F-1 Student Visa Concurrent Enrollment Authorization Process

Concurrent Enrollment Authorization allows F-1 visa students who are under-enrolled at SDSU (less than 12 units for undergraduate students and 9 units for graduate students) to enroll in courses at another institution in order to reach full time status while maintaining their primary enrollment at SDSU.. This process is designed to provide flexibility for students who may need to take specific courses not available at SDSU. However, there are strict guidelines and conditions that must be met for approval. 

If you will be enrolled full-time at SDSU, concurrent enrollment authorization is not needed/required. Please review the Letter Request on the Request Forms webpage, and submit a request for “Authorization to Take Additional Courses Outside of SDSU.”

Key Points for Concurrent Enrollment Authorization:
  1. Course Availability at SDSU:
    1. Concurrent Enrollment will only be granted if no other sections of the requested course are available at SDSU. This means that students must first exhaust all options for enrolling in the course at SDSU before seeking authorization to take it elsewhere.
  2. Preferred Schedule Times:
    1. Not receiving a preferred scheduled course time over another section will not be a reason for approval. Students are required to take the available section at SDSU, even if it is not their preferred time slot.
  3. Course Difficulty:
    1. Indicating that a course is difficult at SDSU will not be a reason for approval. If a student requires learning accommodations, they should reach out to SDSU Student Disability Services for support and assistance.

Steps to Apply for Concurrent Enrollment Authorization:

Determine the specific course you need to take and verify that it is not available in any section at SDSU. NOTE: If the class or classes taken are online/distance learning courses, only one class can be used to fulfill the full-time enrollment requirement.

Discuss your course needs with your academic advisor to ensure that Concurrent Enrollment is the best option for your academic plan and is needed because of course constraints at SDSU. Have the academic advisor sign the Current Enrollment Authorization Form.

Complete and submit the Concurrent Enrollment Authorization request form, providing detailed information about the course and the institution where you plan to take it.

The request will be reviewed by the ISC. Approval will be granted only if the course is not available at SDSU and all other conditions are met. This is verified by the Concurrent Enrollment Authorization Request Form.

Once approved, you will receive a letter authorizing enrollment at the other institution. Proceed with enrolling in the course at the other institution. Ensure that you remain enrolled in your approved course at the other institution, and your courses at SDSU to meet your full-time enrollment requirement. This is required for your F-1 visa.

The ISC will contact you mid-semester to ask for a current proof of enrollment from the other institution to confirm that you are still enrolled for your immigration status. Be prepared to provide this to the ISC when you are contacted. After completing the course, provide transcripts or proof of completion to SDSU to ensure that the credits are transferred and applied to your academic record.

If you have any questions or need further assistance, please contact the International Student Center.