Drexel is committed to providing an in-person learning experience for the 2021-22 academic year; however, we recognize that students may have challenges in joining us for a face-to-face program. Electing to participate in a remote term virtually gives you the extra time you may need in making the necessary arrangements to join us on-campus without having to postpone the start of your Drexel education.

International First-Year and Transfer Students: Please email enroll@drexel.edu or connect with your admissions representative directly.

Continuing International Students: Please reach out to your academic advisor to see if remote courses are an option.

By participating in remote learning, you will be able to progress towards degree completion without delay. Your academic advisor will work with you to establish a term schedule that will meet your academic needs.

While colleges and schools will do their best to accommodate your schedule as requested, there may be instances where a course may not be able to be offered remotely or online. In these instances other courses will be recommended which fit into your plan of study while also progressing you towards degree. Participating in remote classes will not delay your anticipated date of graduation.

The content covered in remote courses will be consistent with the content covered in on-campus courses. Remote courses will consist of a combination of synchronous and asynchronous instruction. View more information about the types of instruction here.

As one of the United States’ pioneers of online learning, Drexel University has a long and successful history of providing students with innovative, challenging, and impactful educational experiences in virtual environments. Remote courses consist of synchronous and asynchronous instruction utilizing numerous online and university resources.

Our virtual offerings not only provide students with an engaging and formative classroom experience in the safety and comfort of their own home, but they also provide vital resources and activities typically associated with on-campus experiences, including group classwork, lab opportunities, academic support, counseling and health services, and more.

Tuition and financial aid will be the same. All scholarships and grants will be awarded, as indicated in your financial aid package. Please note that room, board, and university health insurance costs will not be charged to students during the remote term. 

All on-campus international undergraduate students are default enrolled into Drexel’s health insurance plan with Aetna (Drexel University Dragon Plan). Students who choose to attend their term remotely will not be enrolled into the Dragon Plan until the start of first in-person term, and will pay a pro-rated amount.

For students who participate in a remote term, the deadlines and review requirements can be found on the Health Insurance & Immunizations website.

Housing is guaranteed for first-year students. Students seeking housing starting in the spring term will not be able to participate in Roommate Matching or Room Self-Selection. Students will be administratively assigned a room based on availability and their selected preferences (e.g. building preferences, roommate requests, and Living and Learning Community).

Housing is only guaranteed for first-year students. However, we will likely be able to accommodate returning and transfer students in the winter term. Students may email housing@drexel.edu to check availability.

If you have already completed a housing application, Housing and Residence Life will update your housing application to reflect that you are participating in a remote term. If you have not yet completed a housing application, you should wait till the start of the term to complete one for the upcoming term on campus.

Yes, dining plans are mandatory for all First-Year residents.

The dining application will be part of the housing application.

We recommend you apply for your I-20 as early as possible. The sooner you have it, the sooner you can request a visa interview appointment at your local U.S. embassy or consulate. The I-20 application deadline is located in your Drexel One portal > I-20 Application Checklist. If you have additional inquiries during your pre-arrival planning process, please contact ISSS at isss@drexel.edu.

For example: If you are planning to attend Winter 2022 remotely, then the I-20 application deadline is January 31, 2022.

If you receive your I-20, then later choose the Remote Term 2022 option, Drexel International Students and Scholars Services (ISSS) will issue you a new I-20 with the adjusted start date of the next available term in which you are expected to commence in-person instruction.

If you receive a visa after opting into a remote term before classes begin, you may have the option to switch back to in-person classes with approval from your academic advisor and ISSS.

Once a term has started, students who select a remote option must remain enrolled in this cohort for the duration of the term.

No, if you elect to take classes virtually for the term, you do not need a U.S. visa, as you will not be in the U.S. for the remote term. In order to apply for a student visa (F-1/J-1) for the upcoming term, students will work with the Office of International Students and Scholars Services (ISSS) to apply for the necessary pre-visa documents (I-20/DS-2019).

However, if you are already inside the U.S. on a valid student status, then you must abide by the regulations governing that visa status (see below).

Please go to this ISSS webpage for relevant F-1 & J-1 visa guidance.

Curricular Practical Training (CPT) allows F-1 students to engage in employment, as long as it is an integral part of their curriculum. Please review the International Students and Scholars Services webpage about CPT to learn about the eligibility requirements and procedures to obtain CPT. Most students must have been lawfully enrolled full-time in a degree-granting program and physically present in the U.S. for at least one full academic year (3 quarters or 2 semesters) before they are eligible for CPT.

You may re-apply for a new visa, but it is important to know why your application was denied. In most cases, the U.S. Embassies/Consulates advise applicants of reasons, in writing, for visa denials. We do not advise that you re-apply using the original application, but to do so only when you have additional evidence to support your case. Unless your situation has materially changed, you should expect the same result. We strongly encourage you to seek outside legal counsel from an immigration lawyer with experience in U.S. visa denials as well as student visas. 

For more detailed information about visa denials, including the list of potential visa denial reasons and other relevant information, please see the U.S. Department of State website. 

For admissions-specific questions, please email enroll@drexel.edu or connect with your admissions representative directly. Continuing students should contact their academic advisors.

For visa-related questions, please see the International Students and Scholars Services’ FAQ page or email isss@drexel.edu.