On-Line versus In-Person Classes
Selecting On-Line or In-Person Courses
We understand that it may not be easy to choose if your school is offering both on-line and in-person options. Under the current COVID-19 pandemic conditions, there are multiple factors involved. Ultimately you will need to make the decision that is best for you, taking into account:
- the probability of visa delays and difficulties if you are outside the US and do not have a valid visa to come to the US
- the cost and timing of international travel, housing, and relocation issues
- health and safety concerns given the still-uncertain nature of the COVID-19 pandemic
- the nature of your program - certain programs require or are structured for in-person learning activities, while others are more easily transferrable to on-line formats
- technology issues such as broadband access, VPN requirements, and availability of computing and other resources needed for on-line learning
- your anticipated support system - including the availability and needs of family, friends, and classmates - while maintaining physical distancing
Because these are complex considerations, we recommend you talk with advisors in your school or program and the International Center to help you make your decision.
If you are planning to come to Tufts for the Fall 2020 person to take in-person classes, but later change your mind due to visa or travel difficulties or related considerations, you should be able to switch to on-line instruction by notifying your school of your circumstances. You must also notify the International Center once it becomes definitively clear that you cannot or will not be able to arrive for the Fall 2020 semester.
Keep in mind the following:
- Undergraduate programs and most graduate-level programs are providing options for students to start or continue their studies on-line, and switching to on-line options should generally be possible
- For undergraduate students who have on-campus housing assignments, changing to remote / on-line options may affect your housing options for the whole year and not just for the Fall 2020 semester; please contact studentservices@tufts.edu for information
- Certain graduate and professional programs may have required in-person clinical training, laboratory, or studio activities that cannot be done on-line; consult with your graduate program to see if that is the case
- You should notify your program as soon as possible and preferably before school starts to be eligible for maximum refunds and/or avoid possible late charges or penalties to your student bill and other charges; consult studentservices@tufts.edu for more information
In most cases, you should expect to continue with your selection (either on-line or in-person) for the entire semester. Mid-semester adjustments to your learning format are generally not advisable or possible, as course registration and assignments are being planned carefully depending on students' choices and course selections.
For new students outside the US who are starting their programs, please remember that if your program is fully on-line (no on-campus attendance required) you should stay outside the US for the entire semester. You should only come to the US when you are required to be on campus to attend all or part of your classes.
Advanced graduate students may have more flexibility if they are coming back to do thesis or dissertation research and are not required to attend weekly classes.
Visa Issues and On-Line Classes
There is no set limit on on-line classes for international students who are studying outside the US. You can take one or more on-line classes while outside the US, depending on how many classes your program has made available and recommends that you take.
However, for continuing students, note that while you are not subject to F-1 regulations, your I-20 will be terminated for authorized early withdrawal if you are not enrolled full-time (minimum 12+ SHUs for undergraduate students and 9+ SHUs for graduate students) for the Fall 2020 semester. This is because an active I-20 can be maintained only if a student is registered full-time, even if from outside the US.*
*Note: the Department of Homeland Security has not finalized its F-1 regulations for Fall 2020, but we expect them to authorize maintenance of F-1 status for continuing students as long as they are enrolled full-time, even if more than 1 class is on-line.
Under standard F-1 visa rules, F-1 students must be full-time AND only one on-line class can be counted toward full-time enrollment.
However, in Spring 2020 this restriction was temporarily removed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and students were allowed to take as many on-line classes needed in order to maintain full-time enrollment. While the Department of Homeland Security has not yet confirmed that this exception will be extended to the Fall 2020 semester, we expect that transfer and continuing students will be allowed to take more than one on-line class in order to maintain student status.