First-Time International Students

Ozarks Tech requires a $75.00 fee (plus a $3.00 credit card transaction fee) to process international student applications.

Applications are submitted at apply.otc.edu. To proceed with applying as a first-time international student, begin a new application, respond “No” to “Are you a US citizen?” and respond “F1/M1 Student Visa (Prospective, Change of Status, Transfer, or Part-Time Visiting)” to “Please describe your citizenship status.”

Please upload all required documents and pay the processing fee before submitting. If your application meets all requirements for admission, it will be processed within five to ten business days, you will receive notice of admission, and you will be issued Form I-20 after admission.

If your application does not meet admission requirements or lacks sufficient documentation, you will receive an email from [email protected] with further instructions.

For admission to OTC, international students must provide translated transcripts that have have been evaluated and transcribed by a transcription service. These services will provide course equivalencies for all foreign institution courses and generate a U.S. GPA. A cumulative equivalent to a 2.0 GPA is required for all applicants. Applications will only be processed upon submission of these transcribed transcripts. Additionally, any credits earned from U.S. colleges must be transferred over for consideration.

Agencies

Below are some commonly used agencies for transcript transcription services. Please note that this list is not exhaustive but represents the most common options available.

• SpanTran Educational Services (www.spantran.com)
  • SpanTran has created a custom application for OTC that will make sure you select the right kind of evaluation at a discounted rate. You can access their application here.
• Educational Credential Evaluators, Inc. (www.ece.org)
• Education Evaluators International, Inc. (www.educei.com)
• Educational Perspectives (www.educational-perspectives.org)
• Global Credential Evaluators, Inc. (www.gceus.com)
• International Academic Credential Evaluators, Inc. (www.iacei.net)
• World Education Services (www.wes.org)

If using a financial sponsor, we require that the student’s sponsor provide and affidavit of support to confirm their financial assistance. This document will be conveniently sent electronically to the sponsor through the application platform. The sponsor will complete the affidavit of support and attach a certified bank statement dated within six months of the intended starting term of the student.

We require a certified bank statement dated within six months of the start of classes showing the equivalent of $22,000 to demonstrate the student’s ability to afford one full year of living and educational expenses in Springfield, Missouri. This is the estimated one year cost for tuition, books, fees, housing and living expenses. In addition, OTC requires an additional $3,000 per dependent. Your bank statement and affidavit of support should reflect this if you have a dependent like a child or husband.

To learn more about the breakdown of these expenses, feel free to visit our International Student Estimated Costs page. These figures are subject to change.

To simplify transactions, we recommend prospective students establish a local account with a branch of any of the national or international banks in the Springfield area.

Proof of English proficiency is required if your primary language is not English. The list below are the countries where English is one of the primary languages. If you are from one of these countries, you are exempt.

Exempt Countries

Individuals who have completed one or more years of study at the university level in the U.S. may be exempt at the discretion of the International Programs Office.

The following are tests and scores that count as a fulfillment of the English proficiency requirement at OTC:

• TOEFL (Score of 61 or more)
• IELTS (Score of 5.5 or more in every category)
• Completion of level B2 program at the English Language Institute of Missouri State University
• Manchester Exam (score of 360 or more)

*OTC does not have a student health center

Medical Insurance is mandatory for all F-1 and M-1 international students attending Ozarks Tech.
We recommend using the pre-approved insurance plan available to Ozarks Tech students. While you are here, you will need to have year-round insurance coverage. Advance proof of insurance (which must include full medical, repatriation, and evacuation services) is required to be eligible to register for classes. We recommend having your insurance coverage begin on the date you travel to the United States.

To pay for your health insurance, please click here.

Once we receive the above payments and documents, the IPO will review them and determine whether or not OTC will admit you. If admitted, OTC will send an I-20. The program then requires you to take your SEVIS receipt, your passport and your I-20 to the nearest U.S. Consulate or Embassy to apply for your student visa. If OTC does not select you for admission, OTC will notify you by mail. Processing an application may take six weeks or more to complete, so please start early.

Contact Information:

International Programs Office
Ozarks Technical Community College
1001 E. Chestnut Expressway
Springfield, MO 65802

Phone: (417) 447-6941
E-mail: [email protected]

The U.S. government requires the payment of a non-refundable $350 SEVIS fee for all international students.

Please see https://www.fmjfee.com/i901… for more information on how to pay the SEVIS fee.

Once you have been admitted to Ozarks Tech and have received Form I-20, you will need to apply for your visa at a U.S. consulate or embassy at which you are eligible.