You will need to let us know of the changes you would like on your I-20 (ie. major change, address change, financial support change, etc.). Please find, fill out, and submit the appropriate form located on the forms page.
Although College of San Mateo does not offer on-campus housing or dormitories or guardianship services, there are many housing options for our students to choose from. It is important to secure your housing before or shortly after you arrive. Please visit the Homestay Program page for more information.
San Mateo Colleges of Silicon Valley is proud to offer a homestay placement service for our international students. Our homestays are safe, affordable and quality housing accommodations with a local host family. You will find the application on the Housing page.
You will find more information about short term housing and apartments on the Other Housing Resources page.
When looking for housing, you may be asked for financial information. Because you will have no financial history in the U.S., you should bring a current bank statement and a letter from your sponsor showing funds that cover about 6 months of rent.
Still have questions? Email us at housingcoordinator@smccd.edu or call us at (650) 358-6856.International students are eligible to work on campus. On-campus employment does not require authorization because F-1 regulations allow students to work on campus. Students are only allowed to work up to 20 hours a week during the semester, but may work more than 20 hours during semester breaks. Please note that international students are not eligible for positions that are funded by “Work-Study” which are positions funded by the U.S. government.
If it is your first time working in the U.S. you must notify International Education Programs as soon as you receive the offer so we can support you in completing paperwork to work.
* During the summer semester in order to have a campus job, students must have a minimum of 6 units.
At the beginning of the semester students can go directly to the departments and ask if they have any openings. Here are some departments you might want to check with:
The application process usually includes a resume and a letter of recommendation from a faculty or staff member. Most departments also interview candidates. Some jobs like tutoring require good academic standing with a GPA of 3.0 or above.
Another way to learn about job openings is to pay attention to posters, flyers, emails, and let your friends or classmates know that you are looking for an on-campus job.You may drop a class or classes if you continue to maintain your status. Maintaining your status means that you are continuing to enroll in full-time status and following the rules below:
You may want to check WebSchedule to see if you will get a refund or if you are within the “W” deadline.
There are only a few reasons why you can request a Reduced Course Load (RCL).
The RCL form should be submitted at the beginning of the semester, or as soon as possible.
It is important to see an academic counselor so you can be on track to complete your degree or transfer requirements. An academic counselor helps with academic advising and SEP (Student Education Plan). A SEP will help with figuring out sequence of courses, major class, and transfer plans. By having an updated SEP it also helps in getting priority registration. We recommend that you meet with a counselor at least once each semester.
These are different ways for you to work in the U.S.
CPT (Curricular Practical Training) is defined as employment which is an integral part of an established curriculum, including: “alternate work/study, internship, cooperative education, or any other type of required internship or practicum which is offered by sponsoring employers through cooperative agreements with the school.” You should pursue CPT if you wish to accept employment off-campus. A CPT employment must be part of Work Experience Education that requires you to enroll in either WORK 670. WORK 670 counts towards your full-time enrollment.
OPT (Optional Practical Training) is a temporary off-campus employment authorization within a student’s field of study granted by USCIS. Qualified F-1 students may apply for either pre-completion OPT or post-completion OPT. At the time of applying for OPT, students are not required to have an employment offer or enroll in internship credits. However, OPT is only granted for up to 12 months and only a maximum duration of 90-day unemployment is permitted. The job will have to be related to the major that is listed on your I-20.
In order for students to qualify for a post-completion OPT students must be receiving an Associates degree from CSM in the semester they are applying for post-completion OPT.
Students should work closely with our office to make sure that CPT/OPT applications are completed in a timely manner.
As long as you have taken at least 2 years of another language in high school, you can turn in a copy of your high school transcript which shows that you took a language other than English to Admissions & Records and let them know it’s for IGETC area 6. Make sure to put your G number, and name on it and let them know it’s to satisfy your area 6 for IGETC.
When you have been admitted to the school that you want to transfer to, please work on filling out the transfer out request form. You must transfer within 60 days of your I-20 end date or within 60 days of completing the program.
CSM will not send your transcript automatically to the university. You will need to go onto WebSMART to request an official transcript and send it to the university of your choice.A list of current active clubs, meeting times, and contact information can be found on the College of San Mateo’s Student Clubs & Organizations website.
Our student government is made up of a student senate and several boards. The student senate is the recognized voice of the student body and is comprised of a President, Vice President, Finance Director, Senators, and other appointed positions. The ASCSM boards include the Programming Board, Advocacy Board, Cultural Awareness Board, Inter Club Council (ICC), and the Public Relations Board.
Elections for our student senate are held in the spring semester for the following year. Board applications are online and accepted anytime during the spring and fall semesters. Please find more information about joining student government by visiting the Associated Students of College of San Mateo (ASCSM) website.
For all other questions regarding student life at College of San Mateo, please refer to the Student Life website.