Frequently
Asked Questions ??
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1.
Is there any financial aid available at TAMIU ?
2. Whom to contact for getting financial
aid?
3. How can I know Email address of people
in various departments?
4. When are decisions made regarding admissions?
5. How can I waive my pre-requisites that
I have already completed?
6. Where can I find official information
related to Visa issues?
7. Flight Information
8. What if I miss a connection?
9. Immigration and Customs
10. Luggage Handling
11. Lost or Delayed Luggage
12. What documents do I need to carry while
traveling?
13. When should I come to TAMIU?
14. Do we have to live "on-campus"?
15. Can I work off-campus?
16. What do I need to do once I reach TAMIU?
17. What should NOT be brought from INDIA?
18. What are other important things I need
to know?
19. Others…
1. Is there any financial aid available at TAMIU?
There are certain kinds of financial aid available for
international students and are mostly based on first-come-first
basis.
http://www.tamiu.edu/affairs/financial/finaid.html
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2. Whom to contact for getting financial aid?
A person seeking financial aid should contact the financial
aid office in person.
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3. How can I know Email address of people In
various departments?
You can use the following link of search engine: http://www.tamiu.edu/directory/
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4. When are decisions made regarding admissions?
It depends on the semester you are applying for. Fall
students’ start receiving admission letters as
early as March and admissions continue until late June.
Apply as early as possible.
The basic requirements are application form, transcripts,
financial statement and official TOEFL score, GRE/GMAT
scores.
Only after receiving these (Transcripts, GRE score,
Letter of Recommendation, Statement of Purpose, Resume,
etc) be forwarded to the Office of Graduate programs
for further decision. Decisions are generally made at
the beginning of April.
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5. How can I waive my pre-requisites that I
have already completed?
We
would recommend you to bring along your syllabus book
and other certificates, which show that you have completed
the assigned prerequisite for reference. You can contact
Imelda Lopez (lopez@tamiu.edu), graduate admissions
counselor, who is the concerned person for this job.
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6.
Where can I find official information related to Visa
issues?
The best place for official information regarding Visa
issues is the US Consulates in India. There are 4 Consulate
offices in India at New Delhi, Mumbai, Calcutta and
Chennai. The links to these are:
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7. Flight Information
Dallas being a major US port of entry for TAMIU, most
of you can take flights from India to Dallas Fort Worth
airport and then another connection to Laredo International
Airport. Houston can also be an another port of entry
and from there you need to take another connection to
Laredo International Airport
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8. What if I miss a connection?
Inform the airlines and try and get the next flight.
Call in and let us know so that we will know the exact
time you will be coming in, so that we may alter your
pick-up plan.
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9. Immigration and Customs regulations
Port of entry is the first US city where your incoming
international plane lands. In most cases, a flight attendant
will distribute customs declaration forms and immigration
forms before the plane lands at the port of entry. Fill
all these out, while on the plane. The forms include
questions about the contents of your luggage. One important
thing to note here, do not scratch or over-write anything,
ask for a new one and surrender the old one.
Hence be pretty honest and write the details as questioned.
So long as pickles and spices are packed and sealed
in a proper manner, they can be classified as non-perishable
and dehydrated, and you may declare them as such.
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10. Luggage Handling
Even if your luggage is booked through to your final
destination, it will be off-loaded at your port of entry.
In your port of entry, make sure you check your luggage
and that it is loaded in the connecting flight. It is
your responsibility to pick up the entire luggage off
the conveyor belt and take it through the customs area.
Do not panic if the officer asks you to open the luggage.
You may have to open your luggage for security reasons
at the airport. You should be able to pack your luggage
back on your own.
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11. Lost or Delayed Luggage
If by any chance your luggage does not seem to pop up
on the conveyor system, look for it for a certain amount
of time.
After that, contact your specific Airline-office and
fill up a DELAYED / LOST LUGGAGE form. Give them the
destination address and phone number so that they can
ship it there, after it arrives. There is a fair chance
that the luggage might have got shipped to another destination
or would not have been uploaded on your plane at your
connecting airport. See to it that you fill up the form
before leaving the premises. It'll come home safe.
It is always safe to carry your documents (passport,
memos, transcripts, currency, I-20) and a pair of clothes
in your hand-luggage (cabin baggage).
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12. What documents do I need to carry while
traveling?
Carry
your Passport; I-20, cash, traveler’s checks and
entry permit (in its original sealed envelope) on your
person, or in a handbag that you carry into the cabin.
Do not put any cash in the baggage you check in. Incidentally,
you won’t need more than $100 during travel, unless
you want to do some duty-free shopping. Carry the rest
of your money in the form of US travelers' checks or
demand drafts.
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13.
When should I come to TAMIU?
Coming to TAMIU depends on financial aid and your own
convenience. If you do not have financial aid then,
coming 10-15 days before the first day of classes is
ideal. That will help you look for an on-campus job
(or assistantship) and also adjust yourself to the place.
Those with assistantship can arrive a week before the
first day of classes.
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14.
Do we HAVE to live "on-campus"?
There
is no compulsion to stay on-campus in the university
village. Almost all the international graduate students
live "off-campus". It is much economical and
convenient to live off-campus. The off-campus accommodation
is available with a frequent bus-service to and fro
to the university and there is no problem in commutation
whatsoever.
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15. Can I work off-campus?
Students on F-1 visas are not allowed to work off-campus.
Under extenuating circumstances this restriction may
be waived, but only with prior permission from the Immigration
and Naturalization Services, and that too only after
completing nine months of studies here. The Immigration
Department is very strict about permitting F-1 students
to work off-campus, even if the situation appears desperate
from the point of view of the student. Spouses on F-2
Visa are not allowed to work under any circumstances.
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16.
What do I need to do once I reach TAMIU?
Things to do once you are here:
· Contact International student advisor and get
your Health insurance waived.
· Contact Graduate admissions counselor and enroll
for the program.
· Pay the Tuition at the Business Office.
· Get your Identification card.
· Attend the Orientation program.
· Open your Bank Account.
· Contact your department and your adviser.
· Get an apartment to live in.
· Apply for On-campus Jobs.
· Get your social security number.
· Subscribe to ISAT.
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17.
What should NOT be brought from INDIA?
· Excessive winter clothing - We get cheaper
and better quality clothing here. Don't worry; there
would be enough time for you to cover yourself up. And
the climate in Laredo is not too cold.
· Organic Edibles - Something like fruits, vegetables
or meat products. You will face trouble at the customs.
Pickles are ok but definitely NOT fruits!
· Loads of formal clothing - Just unnecessary!
Shorts and T-shirts are the order of the day here.
· For Women, excessive jewelry -Again, the same
reason as above, it isn't appropriate for daily wear,
but good only for special occasions.
· Electric appliances - which work on 220V. Forget
about their working, you cant even plug them in.
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18.
What are other important things I need to know?
· International Students are NOT allowed to work
Off-Campus through out their stay. No exceptions. If
caught, deported directly.
· On Campus Jobs wont waive your tuition. You
need to still pay the out-state (non-resident) tuition
if you don’t have the fellowship.
· Health Insurance is COMPULSORY. The ones bought
in India are NOT valid here.
· Medical examination to be done in India as
specified in the documents, is compulsory, don’t
take risks, you may be asked to do them here at a cost.
And get them filled in that place itself. Medication
is costly in United States. Get some medicines along
which you feel are necessary.
· Give us your travel plans in advance, so that
we can arrange for your airport pick-up your initial
temporary accommodation.
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19. Others:
Some
Advice:
· Please take all facts and calculations in account
before starting your new adventure here. The rules and
regulations here concerning all aspects viz. academics,
policies, university/government rules are very strict
with no exceptions or waivers.
· Please do not direct your queries to many people
at a time. Kindly understand, we are ordinary students
like you guys, we ourselves are busy here, kindly give
us time for your reply. Each one of us gets an average
of 10-15 emails per day!
American Currency:
· Penny = 1 cent
· Nickel = 5 cents
· Dime = 10 cents
· Quarter = 25 cents
· Half Dollar = 50 cents
· Silver Dollar = 100 cents
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