International Admissions


 

International Admissions

Policy Information

Issuing Office

Registrar's Office

Affected Parties

Prospective International Students

Policy Language

Applicants whose native language is other than English must submit official scores for the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or an approved alternative assessment.

Policy Rationale

None specified

Definition of Glossary Terms

 

Procedural Information

Procedures

Applicants whose native language is other than English must submit official scores for the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or an approved alternative assessment. 

Applicants who successfully complete the levels of English-Second-Language (ESL) instruction indicated below at one of two schools will have the TOEFL requirement waived. Students will have their application held until transcripts from one of the below schools are received. 

· Level 6: Language Consultants International (LCI) www.englishlci.edu 

· Level 109: ELS Educational Services (ELS) www.els.edu 


If an international student is seeking admission to an undergraduate program of study and has attended an accredited U.S. high school for a minimum of two years, the English proficiency test requirement may be waived. 

If an international student is seeking admission to an undergraduate program of study and has earned a high school diploma at an accredited international high school outside of the U.S. using a U.S. high school curriculum and in which the primary medium of instruction is English, the English proficiency test requirement may be waived. (Proof must be submitted in the form of an official statement from the school's Registrar Office.) 

If an international student completes an undergraduate degree at an accredited university/college outside of the U.S. in which the primary medium of instruction is English, the English proficiency test requirement may be waived. (Proof must be submitted in the form of an official statement from the school's Registrar Office.) 

Students who have attended an American college/university for two or more years may not be required to submit a test of English proficiency. Information regarding English proficiency tests may be obtained online as follows: TOEFL: www.toefl.org; IELTS: www.ielts.org; PTE: www.pearsonpte.com; iTEP: www.itepexam.com

GRADUATE STUDENTS ONLY 

Applicants must earn a TOEFL score of 8.5 on the Essentials test or 80 on the iBT test, a 3.9 on the iTEP, a 6.5 on the IELTS, a 105 on the Duolingo English test, or an equivalent score on an approved alternate test for all graduate degree programs. An official score report sent directly from the testing service must be submitted to the University before an admission decision can be made. Applicants who have an earned degree from a college or university in the U.S. or other English-speaking country or school may have the TOEFL requirement waived by the Office of Graduate Admissions. In addition, the Office of Graduate Admissions may require any student whose native language is not English, regardless of citizenship, to submit a TOEFL score or score from an approved alternate test, if such documentation is deemed necessary. Enrollment in certain courses may be determined by the student’s English proficiency test score in conjunction with other diagnostic assessments administered after the student matriculates on campus.

ONLINE STUDENTS ONLY 

The University offers general admission to its undergraduate program of study to students who achieve one of the following scores on a standardized test of English proficiency: 

· TOEFL: 7 for Essentials test or 61 for iBT Test 

· International English Language Testing System (IELTS): 6.0 

· Pearson Test of English (PTE): 51 

· International Test of English Proficiency Academic Plus (iTEP): 3.6 

· Duolingo English test: 90


RESIDENTIAL STUDENTS ONLY 

Liberty University is authorized by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to issue the SEVIS Form I-20 to eligible international students and their dependent family members. Any person who is not a citizen or Legal Permanent Resident of the United States and who desires to be admitted to the University and attend on campus while on Student (F-1) Visa Status must follow the procedure established by the Office of International Admissions. Applications for the fall semester should be submitted by April 1 and applications for the spring semester should be made by October 1. Applicants whose final high school transcript is not in English must submit both an official transcript from their educational institution along with an official English translation of the transcript. Applicants may also be required to submit their high school transcripts to an accredited credential evaluation service. 

Any college transcript from an educational institution outside of the US must be officially translated into English and submitted to a credential evaluation service accredited by the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES) at naces.org

At the discretion of the Office of International Admissions, applicants from English-speaking countries may also be required to submit an English proficiency test score that meets the required minimum. 

The University offers general admission to its undergraduate programs of study to applicants who achieve one of the following scores on a standardized test of English proficiency: 

- TOEFL: 7 for Essentials Test or 61 for iBT 
- International English Language Testing System (IELTS): 6.0 
- Pearson Test of English (PTE): 51 
- International Test of English Proficiency Academic Plus (iTEP): 3.6
- Duolingo English Test: 90 



Some programs of study in the School of Aeronautics have higher English language proficiency requirements which students must meet before being admitted (for flight-based majors) or before enrolling in certain courses (e.g., aviation maintenance and aviation administration courses). Minimum English proficiency test score requirements for admission to flight-based programs of study in the School of Aeronautics are: 

- TOEFL: 8.5 for Essentials Test of 79 for iBT test 
- International English Language Testing System (IELTS): 6.5 
- Pearson Test of English (PTE): 55 
- International Test of English Proficiency Academic Plus (iTEP): 3.9
- Duolingo English Test: 105
- Successful completion of Level 7 at Language Consultants International (LCI)
- Successful completion of Level 112 at ELS Educational Services (ELS) 


Unmarried students under the age of 21 are required to reside in housing provided by the University. Unmarried students who are 21 years of age or older may choose to reside off campus. It is strongly recommended that a minimum of one semester be spent in University housing to help international students adjust to the local area and culture. On-campus housing is not available for married students or those over the age of 25. 

International students must be covered with an adequate health insurance policy each semester of enrollment. A mandatory student health insurance fee is added to the account of international students each fall and spring semester. It is the responsibility of all international students to remain enrolled in an adequate health insurance policy while studying at the University. 

As part of the admission requirements, international students must document availability of adequate funds to pay for all University-related expenses for the regular nine-month academic schedule. Those who intend to remain during the summer must document additional funds (approximately $4,000 US) for living expenses.

Sanctions

None specified

Exceptions

None

Initial Approval Date

7/1/2014

Date of Last Review

3/1/2022

Date for Review

3/1/2027