Enrollment Questions
1. Do I need a student visa (F-1) to attend your programs?
If your main intent in coming to the U.S. is to study, you should apply for a student visa. Or, if you are coming to the U.S. mainly for tourism, and you also want to take English language classes for your own pleasure or as recreation, then a tourist visa (B-2) or Visa Waiver (WT) is appropriate. If you are not sure whether study or tourism is your main intent, explain your plans to the U.S. Embassy or Consulate in your country and they will advise you on the appropriate visa to apply for. You should not schedule a visa interview until you have received our acceptance letter and other acceptance materials.
2. How much money do I need to study in the U.S.?
You can calculate your total estimated expenses by using the Tuition, Fees, and Financial Verification page of UC San Diego Division of Extended Studies International Programs application. We must receive proof of these total available funds in order to issue the Form I-20 for full-time study programs.
If you plan to bring your spouse and/or children, your financial verification must include an additional $200 per week for your first dependent and $100 per week for each additional dependent.
3. How long will it take to receive my acceptance information?
We will email your acceptance information within 2-3 weeks after we receive a complete application with all required documents and fees (processing times are subject to change).
4. How do I apply for housing?
Refer to our Housing webpage for information on available accommodation options. When you are ready to apply, contact the individual accommodation company for their applications and additional information. If you need assistance with housing options, email us at iphousing@ucsd.edu. Students in Summer Session programs should refer to the UC San Diego Summer Housing Website.
5. How and when do I send payment?
Total fees and tuition must be received in our office 30 days prior to the published program start-date. Accepted methods of payment: Credit card (VISA/Master Card/AMEX/JCB/Discover and Diner’s Club), traveler’s checks (in person only – do not mail traveler’s checks), personal check (only drawn on U.S. bank), money order or cashier’s check (drawn in U.S. currency on a U.S. bank), bank wire (please see directions below), or cash (in person only – do not mail cash). We cannot accept Euro checks or electronic transfers (ACH).
Bank-to-bank transfers
UC San Diego Division of Extended Studies International Programs offers an affordable and convenient way for international students to pay their tuition and fees in their home currency. We work with Convera (formerly Western Union Business Solutions), a trusted global payment provider, to ensure a smooth and secure payment process.
Convera offers a competitive exchange rate for processing payments in many international currencies, allowing students, their families, or sponsors to send bank-to-bank transfers for payment of tuition and fees.
How to pay your invoice using Convera:
OPTION A
For an individual payment (one student only), follow these steps:
- Visit our UC San Diego Extended Studies Convera webpage at https://students.convera.com/geo-buyer/ucsdextension#!/ to make an individualized payment and:
- Select your preferred language from the dropdown menu located in the upper right corner of the page.
- Choose your bank's location.
- Enter the amount to be paid for tuition and fees.
- Click on ‘Get a Quote’.
- On the Convera Choose a Way to Pay page:
- Select the currency amount that will be paid. If you do not see your currency, please click on ‘Show more options’ at the bottom of the page.
- Select ‘Yes, Continue with this Currency’.
- On the Convera Student's Details page:
- Boxes marked with an asterisk (*) are required. Enter the student information, including the Student ID (Student ID number starts with a U followed by 8 numbers).
- Click 'Next'
- On the Convera Payer's Details page:
- Select who will be making the payment.
- Enter the payer’s information and bank details.
- Click the box next to ‘I agree to the Terms of Use and have reviewed the Online Privacy Statement'.
- Click 'Proceed to Payment'.
- On the Convera Make Payment page:
- You may print the payment instructions and the beneficiary bank details by clicking 'Print Instructions'. You will also receive an email with the payment instructions. Follow the payment instructions by either:
a) Logging into your online bank account to pay your tuition and fees online.
OR
b) Going to your local bank branch and giving them the payment instructions to request payment of your tuition and fees.
OPTION B
If you are a partner or sponsor submitting payment for a group of students (two or more), please follow the steps below:
- Go to the UC San Diego Convera webpage for group payments: https://students.convera.com/geo-buyer/ucsdextgroup#!/ and:
- Select your preferred language from the dropdown menu located in the upper right corner of the page.
- Choose the location of your bank.
- Enter the total amount to be paid for tuition and fees.
- Click on ‘Get a Quote’.
- On the Convera Choose a Way to Pay page:
- Select the currency you will use to make the payment. If you do not see your currency, please click on ‘Show more options’ at the bottom of the page.
- Select ‘Yes, Continue with this Currency’.
- On the Convera Student's Details page:
- Boxes marked with an asterisk (*) are required.
- Enter the Group Name (This should be the name of the university or agency that is referring the students) and all other student information requested.
- In the 'For group payments' field, enter the Last Name, First Name (as shown on their passport), and Student ID for all students. The student ID number starts with a U followed by eight numbers.
- Click 'Next'
- On the Convera Payer's Details page:
- Select who will be making the payment.
- Enter the payer’s information and bank details.
- Check the box next to ‘I agree to the Terms of Use and have reviewed the Online Privacy Statement’.
- Click 'Proceed to Payment'.
- On the Convera Make Payment page:
- You may print the payment instructions and the beneficiary bank details by clicking 'Print Instructions'. You will also receive an email with the payment instructions. Follow the payment instructions by either:
a) Logging into your online bank account to pay your tuition and fees online.
OR
b) Going to your local bank branch and giving them the payment instructions to request payment of your tuition and fees.
For ALL payments, please remember to:
- Enter the total amount you wish to pay on your student invoice(s).
- Select payment currency from the available options.
- If your local currency is not available, please choose another currency from the list (e.g., United States Dollar USD).
- Start your payment as soon as possible to avoid any delays in processing.
- Please include the reference transaction ID number on your bank's payment instructions to ensure that your payment is correctly credited to your student account(s). This number is crucial for us to identify your payment and credit it to your account. Without the reference transaction ID number, your payment will not be credited to your student account.
- After you complete the wire transfer, Convera will forward the US dollar amount to UC San Diego Division of Extended Studies International Programs, where it will be credited to your student account(s).
Questions?
If you have questions about Convera, email StudentSupport@convera.com with your payment reference number and proof of payment.
For questions about your UC San Diego Division of Extended Studies International Programs invoice, contact ipfinancials@ucsd.edu.
Bank wire payments take 10-15 days to be posted, and credit card payments may be delayed due to credit limits. To avoid payment delays, pay tuition and fees at least 45 days before your program start-date. Wait for an official acceptance letter, I-20 (if required), and invoice before making payment.
If you pay by bank wire, send payment details to ipfinancials@ucsd.edu immediately so that we can credit your student account before the program starts.