Frequently Asked Questions

International Student Services will be arranging your early arrival if you will be living in on-campus housing. You will be placed on an early arrivals list with Residence Life after you turn in your New Student Arrival form, which will allow you to move into your on-campus housing as soon as you arrive within the OISS recommended dates.

Please complete the New Student Arrival Form. On the form you will be able to request an airport pickup. Make sure you fill out the form as soon as you have travel arrangements so we may plan for your arrival.

YES and YES! It is not a requirement that your flight be during business hours, we will arrange for your pickup for whenever your flight arrives. Please complete the New Student Arrival Form and we will confirm with you before you arrive who will be meeting you at the airport.

Another service that International Student Services provides for incoming international students is a linen/bedding service. This costs $40, and includes, all new: one pillow, one set of sheets, one set of towels, and one blanket. This is a very affordable price and it allows you not to pack these items and have more room for other things. If you are interested, please indicate that on the New Student Arrival Form so we can have the linens ready for you upon arrival. You should be prepared to pay the $40 in cash at international orientation.

When you are filling out the housing contract you will mark the fall 2012 and spring 2013 semesters box, and under the box you will write 'fall only'.

For the status, after Status during term for which housing is requested (check only one):write 'fall 2012 exchange student'

There are two types of meal plans: All Access Meal Plan, and Commuter Meal Plan.

All students living in Butler housing are required to purchase an all access meal plan (excluding University Terrace and the Apartment Village).

How the All Access Meal Plan Works- 2012/2013 Academic Year
The All Access Meal Plan give you access to both of the residential restaurants: The Marketplace @ Atherton and ResCo. You will enjoy unlimited access to these locations from the time they open until they close. Present your student ID card to the cashier for swiping and enter the dining room to enjoy all-you-care-to-eat dining as often as your desire. Enjoy coming in multiple times throughout the day for meals, snacks or even just to visit friends!'

All Access Plan plus $400Flex/semester $2,870/semester

75 Block Meal Plan plus $315 Flex/semester $853/semester

50 Block Meal Plan plus $450 Flex/semester $853/semester

More Butler dining information can be found through the link below:

http://www.campusdish.com/en-US/CSMW/Butler/MealPlans/MealPlans.htm

Make Life Easier with Flex Dollars
Your meal plan comes with $400 Flex Dollars per semester. Accepted in all dining locations, Flex Dollars work like a debit card. Each time a purchase is made, the money is subtracted from your account.

Flex Dollars are a part of your semester meal allowance plan that you sign up for through Residence Life.  The amount varies on the plan you choose and it must be used within the semester.  Unused Flex Dollars do not carry over semester to semester.  However, money that you add to supplement your meal plan purchased thru Dining Services (Dawg Bucks) does carry over from fall to spring semester and academic year to academic year.

You Butler ID and access will be sent by the Office of Admissions via email. There is no exact date when the emails are sent to students. It depends on when you are put into the Admissions' database.

Please make sure you are looking for this email because it is very important for health insurance information, tuition balances and Butler email.

Close to an official Butler break you will receive an email from the Office of International Student Services as well as your Residence Hall/University Terrace explaining the procedures for a 'break stay'. You will need to inform the front desk of your residence hall/UT as well as the Office of International Student Services, and be prepared to give the following information: your name (no nicknames), student id number, start & end date of the stay, and a reason for the stay.

Be aware that during most official breaks there dining halls and convenient stores on campus will either have fewer operating hours or no operating hours, and your meal plan will not be active.

Many of you have a health form that requires vaccinations and a signature from your doctor at home. If you cannot complete it in time to send it to Butler, just bring it to orientation and one of the nurses will be at orientation to pick them up.

You can contact the Butler Health Services Department at healthservices@butler.edu with any of your health-related questions before your arrival. You can also visit the Health Services' website.

F-1 and J-1 undergraduates will be automatically enrolled in the University-sponsored student health insurance program (with the exception of ISEP participants). No action is required; the charge will appear on a student's University account. Policy information is updated each year on May 15 and can be found here: www.gallagherkoster.com/butler

Exchange students (J-1) will register with Jill McKinney, who is your academic advisor for your exchange period. You can contact her at jsmckinn@butler.edu to discuss your schedule.

Degree-seeking students (F-1) will have an academic advisor assigned to them. If you have not corresponded with them via e-mail before arriving, we will arrange for you to meet them when you arrive so you can create your class schedule.

Your tuition balance will be in your MyButler account. If you have any balance with Butler, you may pay with credit card, but there will be a transaction fee.  You may also pay via bank wire transfer, but that also usually has varying fees depending on the bank. It is recommended that you bring a few checks in the event that you need to pay the balance before you return home.

Yes, you are eligible, and my office facilitates the opening of bank accounts during international orientation. You only need your passport and your Butler ID card or another form of identification, and your Indianapolis address to open a bank account. Your debit card will be mailed to you, but you will need to visit a bank branch to activate your PIN.

Yes! When you open your bank account, let the banker know that and they can provide you with the complete information you need to give your parents to have a successful wire transfer.

International students have limited options to work. International students (F-1 & J-1) can work on-campus for 20 hours per week with correct authorization from the International Student Services Office. You may begin working on-campus as soon as you arrive. Once you have an offer of employment, you will need a Social Security Number. You may only apply for a SSN with work authorization and you it is recommended that you wait 10 days after you are registered in SEVIS to apply for a SSN.

After one year at Butler, F-1 international students are eligible for off campus internships in their area of study called Curricular Practical Training (CPT). The International Student Services Office provides the correct work authorization for these internships.

After graduating, F-1 international students are eligible for a 12-month practicum experience in their area of study called Optional Practical Training (OPT). The International Student Services Office aids the student in filing the correct paperwork with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Office (USCIS) 90 days before graduation up to 60 days after graduation. The processing time for USCIS is stated as 90 days.

J-1 Non-degree students are eligible for Academic Training (AT) (PDF) for the amount of time that they studied in the United States and never more than 18 months of Academic Training can be given. Students are not eligible for more than 24 months (TOTAL) in J-1 non-degree status (24 months includes time studied and time in Academic Training). For example, if you study for one semester (approximately 4 months), your Academic Training cannot exceed four months. All J-1 students please see the Center for Global Education in JH212 for more information and to request Academic Training.