Sponsored Students

students in conversation

 

The University of South Alabama welcomes international sponsored students. A sponsored student is any international student whose tuition and/or fees are paid directly to the University of South Alabama by an outside organization, embassy, government or corporation.

Global USA is dedicated to serving international sponsored students through the Global Outreach and International Admissions & Student Programs offices on the main campus. Sponsored students must comply with immigration regulations, sponsoring organizations, and university & academic program(s) requirements while at the University. 

Below are some common topics/requirements/requests sponsored students encounter. For more information, please contact Global USA by emailing globalusa@southalabama.edu or calling +1 (251) 460-7800.


▼   Release of Information

FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974) is federal legislation in the United States that protects the privacy of students' personally identifiable information. The University of South Alabama will not release any student information to sponsoring organizations without written consent form the student.

The consent form can be downloaded here or picked up from the Registrar's Office in Meisler Hall on the main campus.

▼   Enrollment Verification

Periodically, scholarship granting organizations will request enrollment verifications.  Global USA has been given responsibility for providing this service. Global USA Verifications will be able to verify non-traditional courses taken in the past and can verify enrollment as of the date requested. All verification requests should be submitted on an official request form and signed by the student. FERPA prohibits the release of your information without your signature. Please allow three to five business days for processing.

Email globalusaverify@southalabama.edu for an official request form and with any questions you may have about the process.

▼   Degree Verification

Degree conferral occurs after the conclusion of the Fall, Spring, and Summer terms.  The conferral date is the date that the degree is considered officially awarded. The conferral date will be posted on the official transcript and the diploma. 

There are four ways to provide evidence of a degree being officially awarded:

- Official transcripts

- Diploma

- National Student Clearinghouse

- Degree Verification letter

For more detailed information on degree verification as well as the correct forms to use, please visit the Office of the Registrar's Degree Verification webpage

▼   Inviting a Guest to Graduation

If you wish to invite a member of your family or friends to come to the United States on a B-2 visa (visitor for touristic purposes), use the steps below as a guide. The following suggestions are meant as advice only. If your family or friends need to apply for a visa, they should first review the instructions for visa applications on the U.S. Embassy or Consulate website where they will apply for their visa.

- Apply for graduation

- Complete the Request for Confirmation of Graduation Letter and send it to Office of International Admissions & Student Programs for a Commencement participation eligibility letter.

- Write a letter of invitation for your guests. This letter must come from you, the graduate, not from the university. You can view a template for the letter and suggested additional documentation here. Do not mail this letter to the embassy/consulate. Make sure your guest includes it with the Commencement participation eligibility letter at the visa interview.

- Visit the U.S. State Department website for information on how to apply for a visitor visa.

Review the specific instructions on the U.S. Embassy or Consulate Website, as the steps to apply may vary.
 

Note: The University of South Alabama does not produce letters of invitation, the graduate must write them. If you have any questions about what is needed, visit Meisler Hall Suite 2200.