Home

You can obtain a booklet on customs regulations at the consulate or embassy where you acquire your visa. Prohibited items include some foodstuffs, narcotics and items for resale. For more information you can also visit the website of the U.S. Customs Service

It is best to purchase electrical appliances after you arrive: appliances manufactured outside the U.S. may not be compatible with the power supply or may not be allowed inside the residence halls.