Severe Economic Hardship
Economic hardship is defined as a 鈥渓oss of financial aid or on-campus employment without fault on the part of the student, substantial fluctuations in the value of currency or exchange rate, inordinate increases in tuition and/or living expenses.鈥 (8CFR 214.2 (f)(9)(ii)F).
You are eligible to apply for severe economic hardship if:
- You have been in F-1 status for one full academic year
- You are in good academic standing
- You are registered full-time
- Acceptance of employment will not interfere with you carrying a full course of study
- The employment is necessary to avoid severe economic hardship due to unforeseen circumstance beyond your control
- On-campus employment is unavailable or is not sufficient to meet the needs that have arisen due to the unforeseen circumstance(s)
A meeting with an Office of Global Services (OGS) adviser is required to discuss options related to economic hardship. Applications are processed through OGS and United States Citizenship and Immigration Services with payment of their 鈥攑ayable to Department of Homeland Security鈥攁nd will take approximately three months for adjudication. Approvals are not guaranteed and are at the discretion of USCIS.
All undergraduate students must hold a grade-point average (GPA) of at least 2.25, and all graduate students applying for economic hardship must have a GPA of at least 3.0.
After consulting with an OGS advisor to determine eligibility, the F-1 student may submit a "Severe Economic Hardship" request within the .