UHD 2000/2001 Catalog UHD Catalog Home | General Information | Admission Policies and Procedures Table of Contents | Previous Section | Next Section | Index | How to Use the Online Catalog New and Transfer Student Admission General Information Readmission for Former Students International Student Admission Early Admission Download Application Forms 2 Application to the university is made through the Office of Admissions and Records. Application deadlines and enrollment procedures are printed in the Class Schedule each semester. New and Transfer Student Admission General Information Application. All new students must file an application for admission with the Office of Admissions and Records and pay the nonrefundable $10 application fee by the application deadline. The application fee for international students is $60. The application and fee is valid for a period of one year. Citizenship Status Documents. International students and U.S. citizens born outside the United States must provide original, valid immigration documents (I-551, I-688, I-94, passport or U.S. citizenship certificate). Official Transcripts. A transcript is considered official when it bears the institution’s seal, is signed by the issuing authority, and is sent directly by the issuing institution or delivered in a sealed envelope. College Transcript Requirements. Students with prior college experience must submit official transcripts from all previously attended colleges regardless of whether college credit was earned. Texas Academic Skills Program (TASP) Requirements. New and transfer students must take the TASP or a state-approved alternative test before they will be allowed to enroll for college-level courses. All students must satisfy all TASP obligations by the time they have earned 60 hours of college level credit, or they will not be permitted to take upper-level courses. See page 4 for more information about TASP. Other Requirements. New freshmen are expected to attend an orientation session and will be given information about orientation upon acceptance to the university. It is recommended that transfer students attend an orientation session as well. Freshman Admission The university strongly recommends that all applicants seeking freshman admission complete a college-preparatory high school curriculum. To qualify for freshman admission, an applicant must be a graduate of an accredited high school, or hold a GED high school equivalency, and must have earned fewer than 15 college-level semester credit hours. Graduates of Texas public high schools must also have passed the state-mandated high school exit examination(s). Freshman applicants must file an application for admission, pay the non-refundable application fee, and must have official copies of their high school, GED, and college transcripts mailed directly from the issuing institution to the University of Houston-Downtown by the application deadline. All new freshmen are expected to attend an orientation program. Transfer Student Admission Transfer applicants must file an application for admission, pay the nonrefundable application fee, and have official copies of transcripts from all prior colleges mailed directly from the issuing institution to the University of Houston-Downtown by the application deadline. Students applying for admission with less than 15 semester hours of college-level credit should submit an official high school or GED transcript as well as official college or university transcripts. Applicants must provide a record of their TASP status. See page 4 for more information on the TASP requirements. Articulation Agreements UH-Downtown has worked with area community colleges to develop degree articulation agreements. Students planning to transfer to UH-Downtown are encouraged to direct their questions about the transferability of their courses to their community college counselor or to the Office of Admissions and Records, 713-221-8522. Transfer students are also referred to page 70 for information on the Texas Common Course Numbering System. This system ensures that any course designated as a Common Course by UH-Downtown will be accepted in transfer as equivalent to the UH-Downtown course. Readmission for Former Students Students who have attended UH-Downtown but who were not enrolled during the preceding long semester must be readmitted to the university. Check with Admission and Records to be certain that there are no holds on your record. Reapplication. Complete a readmission form in the Office of Admissions and Records. Transcripts. Arrange to have official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended since last enrolled at UH-Downtown sent to the Office of Admissions and Records by the application deadline. 3 International Student Admission Individuals who hold nonimmigrant visas are classified as international students. International students seeking admission to the University of Houston-Downtown must apply through the Office of Admissions and Records. Individuals who have applied for immigrant status, but who have not adjusted their status with the Immigration and Naturalization Service, also must follow the procedures below in order to obtain an I-20 immigration form. Application. A new international student must file an application for admission with the Office of Admissions and Records and pay the nonrefundable $60 application fee by the application deadline. The application and fee will be valid for a period of one year. Transcripts. Freshman students must provide official transcripts of secondary school scores, including mark sheets and date of graduation, in their original language. A certified English translation of all transcripts must be included if the originals are not in English. Transfer students must provide official transcripts from all colleges or universities attended. If original transcripts are not in English, a certified translation must accompany the original documents. In addition, all foreign transcripts must be evaluated by an evaluation service recognized by UHD in order to receive transfer credit. Students transferring from another college or university in the United States must submit a transfer form that has been completed and signed by the foreign student advisor at the previously attended institution. This form must be returned to the Office of Admissions and Records at UH-Downtown prior to enrollment. Affidavit of Support. An Affidavit of Support must be submitted showing that a sponsor(s) will be responsible for all educational and living expenses. Bank Letter. A certified bank letter, indicating that the sponsor is financially capable of meeting the student’s education and living expenses, must be submitted. This letter must indicate, either in U.S. dollars or in the local currency, the amount maintained in the account(s). The letter must have been issued within the past six months. Language Proficiency. A valid TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) score of 550* or higher is required. Students with a TOEFL score of less than 550 may attend the English Language Institute (ELI) prior to beginning academic studies at the university. ELI students study noncredit English classes until they are either recommended by ELI for academic study or achieve a 550 TOEFL score. Graduates of ELI are able to enroll directly into the academic program at UH-Downtown without taking the TOEFL. Transfer students may be exempt from taking the TOEFL if they have passed 12 or more college-level hours in the United States, including Composition I and II, with a grade of C or better. Health Insurance. International students must carry health insurance for the duration of their studies. The policy must provide at least $50,000 in health coverage and include $5,000 for repatriation. If insurance is purchased elsewhere, a copy of the policy in English with U.S. dollars as the monetary unit must be provided to Student Health Services prior to registration each semester. Otherwise, students will be charged for health insurance as a part of their registration fees. *550 for the paper version or 213 for the computer-based version. Early Admission A high school student with a strong academic record who wishes to attend UH-Downtown during the summer prior to or during his or her senior year may apply for early admission. A student applying for early admission must follow the procedures for admission as outlined in the section titled New and Transfer Student Admission. In addition to these requirements, written approval from the high school principal or counselor must be provided. The courses to be taken at UH-Downtown must be approved by both the high school counselor and the university advisor.