Global Education Office

Full Course of Study (FCS)

Regulatory citation: 8 CFR 214.2(f)(6)(i) and following

The following information reflects general F-1 regulations and any legal COVID-19 modifications in effect for Spring 2022. 

Full Course of Study (FCS) is an F-1 visa concept that is related to, but not identical with, similar sounding concepts of full-time study. 
 

F-1 students must register for a FCS every Fall and Spring semester of their VCU studies—and remain registered for a FCS for the duration of the semester.  

Failure to comply with the FCS requirement is a violation of the F-1 regulations and can lead to immediate loss of F-1 status.

 

FCS for the Spring 2022 semester varies depending on which of the following two groups of F-1 visa students you are in:

Group A	Group B
If you have an I-20 with a start date of January 19, 2020 or earlier for your current degree program, then you are Group A.	Any student who does not meet the criteria for Group A.  If you do not meet the criteria for Group A, you are in Group B.
FCS for an Undergraduate Student in Group A is at least 12 credits. To maintain FCS, you may register for courses in any instructional modality offered by VCU. Undergraduate Students in Group A may register for 100% online instruction if they wish.	FCS for an Undergraduate Student in Group B is at least 12 credits.  To maintain FCS in the US, if you are an Undergraduate Student in Group B at least 9 credits of your 12 credits must be in instructional modality that officially include some percent of in-person instruction, either fully .
FCS for a Graduate Student in Group A is at least 9 credits. To maintain FCS, you may register for courses in any instructional modality offered by VCU. Graduate Students in Group A may register for 100% online instruction if they wish.	FCS for a Graduate Student in Group B  is at least 9 credits. To maintain FCS in the US, if you are a Graduate Student in Group B at least 6 credits of your 9 credits must be in instructional modality that officially include some percent of in-person instruction.
If you want to continue your VCU studies online from outside the US, you may do so, but you still need to maintain FCS.	If you want to start or continue your VCU studies online from outside the US, you may do so, but you still need to maintain FCS and remain outside the US for the Spring 2022 semester.  Please email geois@vcu.edu that you plan to study outside of the US so that we can defer your I-20 start date to Fall 2022.
If you cannot register (or remain registered) for the required number of credits, you may be eligible to maintain FCS if you obtain written, advance authorization from GEO for a Reduced Course Load (RCL) or Full-Time Equivalent (FTE).  To request RCL or FTE authorization, go to: https://global.vcu.edu/students/immigration/f1studentcourses/	If you cannot register (or remain registered) for the required number of credits, you may be eligible to maintain FCS if you obtain written, advance authorization from GEO for a Reduced Course Load (RCL) or Full-Time Equivalent (FTE).  To request RCL or FTE authorization, go to: https://global.vcu.edu/students/immigration/f1studentcourses/

 

 

Reduced Course Load (RCL)

Regulatory citation: 8 CFR 214.2(f)(6)(iii) and following

Under the F-1 regulations, a DSO may authorize RCL only in the following three situations:

1. Academic Difficulty

2. Completion of Course of Study

3. Illness or Medical Condition

The three situations are discussed below.

1. Academic Difficulty

Regulatory citation: 8 CFR 214.2(f)(6)(iii)(A)

Under the F-1 regulations, a DSO may authorize Academic Difficulty RCL for only 4 reasons:

1. Initial difficulty with the English language. Note: This may only be used 1 time during the first year of the student’s academic program.
2. Initial difficulty with reading requirements. Note: This may only be used 1 time during the first year of the student’s academic program.
3. Unfamiliarity with US teaching methods. Note: This may only be used 1 time during the first year of the student’s academic program.
4. Improper course level placement.

NOTES:

• A student cannot be authorized for Academic Difficulty RCL for more than 1 of the enumerated reasons per semester.
• If a student is authorized by a DSO for Academic Difficulty RCL for any reason, the student is not eligible for future Academic Difficulty RCL authorization for any reason in the same degree program.
• If a student is authorized for Academic Difficulty RCL, a student must resume FCS in the next available semester.
  
  

2. Completion of Course of Study

Regulatory citation: 8 CFR 214.2(f)(6)(iii)(C)

Completion of Course of Study is sometimes referred to as “final semester”. If a student is in the final semester of your academic program and needs fewer credits than FCS in order to complete the program and graduate at the end of the semester, the student may be eligible for Completion of Course of Study RCL authorization. Under the F-1 regulations, a student is eligible for “final semester” RCL authorization only one time per academic program.

3. Illness or Medical Condition

Regulatory citation: 8 CFR 214.2(f)(6)(iii)(B)

If a student has an illness or medical condition that prevents the student from maintaining FCS, the student may be eligible for Medical RCL authorization by a GEO DSO. The student will need to present to GEO a letter from a US-licensed Medical Doctor (MD), Doctor of Osteopathy (DO), or Licensed Clinical Psychologist (LCP) to substantiate the illness or medical condition.

All of the following must be included in the provided documentation:

• Letter, on doctor’s letterhead, dated no earlier than 30 days before the start of the semester for which the Medical RCL is requested;
• include the signature, address, telephone number, and email of the MD, DO, or LCP; and
• clearly state that, due to illness or medical condition, the student be registered for either fewer credits than FCS or for no credits at all for the semester.
• The letter does not need to identify the student’s illness or medical condition or address any other information about the student’s health status that would usually be covered by patient-health care provider confidentiality.

NOTE:

Under the F-1 regulations, a DSO can authorize Medical RCL for no longer than 12 months (aggregate) during the program of study but increments of no more than 1 semester at a time.

Full-Time Equivalent (FTE)

Regulatory citation: 8 CFR 214.2(f)(6)(i)(A)

If a student meets the following criteria, the student may be eligible for Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) approval by a GEO DSO.

Pre-Candidate	Degree Candidate
Graduate student who has completed all required course work for the degree and is either studying for or taking comprehensive (sometimes called qualifying) examinations as a pre-requisite for admission to degree candidacy.	Graduate student who has completed all required course work for the degree, has passed comprehensive (sometimes called qualifying) examinations, has been formally admitted to degree candidacy, and is researching or writing their thesis, dissertation, or completing another final project (such as a work of art).

NOTES:

• Pre-Candidate and Degree Candidate requirements vary by degree program. For information about your program’s requirements, please go to graduate.vcu.edu/student/candidacy.html.
  
  
• For FTE purposes, a student needs to register for at least 1 academic credit per semester, but if the student’s degree program requires the student to register for more than 1 credit per semester during Pre-Candidate and Degree Candidate status, the student’s program’s credit requirement is the number of FTE credits for which the student must register.
  
  
• For more information on enrollment, please see the "Continuous enrollment for degree-seeking graduate students" section in the VCU Graduate Bulletin. Questions about program enrollment and FTE should be directed to the student's school or college.
  
  
• On the time limit for completion of graduate degrees, please see the "Time limit for completion" section of the VCU Graduate Bulletin.

 

Next Steps

Visit the F-1 Students Forms section of the  to access the RCL and FTE forms.

What are my program’s Pre-Candidate and Degree Candidate requirements?

Pre-Candidate and Degree Candidate requirements vary by degree program. For information about your program’s requirements, please visit the Graduate school website.

For FTE, how many credits do I need to register for?

FTE credit requirements vary by degree program. Under the F-1 regulations, you need to register for at least 1 credit per semester. But if your degree program requires you to register for more than 1 credit per semester during Pre-Candidate and Degree Candidate status, your program’s credit requirement is the number of FTE credits for which you must register.

For more information on enrollment, please see the "Continuous enrollment for degree-seeking graduate students" section in the VCU Bulletin. Questions about program enrollment and FTE should be directed to your school or college.

Is there a limit on the number of times I may be authorized for FTE?

Yes. You are eligible for FTE only for as long as you are permitted by your degree program to remain in the program. On the time limit for completion of graduate degrees, please see the "Time limit for completion" section of the VCU Bulletin.

Does FTE authorization affect my ability to receive a Graduate Fellowship or to be employed as a Graduate Assistant?

Yes. Please read the following carefully.

Graduate Fellowship and Graduate Assistant are defined in the VCU Bulletin. If your Graduate Fellowship or Graduate Assistantship meets the definition of these term, please be advised that:

Under VCU policy, you need to register for at least nine credits per semester for the duration of your Graduate Fellowship or employment as a Graduate Assistant. Since a minimum of nine credits per semester is FCS for a graduate student, if you are required by VCU to register for at least 9 credits for the duration of your Graduate Fellowship or employment as a Graduate Assistant, you are already registered for FCS, and so you do not need (and are not eligible for) FTE.

Does RCL or FTE authorization affect my F-1 visa “on campus” employment authorization?

No. RCL or FTE authorization does not affect your F-1 “on campus” employment authorization. In fact, these authorizations preserve your F-1 visa employment authorization by keeping you in F-1 status.

Does RCL or FTE authorization affect my F-1 visa Curricular Practical Training (CPT) authorization?

No. RCL or FTE authorization does not affect your CPT employment authorization. In fact, these authorizations preserve your CPT employment authorization by keeping you in F-1 status.

Does RCL or FTE authorization affect my eligibility to apply for Optional Practical Training (OPT)?

No. RCL or FTE authorization does not affect your eligibility to apply for OPT. In fact, these authorizations preserve your eligibility to apply for OPT by keeping you in F-1 status.

What is the Winter and Summer break exception to FCS?
Regulatory citation: 8 CFR 214.2(f)(5)(iii)

FCS applies only to a school’s academic year, which, at VCU, consists of the Fall and Spring semesters. FCS does not apply during Summer and Winter breaks; students are not required to register for any credits during these periods if they do not wish to register—unless their VCU program requires them to register for credits during Summer or Winter breaks. Please check with your VCU program in regard to enrollment requirements for Summer and Winter break. As noted above, GEO Immigration Advisor authorization is not required for the Winter and Summer break exceptions to FCS.

 

Is a written GEO Immigration Services Advisor Authorization Required for RCL and FTE?

For Reduced Course Load (RCL) and Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) exceptions to FCS, a student must obtain written authorization from an Immigration Services Advisor in the Global Education Office (GEO) prior to dropping below FCS. The forms to request RCL and FTE authorizations are located in the Forms Library. This authorization is not required for the Winter and Summer break exceptions to FCS.