International Students

Study in the United States and at SUNY FMCC

SUNY Fulton-Montgomery Community College is a unit of the State University of New York, the largest public university system in the world. It is accredited by the Middle State Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools and its programs are supervised by the New York State Department of Education.

Located in beautiful New York State, SUNY Fulton-Montgomery Community College is located in rural Upstate New York at the foothills of the Adirondack Mountains. The campus is less than an hour’s drive from the state capital of Albany, NY, as well as the famous tourist towns of Cooperstown, NY (National Baseball Hall of Fame) and Saratoga Springs, NY. It is centrally located within a four-hour drive between Boston, New York City, and Montreal, Canada. Take a look at our International Student brochure!

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Transfer Opportunities

The transfer concept is a basic component of our system, and when you graduate, you have the opportunity of pursuing a Bachelor’s degree at an almost unlimited choice of institutions. Students have continued their studies at universities in New York State and across the United States.

All Transfer Colleges

ENGLISH AS SECOND LANGUAGE

(ESL)

SUNY Fulton-Montgomery Community College offers a full-time non-credit intensive English as a Second Language (ESL) Program for students who need to improve their language ability before beginning full-time study in a college degree program. The ESL Language Program is also intended for those who want to study English for career or social purposes. Students are given instruction in listening, reading, writing and speaking skills as well as American culture studies. A free placement exam is required before enrollment.

Overview

All ESL courses beginning with the ESL prefix are non-credit/credit-equivalent remedial courses and may be used to meet credit requirements of any athletic, enrollment, financial aid and immigration requirements. However, they cannot be used as electives towards graduation and may not be substituted for any English requirement of any curricula. Students seeking to meet these requirements are required to be matriculated into a degree program and have a pre-filed program of study form completed prior to enrollment. Tuition charged for credit-equivalent hour courses are consistent with credit hour charges.

The core courses of the Intensive English Language Program include the following four skill areas: Listening Skills, Reading Skills, Writing Skills, and Speaking Skills. Courses are available in multiple language proficiency levels. Each course has 75 hours of intensive language classroom instruction; 5 credit-equivalent hours. By advice and recommendation of the ESL faculty, students may also be allowed to enroll in credit-bearing courses related to their academic goals.

Listening Skills

Practice in aural comprehension, sound discrimination, vocabulary building, and comprehension of main ideas and inferences. Related reading, writing and note-taking activities. This course may lead to further English language studies at higher levels or be repeated, depending on the progress of the student. Hours of class per week: 5.5 credit-equivalent hours.

Reading Skills

Practice in comprehension of basic written communication, simple descriptive and narrative texts to more advanced academic materials, study skills, and expository writing. Dictionary usage, vocabulary expansion. Related writing and speaking activities. This course may lead to further English language studies at higher levels or be repeated, depending on the progress of the student. Hours of class per week: 5.5 credit-equivalent hours.

Writing Skills

Written reinforcement of grammatical concepts and basic writing tasks and handwriting improvement to the development of written communication skills in preparation for college expository and argumentative composition. Composition from sentence level activities to the paragraph and short essay levels. Integration of related skills. This course may lead to further English language studies at higher levels or be repeated, depending on the progress of the student. Hours of class per week: 5.5 credit-equivalent hours.

Speaking Skills

Development from simple speaking skills to skills for conversational and academic contexts. Practice in exposition, guided discussion and debate. Related listening, reading and writing activities as well as note-taking and academic study skills. This course may lead to further English language studies at higher levels or be repeated, depending on the progress of the student. Hours of class per week: 5.5 credit-equivalent hours.

Orientation to American Culture

Assistance through lecture/workshop/field trip and guest speaker series in adjusting to life and studies at FM and the surrounding community, and in understanding specific and broader aspects of American culture. Mandatory for all incoming full-time international students. Hours of class per week: 5.5 credit-equivalent hours.

All Around the World

SUNY Fulton-Montgomery Community College is a small institution with about 1,000 undergraduate students ensuring that you will be treated as an individual. We are committed to helping our students reach their educational goals by creating an informal but respectful relationship between students and teachers. This relationship promotes both learning and personal adjustment to a new environment.

Each year, our college enrolls over 40 international students from about 20 different countries from around the world. SUNY Fulton-Montgomery Community College is a good place to start in the American system of higher education. Our school develops the academic foundation and self-confidence needed to pursue studies in the United States with associate degree programs that are the equivalent to the first two years of study in a four-year university program.

HOW TO APPLY & FAQS

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. If an application is received less than 4-6 weeks before the term begins, consideration for admission for that term cannot be guaranteed. Applications received late will be considered for the next session unless otherwise indicated. Academic Program terms start: Fall semester (late August) Spring semester (late January). Your online application portal will help guide you through each of the steps in the application process. You can upload all documents through the online application portal.

How to Apply

STEP 1: Complete our Free Application

Fully complete our free application at https://apply.fmcc.edu/apply/ and upload required documents. Please make sure that all your documents bear your name exactly as written in your passport and academic records.

STEP 2: Pay $100 Commitment Fee

Follow the instructions from the International Student Office and make payment to commit to SUNY FMCC.

STEP 3: Complete the Certificate of Financial Responsibility

Students are required to show support for a minimum of $17,700 U.S. per academic year (documentation for the first academic year (9 months) only is required).

If a student wishes to have family members (spouse or children) accompany them, the following additional amounts must be included in the financial support: $3,000 per year for spouse; $1,500 per year for each child. Please write a separate note to include with the application if dependents will accompany the student. The name, date of birth and gender of each dependent must be listed in the letter.

Enclose all required documents as specified in their original form or as certified copies. Documents must be written in English or be official certified translations.

STEP 4: Take an Official Language Test

Take an official language test such as MET, TOEFL or IELTS, or other approved language test scores, if applicable. Let us know which exam and we will check their secure portals for your scores.

Students without a language proficiency score will be tested virtually prior to arrival for appropriate English placement via the Michigan EPT – English Placement Test https://michiganassessment.org/michigan-tests/m-ept/.

STEP 5: Upload Your Immunization Form

Upload the completed and verified Immunization form per New York State regulations.

STEP 6: Submit Transfer Form, if Applicable

If you are currently studying in the United States, please have your current International Student Advisor complete the transfer form.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the admissions criteria to be accepted to SUNY FMCC?

For admission to most degree programs, students must have completed secondary school, or have the equivalent qualification (students may apply while in their last year of high school). No minimum GPA is required.

The General Education Certificate program is available for students without a secondary school diploma or GED. Our competitive programs include Nursing and Radiologic Technology and they require a separate application process. Contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. if you need further information.

What are the visa requirements for international students?

If you are admitted to SUNY FMCC and wish to enroll, you will need to apply for a student visa to attend college in the U.S. (see Visa Information Below) The visa application process includes submitting financial statements showing that you have funding to study in the U.S. Prepare yourself and know that the appointments can vary.

U.S. immigration law requires that all international students on the F-1 student visas maintain full-time enrollment. To be considered full time, students must register for a minimum of 12 college credits (or a minimum of 4 ESL classes) each fall or spring semester.

What is the cost of attendance now, and what will it be next year?

International students should budget $17,000 for expenses including academic year (9 months) tuition, fees, and living estimated expenses. Further details can be found on the Affordability page under the Tuition & Fee Schedule. International students pay out-of-state tuition and fees as indicated.

College fees include mandatory health insurance coverage for international students which is added to every international student’s FMCC tuition and fees statement each semester. The current insurance carrier for FMCC students is ISO International Student Health Insurance. Information on the plan can be found at https://www.isoa.org/Fulton_Montgomery_Community_College

Students may work up to 20 hours per week during regular school terms and full-time during school breaks such as summer vacation. However, since SUNY FMCC is a small campus, opportunities are competitive and cannot be guaranteed prior to arrival.

What student clubs and activities are available for students?

SUNY FMCC has many student organizations and associations based on academic, athletic, ethnic, religious, political, and cultural interests. You can learn more by visiting the Student Experience webpage.

SUNY FMCC also offers a wide variety of athletic opportunities for students. Check out our athletics page at https://www.fmraidersathletics.com/landing/index.

VISA INFORMATION

Now that you have your Admissions Packet which includes the I-20 Form, Acceptance Letter, and Orientation schedule, you must apply for a Student Visa from your home country or from the country where you reside. The International Student Office offers the following steps to applying for a F-1 Student Visa. Students should also review the Study in the States website at https://studyinthestates.dhs.gov/students.

Sign Your I-20

Review your documents to make sure all the information is correct and sign your I-20. Further information can be found on the International Student Life Cycle attachment.

SEVP International Student Life Cycle Oct 2015.pdf

Pay the I-901 SEVIS Fee

Information about paying this fee can be found at https://www.ice.gov/sevis/i901 along with a step by step video guide at https://studyinthestates.dhs.gov/students/prepare/i-901-sevis-fee-payment-video.

For questions and further information you can visit https://www.ice.gov/sevis/i901/faq.

Make an Appointment for Your Visa Interview

Find the consulate near you on the American Embassy or Consulate Visa website at https://ustraveldocs.com/ and apply and schedule an appointment for an interview.

Please visit the US State Department’s Student Visa webpage at https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/study.html for additional information on the following:

Required Documentation
Required Visa Fees
Requirements for spouses and children

Please check for the visa wait times for your specific city/country at https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas.html

Prepare for Your Visa Interview

The Visa Interview can be the most challenging and crucial step to begin your study at SUNY Fulton-Montgomery Community College as an international student. The interview will last about 2-3 minutes. Your chances of being granted a visa are highest if you follow each suggestion carefully and prove the following:

Have strong ties to your home country which demonstrate your intention to return home after your studies.
Have sufficient funds to pay for your financial needs while you are studying in the U.S.
- This includes tuition, health insurance, housing and travel expenses etc.
Have legitimate intentions to study full-time and gain education and training which will be useful in your home country.
Demonstrate your intent to return to your country.
- Show the officer that you have strong ties to your home country, and that your reasons for returning home are stronger than reasons for staying in the United States.
- The officer may ask about your intentions or prospects for future employment, family or other relationships, educational objectives, and long-term plans in your home country.
Speak in English, if possible.
- Listen carefully to the question asked. Answer that question only. Explain how further study in English will help you in the future.
Know about SUNY FMCC and how it fits into your career plan.
- Be prepared to explain why you want to study in a particular program in the U.S.
Keep your answers short.
- Because of the high number of applications, consular officers must conduct quick, efficient interviews. They usually make a decision based on impressions formed during the first few minutes. Keep your answers short and to the point.
Supplemental Documentation
- The officer should be able to see easily which documents you have and why you are presenting them. Lengthy explanations cannot be evaluated quickly. Remember your interview will be just 2-3 minutes.