International Student Resources

International application processes and requirements vary based on application types. Note that graduate applicants should also review program-specific admission criteria, deadlines and requirements.

Choose your application type: 

Undergraduate  Graduate  Study English  Exchange & American University Experience   Guest Students  

Deadlines to apply vary based on application type. We cannot guarantee admission in to the desired semester if you apply after the deadline, but we will do our best to process the application.

Choose your application type: 

Undergraduate  Graduate  Study English  Exchange & American University Experience Guest Students  

If your application deadline has passed, you may email @email. We cannot guarantee late-admission to the desired semester but we will do our best to process the application.

The tuition rates for Western Michigan University are set by the Board of Trustees each July for the following academic year. Current tuition and fee rates are available through the WMU Registrar's Office. International students are billed at the non-resident rate corresponding to degree level.  Some courses entail additional fees, which are automatically billed to your student account upon registration.  Most undergraduate students take 12 to 16 and most graduate students take 6 to 9 credit hours per semester. Note that aviation flight science should expect additional flight fees. 

For immigration purposes, international students must provide proof of sufficient funds for the first academic year of study at WMU based on an estimated calculation of the total cost of attendance which includes tuition, fees and living expenses. 

Choose your application type to review your requirements for proof of sufficient funds. American University Experience (AUE) and study abroad students should consult their programs for tuition and cost information. 

Undergraduate  Graduate  Study English

While most U.S. federal financial aid is restricted to U.S. citizens and permanent residents, international students may apply to other funding sources. There are funding opportunities for undergraduate and graduate  international students, including scholarships and assistantships, depending on type of study. 

International students must demonstrate English proficiency to enter a degree-seeking program at Western Michigan University. The WMU Center for English Language and Culture for International Students (CELCIS) offers an intensive English program for students who do not meet English proficiency requirements. Completion of the advanced level of CELCIS satisfies English proficiency requirements; no additional test scores are necessary to begin study in an academic program at WMU. Visit English Proficiency for more information on demonstrating English proficiency and acceptable tests and scores. 

Test scores received via e-mail or as a photocopy are not considered official. Official test scores must be reported directly from the testing agency to WMU.

SAT and ACT scores are not required of international applicants for admission consideration. SAT and ACT scores can be useful for placement in mathematics courses and an automatic invitation to join the WMU Lee Honors College. Students should request that official scores be provided to Western Michigan University using the following institutional codes: 2066 for ACT and 1902 for SAT.

Degree certificates, final and/or official transcripts are not generally required as a pre-condition of admission to WMU, and admission decisions will be processed prior to receipt of these documents. However, admitted and enrolled students are required to send official transcripts and proof of degree.  They should be submitted to our office as they become available or upon your arrival at WMU. Please note that official transcripts are original transcripts delivered directly from the institution via email to oiss-info@wmich.edu or in a sealed envelope.

The Office of International Student and Scholar Services (I3S) may accept credential evaluation reports from certain credential evaluation services to make admission decision at Western Michigan University for undergraduate and graduate international admissions. Although it is not required, we strongly encourage submission of evaluation reports to expedite application processing and decision-making.

Following are the evaluation agencies that you may use to get your transcripts evaluated:

Western Michigan University undergraduate students who have completed university-level academic credit at another institution may be able to apply some of those credits towards a WMU degree. 

Please refer any inquiries about graduate-level transfer credit to the academic department.

Transfer Undergraduate Credits to WMU  

Supplemental materials that were not attached to the application may be submitted by email, fax or postal mail. Note that official test scores must be reported directly from the testing agency to WMU; the institutional code to report TOEFL or GRE scores is 1902. 

1. By email* to oiss-info@wmich.edu
2. By fax to (269) 387-5899
3. By postal mail to
   Western Michigan University
   International Student and Scholar Services
   1903 W. Michigan Ave.
   Kalamazoo, MI, 49008-5246

*For security purposes, credit card information received via e-mail will be destroyed upon receipt. Payments may be submitted via fax or postal mail only. Test scores sent via e-mail will not be considered official.

All documents must be translated into English and accompanied by a copy of the non-translated originals. 

goWMU is Western Michigan University's portal which allows the WMU community to access secure online resources such as course registration, on-campus housing sign-up and academic grades. 

Your Bronco NetID is the username (7 alphanumeric characters) that allows you to log in to goWMU. You will receive your Bronco NetID and temporary password information in an email from the Office of Information Technology (WMU OIT Web Apps Admin Team)

Before you log in to goWMU for the first time, you will be required to change your temporary password according to the instructions on your Bronco NetID letter. You will not be able to log in using the temporary password.  

If you are unable to activate your goWMU account or have any concerns regarding your Bronco NetID, please visit the WMU Help Desk website, contact our technical support line at (269) 387-4357 or send an email to @email.

To log into your WMU email account, go to wexchange.wmich.edu and log in using your BroncoNetID@wmich.edu (NOT your email address).

Before you log in to WMU email account for the first time, you will be required to change your temporary password according to the instructions on your Bronco NetID letter. You will not be able to log in using the temporary password.

To receive your immigration form (I-20 or DS-2019). please follow these steps:

1. Log in to the Terra Dotta Portal
   Use your activated Bronco NetID to access the Terra Dotta Portal for International Student and Scholar Services.
2. Review Your Information
   Carefully check all your details in the portal to ensure accuracy.
3. Submit Your Request
   Click “Complete” to submit your request for your immigration document.
4. Receive Notification
   Our team will email you at your official WMU email address when your I-20 or DS-2019 (and admission documents) are ready for you to print.

You will need to print your I-20 or DS-2019 for your visa appointment and to bring with you when traveling to the United States

Visit the U.S. Department of State for a step-by-step guide on applying for an F-1 visa (I-20) or a J-1 visa (DS-2019). You may also contact the U.S. consulate office in your home country for information about applying for a U.S. visa. Note that a SEVIS fee is required when a new I-20 or DS-2019 is issued with a new SEVIS number. 

Western Michigan University is certified by the United States Student and Exchange Visitor Program to enroll non-immigrant F-1 Students. WMU is also a designated participant of the United States Department of Exchange Visitor Program to sponsor J-1 Exchange Visitors. WMU Immigration Services is a unit within the Deither H. Haenicke Institute for Global Education that offers comprehensive immigration advising and services to international students, visiting scholars, foreign-national faculty and staff and their WMU hosting or sponsoring departments.

Two-factor authentication (2FA) is required as part of the WMU login process for admitted and currently enrolled students. 2FA adds an extra layer of security by sending a notification to your mobile device when you log in so that you may verify that it is you logging in and not a criminal. Students will not be able to log in to online services, such as goWMU and Elearning until they complete the 2FA activation process.

The day after course registration you will be required to activate two-factor authentication (2FA) as part of the WMU Login process. Have your cell phone and Bronco NetID password ready. Learn more at wmich.edu/it/2FA. 

You will need to arrange for housing during your studies at Western Michigan University. Housing options are available on WMU's main campus as well as off-campus through private apartment communities.

Health insurance will be purchased for you each semester of enrollment and will be billed to your WMU account with your tuition and fees. 

Vaccinations and additional health screenings are not a requirement for your admission and should be acquired only upon recommendation from your doctors or health professionals. You may also contact the WMU Sindecuse Health Center for their professional advice in this matter or call (269) 387-3287.

Beginning Fall 2024 semester, incoming students from countries identified by the CDC as high-risk for tuberculosis exposure will be required to have testing done at WMU’s health center. Sindecuse Health Center will bill your GeoBlue health insurance. Sindecuse Health Center only offers the highly-reliable Quantiferon Gold test for M. tuberculosis exposure. A worksheet is used to determine risk level, and includes a list of affected countries:

International students will be asked to review this worksheet before they arrive at Orientation.

International Student Orientation is a mandatory program for newly admitted international students designed to facilitate a smooth academic, social, geographic and professional transition to Western Michigan University. International Student Orientation always takes place the week preceding the first day of classes. Students that previously attended the Center for English Language and Culture for International Students (CELCIS) orientation when entering the CELCIS program are required to attend orientation again for the semester in which they begin academic coursework at WMU.

There is a bank located in the Student Center on the Western Michigan University campus called PNC. During International Student Orientation, you will have the option of opening a U.S. bank account at this bank. The city of Kalamazoo offers many other banking options.

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A semester invoice is sent to all students who are registered for Western Michigan University classes four to five weeks prior to the beginning of the semester. The semester invoice will include the tuition, fees, room and board, pending financial aid, class schedule for the semester and the tuition due date.

If you are not registered when the invoices are sent, your monthly online statement will reflect your charges and payments. You will receive notification via email when your statement is available online. You can view your statement in the Payment and Account Information channel in goWMU by logging in with your Bronco NetID and password.

Recommended payment methods for international students include:

1. Wire transfer. WMU participates with Flywire to facilitate overseas payment into student accounts.   
2. Online banking. Once you have opened a U.S. bank account, you can set up electronic payment through the goWMU Payment and Account Information channel.
3. By check. Opening a checking account with a U.S. bank allows you to write checks for payment of tuition and fees. Checks can be dropped off at the Bronco Express office located within the Student Financial Aid office in the Faunce Student Services building on the west side of campus. The Bronco Express office can be reached through email at @email or by phone at (269) 387-6000.

The International Student Fee supports the Haenicke Institute for Global Education (HIGE) which provides a comprehensive set of services to all international students through the most appropriate delivery modes to ensure efficiency, safety and student success. These include admission processes and selection, immigration support and advising, credential and credit evaluation and transfer, all HIGE student advising, student insurance assistance, orientation and other student activities. The International Student Fee is $750 per semester (fall/spring) and $375 per summer session (summer I/II).

The International Student Fee applies to: 

1. International graduate students, as of Summer II 2021 and after; and
2. International undergraduate students, as of Summer II 2017 and after.

In addition to supporting the Haenicke Institute operations necessary for international programming, the fee structure will also support the Strategic Fund for International Graduate Student Enrollment. This fund will contribute to:

• Increase graduate non-resident degree-seeking enrollment;
• Leverage the colleges’ GA budgets while allowing for more equitable financial decision-making when selecting graduate master’s students;
• Equalize the financial incentive for international undergraduate and graduate recruitment;
• Assessing the same fee level to all international students for the same set of comprehensive services.

International students with a graduate assistantship should contact their department to inquire about special funding to cover the International Student Fee. Academic colleges, not the Haenicke Institute for Global Education, disperse applicable funds to international students who hold a graduate assistantship.

Are WMU tuition and fees still competitive? Yes. The implementation of the International Student Fee followed tuition adjustments that lowered the total tuition and fees level applicable to international students: a reduction of undergraduate non-resident tuition of over 50% per credit in 2017 and a reduction of graduate non-resident tuition of nearly 20% per credit in 2020.

WMU Career and Student Engagement Services offers one-on-one appointments and drop in hours to help you write your resume or CV, practice interviewing, or get general career advice.