Online Courses
The Department of Homeland Security requires F-1 international students to maintain a full course of study while attending a college or university in the U.S. A full course of study at LaGrange College is defined as 12 credit hours for undergraduates and 6 credit hours for graduates.
Federal regulations state:
Federal regulations state:
8 CFR 214.2(f)(6)(i)(G)
For F-1 students enrolled in classes for credit or classroom hours, no more than the equivalent of one class or three credits per session, term, semester, trimester, or quarter may be counted toward the full course of study requirement if the class is taken on-line or through distance education and does not require the student's physical attendance for classes, examination or other purposes integral to completion of the class. An on-line or distance education course is a course that is offered principally through the use of television, audio, or computer transmission including open broadcast, closed circuit, cable, microwave, or satellite, audio conferencing, or computer conferencing. If the F-1 student's course of study is in a language study program, no on-line or distance education classes may be considered to count toward a student's full course of study requirement.
Please note that F-1 students must enroll in at least one course that requires physical attendance in their final academic term.
For F-1 students enrolled in classes for credit or classroom hours, no more than the equivalent of one class or three credits per session, term, semester, trimester, or quarter may be counted toward the full course of study requirement if the class is taken on-line or through distance education and does not require the student's physical attendance for classes, examination or other purposes integral to completion of the class. An on-line or distance education course is a course that is offered principally through the use of television, audio, or computer transmission including open broadcast, closed circuit, cable, microwave, or satellite, audio conferencing, or computer conferencing. If the F-1 student's course of study is in a language study program, no on-line or distance education classes may be considered to count toward a student's full course of study requirement.
Please note that F-1 students must enroll in at least one course that requires physical attendance in their final academic term.
What this means for international students attending LaGrange College is that they may take one online course or three credits of online learning per semester which will count towards their full-time course load.
Frequently Asked Questions:
1. What if a student wants to take two online classes?
Students can take multiple online courses but only 3 credits will count towards their required full load of 12 credits.
2. Can a student take online courses during the Summer terms?
The Department of Homeland Security does not require international students to be enrolled during the Summer sessions so this online course regulation does not apply. However, if summer is when the student will begin their program at LaGrange College, they will need to enroll full-time during the summers sessions and take only one course or 3 credits of online learning, the remaining credits will need to be on-campus courses. If the student has been enrolled for a full academic year (fall and spring), they may take as many online courses during the summer sessions as allowed by the College's course registration policies.