International Students

Before a Form I-20 can be issued to an international student, the student must make a deposit approximately equal to the cost of the first year of tuition and fees. For the current academic year, this amount is $7,500. The deposit is held exclusively for Lake Michigan College tuition/fees and on-campus housing. 

If paying within the U.S., payment arrangements may be made through the Lake Michigan College Business Office. Payments made by credit card will be assessed a 2.5% processing fee. If sending funds from outside the U.S., wire payments may be submitted through Flywire.

The deposited funds will be held until the student leaves Lake Michigan College or transfers to another institution. At that time, any remaining deposit will be refunded to the student. If the student requests that funds be refunded using Flywire, the funds will be sent back to the original bank account at the originator’s expense. 

Health services and practices in the United States are perhaps different from those in other countries. Health care is expensive in the U.S. and must be paid for by the student. Most treatment is obtained through private-practice physicians. There is no Federal government facility open to the general population. Students may want to seek a personal physician or dentist for routine attention. Because hospitalization is very expensive, international students are urged to have hospitalization insurance. LMC does not maintain coverage for students and is not responsible for any medical, hospital, evacuation, or repatriation expenses that you may incur.

Student housing is available on the Benton Harbor Campus. Apartments and rooms are available for rent to students in the area. Students are responsible for arranging their own housing accommodations.

Benton Harbor, Niles and South Haven do not have international airports. The nearest international airport is O'Hare Airport in Chicago, IL. Arriving students could make arrangements for a connecting flight from O'Hare to South Bend, IN. Land travel is possible from South Bend, IN to any of our campuses.

Public transportation is very limited. Most students rely on a private automobile as a means of conveyance between their residence and the College.

Employment opportunities for international students are very limited. The single source of employment initially is restricted to on-campus employment. There are very few jobs available on-campus. You can not work off-campus in any capacity without specific authorization from the International Student Advisor and Department of Homeland Security. This permission is withheld until you have completed your first year of college work. Applicants cannot assume that monies from employment will be available to them in the US. Working without approval means immediately the student is "out-of-status" with no opportunity for reinstatement. You will be ineligible for any other benefits of your status.

Individuals who wish to transfer credit from colleges and universities outside of the United States must have their foreign transcripts and credentials evaluated by an independent international credential evaluation service. There is a fee for this service. Contact the International Services Office for contact information and application forms.

Additional information and validation of required documents may be obtained from the International Student Specialist, at (269) 927-6181.

This scholarship is for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) individuals, who came to the United States as children and meet DACA criteria.

Amount: $2,000/year full-time; $1,000/year part-time

Criteria

• LMC students with Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) status
• Qualifying GPA: 3.0; must maintain for renewal
• Current high school graduate entering college for the first time, or current college student
• Demonstrate financial need
• Full- or part-time student