Bluefield State College

Description

ENGLISH FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS (EFIS)

Bluefield State College’s Office of International Initiatives invites applications from students around the world and newly arrived immigrants in the college’s service area to enroll in its English for International Students (EFIS) program. This pre-baccalaureate, non-credit program is designed to help the language learner improve English proficiency in order to pursue an undergraduate degree at Bluefield State College.

EFIS focuses on developing the language learner’s competencies in listening, comprehension, speaking, reading, and writing English prior to being admitted into the college’s academic degree programs.

Program highlights include: intensive English to prepare for university study; academic advising throughout the program; small classes which generally do not exceed 10 students; highly trained and experienced instructors; integrated access to all college facilities and events.

Except Permanent Residents, au pairs, and CBYX students, all EFIS students are required to stay in the student residence for the duration of the program for positive intercultural and language immersion experiences.

EFIS Academic Calendar: Basic EFIS courses are offered in the fall (mid-August – mid-December) and Summer Session I and Advanced EFIS courses are offered in the spring (mid-January- mid-May) and Summer Session II. EFIS students are also required to complete computer-based exercise drills.

Eligibility: EFIS is designed for English language learners who wish to study at Bluefield State College but who have not met the required PTE Academic, TOEFL, IELTS, or Eiken test scores that Bluefield State College will accept for direct admission.

EFIS will accept students with paper based TOEFL scores of 450-499 or Internet based TOEFL scores from 55 - 60 or IELTS scores from 4 - 5 or EIKEN Grade 2 Level or GTEC CBT scores of 990-1095 or PTE Academic scores of 30-49.

Non-college credit EFIS Courses:

20 hours per week of classroom instruction and computer-based drills covering the core skills of listening, speaking, vocabulary, grammar, reading, and writing.

EFIS students will enroll in the following non-college credit courses.

Fall Semester or Summer Session I:

EFIS 90: BASIC LISTENING AND COMMUNICATION SKILLS EFIS 91: BASIC READING SKILLS EFIS 92: BASIC GRAMMAR EFIS 93: BASIC WRITING

Spring Semester or Summer Session II:

EFIS 096: LISTENING AND COMMUNICATION SKILLS EFIS 097: READING SKILLS EFIS 098: GRAMMAR EFIS 099: WRITING

APPLICATION DEADLINES

Applications for fall semester EFIS classes must be received by June 1.

Applications for Summer EFIS classes must be received by March 1.

Non-Resident applicants (F-1 visa or J-1 Visa), Third-Party J-1 Visa holders, and Permanent Residents:

Please complete the online Application for Admission and comply with all the admission requirements stated in the online application for international students.

Bluefield State College will issue the F-1 or J-1 visa to qualified international students for fulltime intensive English language study. In order to obtain the F–1 or J–1 visa a student must be offered admission and prove they can pay tuition and living expenses for the program.

F-1 or J-1 visa documents will be sent by Express Mail (DHL, FedEx) to EFIS applicant’s street address and NOT to a Post Office Box.

Note: F-1 and J-1 students enrolled in EFIS must stay in the college’s students’ residence hall(s), if available, for the duration of the program. If no college residence halls are available, then housing along the city bus route will be recommended.

Permanent Residents and third-party sponsored J-1 visa students (e.g., Au Pairs, CBYX students) do not have to reside in the college’s residence hall(s). Tuition and fees and program-related costs: Call to find out the current year’s tuition costs. The following costs are for 2018-19:

US Permanent Resident (West Virginia residents only), tuition only: $3744 per semester

US Permanent Residents (non-West Virginia residents), tuition only: $7176 per semester

US Permanent Residents eligible for metro rate, tuition only: $5292 per semester

F1 and J1 Visa enrollees, tuition only: $7176 per semester

Other EFIS program related per semester costs:

Textbooks and fees $500 per semester

Other EFIS costs per semester for F-1 and J-1 Visa holders only:

Medical Insurance ($200/month x 5 months) $1000 per semester

When available, room rates at college residence hall will be published

EFIS Program Completion Certification:

Upon successful completion of the entire EFIS Program, students will receive a pre-baccalaureate certificate of completion indicating the English proficiency requirement for admission to Bluefield State College has been met. All regular admission policies of Bluefield State College apply to EFIS graduates who wish to enroll in a degree program at Bluefield State College.

EFIS Students who wish to enroll at other U.S. institutions of higher education will be advised to take the TOEFL test, which is administered by Bluefield State College.

For all inquiries about the English for International Students program, please contact:

Office of International Initiatives Bluefield State College 219 Rock Street Bluefield, West Virginia 24701 Telephone: (304) 327-4036 Email: efis@bluefieldstate.edu