College students often find themselves lacking money to pay for tuition, housing, and every day expenses. For international students, studying on a student visa, this task is much more difficult. According to International Student Services (ISS), “It is illegal to work off-campus in any student visa status without prior permission”. Different visas have various requirements and regulations. International students must check their visa status and contact appropriate services to find their own limits. These rules vary from maximum hours one can work, how many credit hours one must be enrolled in, and where one can work.
There is much more leniency for students to work on-campus. Most students have permission to work on-campus up to 20 hours per week during fall and spring semesters and up to 40 hours per week during breaks. However, this too needs prior approval. Anna Yang, second year business student, confirms the difficulties of finding employment. Anna said, “I want to work on campus, but there are no openings”. Anna is currently seeking employment.
According to the ISS, there are exceptions for students facing unexpected economic hardship. “Students who have experienced a severe and unforeseeable change in their financial situations since entering the U.S. may apply for economic hardship work authorization. Your financial situation (and the recent change) must be documentable, so you must be able to provide copies of bank statements and other proof of when and how this change occurred. This authorization permits off-campus work for up to 20 hours/week during the school year and up to 40 hours/week during school breaks. The work does not have to be related to the student's field of study. You apply through ISS and the application is processed by USCIS. The cost is $380.”
Some international students may apply for Optional Practical Training (OPT). According to the ISS, “Optional Practical Training is a work authorization benefit allowing F-1 students to gain up to one year of experience in their fields of study, generally after completion of studies.” This is not the only option. Additionally, “OPT can be used before completion of studies during school breaks (40 hours/week) and while school is in session (up to 20 hours/week). If you are done with all coursework, you may be eligible to use full-time OPT while completing your research. Students who have maintained F-1 status for at least one academic year before applying are eligible to apply for OPT” (ISS). Students with a STEM degree (Science, Technology, Engineering or Math) may be eligible for a 17 month OPT extension.
Another service available to international students is Curricular Practical Training (CPT). According to the ISS, “CPT is off-campus employment authorization that allows an F-1 student to take advantage of certain employment opportunities directly related to the student’s program of study.” There are three different types of CPT. They are the following: Integral part of an established curriculum, Completion of thesis or dissertation, and Cooperative Education.
So how many international students are there? According to the ISS, there were 1,348 international students enrolled at the University of South Carolina in fall of 2011. Spring 2012 numbers have not been released yet. China accounts for the majority of the international enrollment, holding 31%. The top three following China are South/East Asia with 20%, Europe with 16%, and India with 11%. The top three colleges they were enrolled in are the following: College of Engineering &Computing with 337 international students, College of Arts & Sciences with 304, and the Darla Moore School of Business with 302. The most popular major of international students was International Business.
“International student enrollment on the Columbia campus dropped post-September 11, 2001, from a peak of 1,279 in the year 2000. Currently [fall 2011], 1,348 international students represent 4.3% of the total campus enrollment of 30,721” (ISS). International student enrollment at the University of South Carolina, compared to peer colleges and universities, is rather low.
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