We understand the impact this unprecedented situation is having on your college selection or search. We are committed to ensuring that academic disruptions you may experience as a result of COVID-19 don’t become obstacles to an Ohio State education.
Our highest priority is the health and well-being of our community, and the university is following public health guidance in all decisions. We don’t have all the answers yet, but we are actively seeking those answers on your behalf to support you in making choices about your future.
Additional resources: Visit COVID-19 Updates from the Graduate School for policy and deadline changes, and learn more about how Ohio State is keeping our communities safe.
Ohio State will resume in-person classes for autumn semester, which will begin on August 25. The university is sharing regular updates; read frequently asked questions about autumn semester.
While some classes will resume on campus, programs may vary in their approach to in-person versus online courses. Keep in contact with your program for updates.
Additional resources: Visit Safe and Healthy Buckeyes for information on returning to campus. For tips and tools to help with virtual learning, please visit Ohio State's Keep Learning website.
We permit admitted students to defer their admission for up to three semesters, with program permission. Contact your program to verify whether you are permitted to defer, and if any fellowship or associateship you were awarded will still be available.
Please order transcripts to be sent before classes begin or as soon as your institution’s registrar’s office re-opens. If your institution remains closed past July 24 for summer semester or the beginning of autumn semester, email Graduate and Professional Admissions for information on how to proceed. We are committed to working with students affected by institutional closures.
Note that advising reports, unofficial academic records and web-based transcripts are never accepted for admissions purposes. Read our transcript guidelines for more information.
Please read through the Office of International Affairs’ Guidance for New Students before reading the FAQs below. The OIA guidance includes important information, such as current restrictions and limitations on travel to the U.S. and online study in parts of the world, which should be considered when making decisions about your future study and travel plans.
Contact the Office of International Affairs with questions concerning your student status or visa in regard to online studies.
Important: You must specify with your program of study which type of deferral you are requesting. These terms are defined below for you:
Contact your program for permission to defer your academic admission and immigration to the U.S. until spring, summer or autumn 2021. Ask your program if your fellowship or associateship would still be available should you defer admission to a later term.
If your program approves, they will submit a formal academic deferral request with Graduate and Professional Admissions. After the deferral is complete, you will need to accept your admission again for the new term and go through financial review at a later time to obtain a new I-20 for your future semester of immigration and arrival in the U.S.
Contact your program to determine if they have appropriate online course offerings and if they will permit you to study fully online for autumn semester. You should verify which term you want to begin in-person courses and ask if funding being offered will still be available for your online and future study. If your program approves an immigration deferral, they will notify Graduate and Professional Admissions.
If you defer immigration admission, you will need to:
Contact your program to request academic deferment or immigration deferment. Please see the information above for definition of terms and further guidance.
Contact your program to determine if they have appropriate online course offerings and if they will permit you to study fully online in autumn semester. The program must approve online study and notify Graduate and Professional Admissions. You must also verify which term you want to attend in-person and if program funds will still be offered for the deferred term.
Note: If you defer your academic admission to another start term other than autumn 2020, you will not be able to register for online courses in autumn 2020 as your record will begin at a later time (spring 2021, summer 2021 or autumn 2021).
While international students do not need a revised I-20 as this guidance was overruled as of July 14, 2020, please contact us with the date of your visa appointment and our team will provide you with 1) a note on your SEVIS record that Ohio State University is offering on-campus study, and 2) an updated electronic copy of your I-20.
We strongly recommend that you also travel with a copy of your current Ohio State class schedule. It should show no more than three online credit-hour classes counting toward full time enrollment. For example, if you are taking eight credit hours total, five credit hours must be in-person or hybrid (a combination of online and in-person). You might have to schedule extra classes or classes that are not as relevant to meet this requirement.
You can also show your visa office this article announcing the university's plans to return to campus.
If you have immigration questions, check the FAQs for new international students on the Office of International Affairs website. Please contact OIA with questions concerning online study and your student status or visa.
Most I-20s for spring 2021 will be created in September. We will make every effort to issue documents before then. I-20s do not need to be submitted before starting an online semester.
While you can use your same SEVIS ID to schedule an appointment, you will need an updated I-20 for the new term in which you plan to arrive for on campus study.
As long as your visa is valid, you can use it for entry. You will need an updated I-20 for the new term in which you plan to arrive for on-campus study.
Contact your program to determine if they have appropriate online course offerings and if they will permit you to study fully online in autumn semester. The program must approve online study and notify Graduate and Professional Admissions. You must also verify which term you want to attend in-person and if program funds will still be offered for the deferred term.
Contact your program to determine if they have appropriate online course offerings and if they will permit you to study fully online in autumn semester. The program must approve online study and notify Graduate and Professional Admissions. You must also verify which term you plan to attend in person and whether program funds will still be offered for the deferred term.
Note: If you defer your academic admission to a term other than autumn 2020, you will not be able to register for online courses in autumn 2020 as your record will begin at a later time.
Note: We strongly encourage students to submit financial materials as soon as possible and to not wait until the deadline, as additional supporting documentation may be needed after the initial financial review. If documents are not received in a timely manner, this could delay the issuance of your I-20 and start term.
Students opting to defer immigration and study entirely online should do so before the start of the autumn 2020 semester on August 25. There will be future financial review deadlines to obtain a revised I-20 and take in-person classes in future semesters.
To ensure a current SEVIS record is not canceled, we must have your plans related to academic or immigration deferral by the dates listed below:
No. You may defer admission or enrollment with program permission. Once Graduate and Professional Admissions has approval from your program to defer your admission, your immigration will automatically defer to the future term and the record will re-route through future financial review.
However, to ensure a current SEVIS record is not canceled, Graduate and Professional Admissions must have your plans for academic or immigration deferral by the dates listed below:
Contact your program to ask permission to defer your academic admission and immigration to the U.S. to spring, summer or autumn 2021. If you so defer, you will not take any classes until you arrive on campus.
It is possible that funding could be affected, depending on your award and circumstance. Not all funding or awards are allowed to be deferred. Please discuss the potential effects with your academic program.
Please ask your program about the effect deferring immigration and studying entirely online might have on any fellowship or other graduate associateship award.
While your final and official transcripts and degree certificates or diplomas are due in your first semester, we strongly encourage you to take care of this requirement as soon as possible. You may find it easier to request that such documentation be sent to Ohio State while still in your previous country of study. Remember, documents must be sent directly from the institution to be considered official. You are not to submit your own transcripts.
Please have your previously attended universities send copies of your official transcripts and diplomas or certificates in sealed envelopes to:
Graduate and Professional Admissions
Student Academic Success Building
281 West Lane Ave.
Columbus, OH 43210 USA
Please note that these should include certified English translations as needed.
We do not accept electronic transcripts from foreign institutions as official (with the exception of electronic transcripts from CHESICC). Before you leave your home country, have your previously attended universities send copies of your official transcripts and diplomas or certificates in sealed envelopes to:
Graduate and Professional Admissions
Student Academic Success Building
281 West Lane Ave.
Columbus, OH 43210 USA
While your final and official transcripts and degree certificates or diplomas are due in your first semester, we strongly encourage you to take care of this requirement as soon as possible. You may find it easier to request that such documentation be sent to Ohio State while still in your previous country of study. Remember, documents must be sent directly from the institution to be considered official. You are not to submit your own transcripts.