International Students Checklist
REQUIRED DOCUMENTS FOR ADMISSION
To complete your admission, the following documents must be submitted. Except for your passport, all documents must be in English.
International Student Application Deadlines
- Summer Semester: May 1
- Fall Semester: July 1
- Spring Semester: November 1
Applications submitted after this date won’t be eligible for the current term, but we’ll be happy to move them forward for consideration in the next available term. We encourage you to apply as early as possible to help ensure timely processing and avoid any delays.
Completed Application: BPCC Admissions Application
- Must be full-time degree seeking – 12 credit hours.
- To maintain full-time status as an international student, you must be enrolled in at least 9 credit hours of face-to-face instruction (LEC, HYB, LAB, LLAB). Up to 3 additional credit hours may be taken online (WEB). (Fall and Spring Only)
Proof of Immunizations: Admission Forms | Admissions
Send a Scanned Copy of Your Passport/Visa to international@bpcc.edu.
Personal Statement: Email to international@bpcc.edu, as a PDF:
Include the following details:
- Surname/Primary Name
- Given Name
- Passport Name
- Preferred Name
- Date of Birth
- City of Birth
- Country of Birth
- Country of Citizenship
- Gender
- Permanent Address in Your Home Country
- Street Address
- City
- State/Province
- Country
- Phone Number (if available, including country and area codes)
- Permanent Address in the United States
- Street Address
- City
- State/Province
- Country
- Phone Number (if available, including country and area codes)
- Email Address
- If you are transferring from another US college to BPCC, we will need your official college transcript from the institution you are currently attending, with all grades completed. We cannot accept transcripts showing courses as “In Progress.”
- The official transcript must be sent directly from the college you are attending to BPCC.
- College Transcripts – Foreign Transfer students only. (Foreign transcripts must be evaluated by a NACES approved foreign credential evaluator). Students must request a course-by-course evaluation for college transcripts. Official transcript evaluations must be sent directly to the BPCC Registrar’s Office from the evaluating service. It can take six to eight weeks for evaluations to be processed.
- Additionally, your current college must transfer your I-20 to BPCC. Please use the following SEVIS code: NOL214F00384000.
TOEFL may be required for students from countries where English is an official language.
- The most recent TOEFL score must be within the last two years.
- Minimum Scores:
- Internet-Based Test (iBT): 61
- Paper-Based Test (PBT): 500
If you are not applying for an F1 visa, you may be eligible for free English language services and placement testing through our College Transition Program.
Certified statement of funds available in the account holder’s financial institution
- Must specify the name of the account holder, and
- Must be on the financial institution’s letterhead or sealed with the financial institution’s embossed seal, and
- The balance must be greater than or equal to $24,268 U.S. Dollars or USD
- Foreign funds
- The balance must be converted to U.S. Dollars (USD) at the current exchange rate, and
- The balance provided must specify the denomination converted to U.S. Dollars or USD
- If the student is not the account holder, the account holder/s must provide a letter that includes the following:
- Notarized statement from the account holder/s
- If multiple account holders exist on separate accounts, then individual letters will be required
- Must include a statement that the account holder has set aside funds for the student, by name, in the amount of:
- <$ XX,XXX >U.S. Dollars, or
- the equivalent of <$ XX,XXX > U.S. Dollars or USD
- the amount set aside must be greater than or equal to $24,268 U.S. Dollars or USD
- to provide for the educational and living expenses of the student, by name, while attending Bossier Parish Community College
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) is required to receive access to any educational record, including those from Financial Aid, Advising, and Admissions.
If this is your first time using Dynamic Forms, you will need to create a new account. This account is separate from your LoLA account, and you will create your own username and password specifically for Dynamic Forms.
Once your FERPA form is submitted, it will be reviewed and processed within 1–3 business days. After it’s processed, the FERPA hold will be removed from your account.
To help avoid delays, please do not submit multiple copies of the form. During peak registration periods, processing may take a little longer due to high submission volumes, but rest assured—we’re working hard to review every form as quickly and carefully as possible.
Important: Be sure to write down and securely store your FERPA access code in a memorable and safe location. Several departments may require this code to verify your identity before sharing any educational information. Having it easily accessible will help ensure faster service and prevent unnecessary delays.
Please click on FERPA Access Code (Electronic Form) below to proceed with submitting your FERPA.
BPCC offers a wide range of courses to suit your academic and career goals. Our diverse course catalog includes programs in fields such as Business, Computer Science, Health Sciences, Engineering, Humanities, Social Sciences, and more. Whether you are seeking an associate degree or preparing for transfer to a four-year institution, BPCC offers the flexibility and support to help you succeed. For a complete list of courses and programs, please visit our course catalog.
BPCC offers competitive tuition rates for international students. Tuition and fees are subject to change, so it is important to review the most up-to-date information. The estimated cost of attendance includes tuition, fees, books, and living expenses. For more details on tuition and fees, please visit our Tuition and Fees page.
Please note that BPCC does not offer on-campus housing. Students are responsible for arranging their own housing accommodations off-campus. We recommend researching housing options in the Bossier City and Shreveport areas prior to your arrival.
As an international student, you must take at least 12 credit hours each semester. Out of those 12 hours, 9 hours must be in-person classes (lecture, hybrid, or lab).
Before leaving the country for any break:
- Bring your I-20 to the Admissions/Registrar’s Office.
- A DSO or PDSO will sign your I-20 so you can re-enter the U.S.
- When you return, email us or stop by the Admissions/Registrar’s Office to let us know you're back.
- Summer Semester: May 1st
- Fall Semester: July 1st
- Spring Semester: November 1st
Applications submitted after this date won’t be eligible for the current term, but we’ll be happy to move them forward for consideration in the next available term. We encourage you to apply as early as possible to help ensure timely processing and avoid any delays.
Once we receive your completed international application and all required documents (including your financial documents), your I-20 will be emailed to you electronically.
Your next step is to pay the SEVIS I-901 fee of $350. You’ll need this payment to book your visa interview.
BPCC does not charge out-of-state tuition. For current tuition rates, visit our Tuition and Fees page.
Yes! Payment plans are available. Visit our Business Office page.
It’s highly recommended that you purchase a health insurance policy, but it is not currently required.
Yes! BPCC credits are transferable to many other colleges and universities.
No! Since you're already studying in the U.S., we don’t need an international evaluation. Just send us your transcripts from your current U.S. college.
- Get your acceptance letter from your new school.
- Submit the Transfer Form (you and the new school must complete it).
- Let us know before the next session starts — if not, your I-20 will be terminated.
- If you’re a current student, summer classes are optional, and you can take as many or as few as you want — even 100% online.
- BUT, you must take full-time, in-person classes if:
- You’re starting your first semester in the summer, OR
- You haven’t completed one full academic year by summer.
Get your I-20 signed before you leave the country.
Yes, especially during the summer. But whether or not you need to transfer your I-20 depends on your situation:
- You do not need to transfer your I-20 if:
- Your current school doesn't offer the required course at all, and you take it at BPCC.
- If you are in “Vacation” status for the summer—meaning your current school's program does not require you to attend during the summer—you may take courses at BPCC without transferring your I-20.
- You do need to transfer your I-20 if:
- If your current school requires you to attend classes during the summer because of your program, but you choose not to take any courses there, you cannot be considered concurrently enrolled. In that case, your I-20 would need to be transferred to BPCC for the summer. At the end of the semester, BPCC would then transfer your I-20 back to your home institution.
In both of these cases, you don’t have to enroll full-time at BPCC.
CONTACT US
If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us:
- Phone: +1 (318) 678-6004
- Email: international@bpcc.edu