What To Expect

On this page, you will find important information on how to support your student at Iowa. That includes information about: 

  • Pre-arrival and planning
  • Student information privacy
  • Immigration
  • Billing
  • Safety
  • Academic Success
  • Student engagement
  • Graduation and beyond

Conversation Starters

You should have conversations with your student that helps prepare them for the cultural changes that come from attending a university in a new culture and higher education academic system. Some questions to get conversations started could be: 

  • How often would you like us to reach out to you? 
  • How will we stay in communication with the time difference?  
  • What treats or decorations can we pack to remind you of home? 
  • Are you prepared for different weather including the Iowa winter? Do you have the appropriate clothes? 
  • How can we best support you when you’re experiencing challenges?  

Contact Us

Email: If you have any questions or concerns about your student, you may contact ISSS via email at isss@uiowa.edu. Emails may be sent in the language of your choice and ISSS will take care of any translations if necessary.

Instagram: Connect with us on Instagram. 

Pre-Arrival Information and Planning

  • Information for New Students - This page is also useful for parents and families, and explains everything from how students apply for visas, arrange transportation to Iowa, apply for housing, meal plan options, shipping belongings to Iowa City, orientation, etc. You are also welcome to view our pre-arrival webinars.
  • Office of Admissions - Information for the parents of newly admitted students, contains tips on helping you prepare for the college experience.
  • Iowa City/Coralville Area Convention and Visitor Bureau - Excellent resource on hotels, restaurants, and other businesses, places to visit, things to do in the area. Includes the ability to translate the website into several languages.
  • Eastern Iowa Airport and Transportation to Iowa City - We encourage students to fly into the Eastern Iowa Airport between Iowa City and Cedar Rapids. The University of Iowa Undergraduate Student Government in partnership with Anaman Concierge Services offers an Airport Shuttle Service. The promotional period for this service is provided before and after fall, winter, spring, and summer academic breaks. Reserving transportation in advanced is strongly recommended - the airport is a small regional airport located in the countryside, and transportation is not always immediately waiting or available. ISSS also recommends accepting transportation only with official sources listed on the airport website. While sometimes private individuals or organizations offer rides to new international students, we cannot guarantee the safety of these individuals nor their insurance status. Some individuals will attempt to charge new students excessive amounts of money for transportation, which others may attempt to pressure students to join their organizations during the ride to Iowa City. Our advice for safety and security is to travel using the Airport Shuttle Service or an official company listed on the airport website.

Families and Privacy of Student Information

In the U.S., several laws exist that protect the information of college students as well as medical/mental health information. This can sometimes be a confusing concept for some parents who are accustomed to having direct access to information in the systems at home. Other parents may wonder why they cannot have access to this information as they are the ones paying the bills. Nevertheless, the University of Iowa and ISSS must strictly follow the requirements of these laws or risk severe legal penalties.

Student Records Information

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) dictates what rights students have regarding their educational records, and also restricts what others can access. The law applies equally to domestic as well as international students and prevents parents from getting information regarding grades and academic performance, the university bill, and financial aid. The only exceptions where sensitive information may be released is for a health or safety emergency. However, parents may be granted permission by the student to access grades and billing information in the MyUI system.

Parent Access to MyUI - MyUI is the campus records system that your student will use to manage all aspects of their student life on campus. They will report local address and phone information, register for classes, view the U-Bill, apply for housing, see grades as well as mid-semester academic reports, and connect to campus organizations. Parents may be granted a "guest account" by the student so that they can view the class schedule, grades, and the U-Bill. Please note that the university cannot provide this directly due to FERPA laws (see the next section), the student must provide the parent with access to the guest account.

Medical and Mental Health

Another federal law in the U.S. that applies to everyone, citizens and non-citizens alike, is the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, or HIPAA. HIPAA closely protects health and mental health information so that it cannot be released to anyone other than the individual being treated unless that individual provides consent. This means that parents are not able to contact campus health offices such as Student Health or University Counseling Services to get information on a student's care, or even whether the student is a patient there. It is possible, however, for students to sign a form with their health provider giving consent to release information. An exception where the HIPAA restrictions can be bypassed is when there is a risk to the health and safety of the student or another.

The University of Iowa has a range of support services and resources for supporting students' health and wellness. There is also a page dedicated to addressing the mental health needs of UI's international community.

Immigration Information

International Student and Scholar Services oversees the immigration records of those here on a University of Iowa student immigration document I-20 or DS-2019. This information is also protected, but students may give permission for ISSS to share information on their immigration situation, provide copies of immigration documents, and other immigration-related details by submitting an information release consent form via our iHawk system.

Billing and How to Pay

Financial information on the university bill and making payments may be found on Supporting Your Students. Useful things for you to be aware of:

  • The U-Bill is generated on the first of each month and then becomes available in MyUI, with payment due on the 22nd of each month. Parents may access the U-Bill if students give them guest account access as described above.
  • Tuition, fees, housing, and meals may be paid in one bill each semester, or students may sign up for the deferred payment plan and make three payment installments through each semester.
  • Methods to pay the U-Bill include personal check, cashier's check or money order, or by bank payments online. Credit cards are not accepted for U-Bill payments.
  • International payments may be made through CIBC International Student Pay and Flywire. The UI has partnered with CIBC International Student Pay and Flywire to make wire transfers in your home currency from your bank to the UI easy.
  • If a student is late with payments, a hold on the ability to register for the next semester as well as to use the student ID card for purchasing books or food may be placed until the bill is paid.

Safety and Support for International Students

International Student and Scholar Services, along with many other offices and programs, strives to create a safe and supportive environment on campus for our international students. Students are always encouraged to come to ISSS if they are experiencing any difficulties, challenging situations involving others, or struggling with potential health or mental health issues. We can help connect students with the appropriate offices on campus that can provide further professional assistance. Safety information may be found on Supporting Your Students.

Academic Success and Expectations

Many services exist on campus to help support students to succeed academically and may be found on Supporting Your Student. However, it should be noted that students will need to take initiative to seek and attend services, they are not made mandatory by the university. This is one area where your support and encouragement can help if you believe your student is struggling academically.

ISSS has a guide that can help you understand key values of the U.S. higher education system, including academic honesty, academic planning, and study skills.

Academic Probation and Academic Dismissal

The University of Iowa requires that all students maintain a minimum grade point average during the course of their studies. Each college may have a different minimum requirement, as do some individual majors.

  • If a student's grade point average drops below that minimum, the college will notify the student that they are on "Academic Probation," which means their grade point average is too low, but they will be permitted to enroll again in the next session in order to have the chance to bring it back up.
  • However, if a student still is not able to improve the grade point average after the next semester, they may be placed on "Academic Dismissal." This is typically a restriction from attending the University of Iowa for one year, with the opportunity to return after one year if the college grants permission.
  • Academic Dismissal will impact those here on a student visa, as maintenance of the visa depends on being a full-time student. However, many international students who experience Academic Dismissal choose to attend another U.S. school, such as a local community college, during that year so they can continue to work on their academics and improve their grades and study habits. If they can demonstrate improvement over the course of that year, the University of Iowa may then permit them to again enroll. Other students decide to return home to take a break and reassess their readiness for the U.S. higher education system. International students may not, however, simply remain in the U.S. if not enrolled full-time at a college, university, or community college. ISSS will work with students who are academically dismissed about their immigration options and the deadlines involved.

Academic Integrity, Plagiarism, and Cheating

U.S. higher education values honesty in academics, which includes knowing and using ways to properly cite and reference the works of others and how to conduct oneself in the classroom and while preparing classwork. The University of Iowa is very serious about academic misconduct, and may issue warnings for the first offense, but may also permanently expel students who engage in serious academic misconduct. This information is covered for new and continuing students at length, so students are very aware of it. The problem is some students fail to "believe it," or think that "no one will find out" or that the consequences will not be serious if they engage in misconduct. See examples of academic misconduct as well as potential consequences.

Campus Engagement

Our experience as well as research shows that students who get involved in activities on and off campus do better academically and socially. As the Office of Student Financial Aid reports, "While you may think working as a student will take time away from your academics, studies show that students who work 20 hours or less per week statistically do better in school on average than their non-working peers" (Noel-Levitz, 2010). Also, students who are “connected” to campus report a higher satisfaction with their college life, graduate in higher numbers, and graduate more quickly. UI research shows that on-campus student employment makes a significant difference in retention rates and graduation rates.

student throwing their hat in celebration of graduating

Graduation and Beyond

  • International Student Graduation Celebration - Each spring semester International Programs coordinates the International Student Graduation Celebration. 
  • Post-Graduation Employment - Those on student visas who graduate are often eligible for a period of post-graduation employment experience in the U.S. Students on an F-1 visa may choose to apply for Optional Practical Training (OPT), which gives them the ability to work anywhere in the U.S. in a job relating to the degree they just earned. Students on a J-1 visa may apply for Academic Training, which is similar to OPT.
  • International Alumni - Your student can remain in touch with the University of Iowa long after they graduate! An increasing number of alumni groups and events meet abroad.