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International Students FAQs
Cal Poly Humboldt is a public institution funded by California tax payer dollars. International students are not eligible for state or federal financial aid. We do offer a limited tuition reduction scholarship for international students. You can find more information in our Funding & Scholarships section under the Admitted and Current Student headers. Some students come with government scholarships from their home country, others use their own funds or family funds. Most students rely on their own or family's savings. You may be able to find loan or scholarship opportunities in your home countries or through U.S. organizations. If you are a graduate student, you may be able to find graduate assistantships and/or tuition waivers through some graduate departments. Please consult with your specific department for opportunities.
International students are permitted to work on-campus up to 20 hours per week. Off-campus employment is not permitted during the first academic year and may only be granted with special work authorization by USCIS.
You can send a scanned copy of your TOEFL or English scores for an initial evaluation. That personal copy is considered unofficial. Before you enroll in classes, official scores must be submitted by the testing organization.
If you have attended a college or university in the U.S. and have completed English Composition (or equivalent) with a grade of C- or higher, you do not need to submit an English proficiency test score. If you have graduated from an accredited four-year high school in the U.S. and have completed all four years of English college preparation course work with grades of C- or higher, you do not need to submit an English proficiency test score.
If you are unable to meet our English language requirement, you will either need to continue to remediate your English in your home country, and re-test and re-apply. Or, you can reach out to one of our partner ESL providers. If you apply through one of our partner ESL providers, you will be eligible for conditional admission. Read more about conditional admission..
No, you do not need to take the SAT or the ACT. If you do take the SAT or ACT and meet a certain score, your English Proficiency Requirement might be waived. Please review our English Proficiency Requirements for more information.
Aside from the English proficiency requirement, graduate students may be required to take the GRE and GMAT for specific programs. Please review the requirements for your specific program or contact your graduate department.
International students must be enrolled full-time (12 units per semester for undergraduates; 9 units per semester for graduates). Additional costs include books and other school supplies, medical insurance, housing, food, and miscellaneous expenses. Please find estimated yearly costs below. Students are required to prove the ability to pay these amount when applying to study at Humboldt.
In order to study at Cal Poly Humboldt as an exchange student, the college or university you are currently attending needs to have an approved bilateral exchange agreement with us. Visit our Exchange website for more information on estimated costs. Typically, you will pay tuition at your home university. You will be required to pay Cal Poly Humboldt for Housing and Health Insurance.
We do our best to review and evaluate all university coursework for transfer. If the courses are considered college level, likely they will transfer as elective or general education. You may need to work with your major advisor to review coursework as transferable to the major.
- Accepted for some students
- Must have a Bologna-compliant degree. For Indian schools: 3-year degree must be from a recognized and accredited institution with an NAAC grade of A. If not, then it must be accompanied by a PGD from an institution that is accredited or recognized by the NAAC and/or AICTE. Or, a 3-year bachelor’s degree and a 2-year Indian master’s degree (with at least 50% in marks obtained) from NAAC accredited institution.
- Pre-evaluations cannot be made. Students must formally apply before credentials will be evaluated.
Yes, we accept scanned copies of your documentation for admissions purposes. You can update those documents to your applicant portal or email them to international@humboldt.edu. If you are admitted and plan to attend, you will have to have your official transcripts/test scores sent directly from the institutions to Humboldt before you begin classes.
Copies, or unofficials, can be accepted and used to make the decision/offer. However, if you are admitted and plan to attend, you need to make arrangements to have your official transcript sent to us directly from your school in a sealed envelop.
Yes, Humboldt offers many opportunities for both domestic and international students to learn and experience diverse cultures in the world. We enjoy the International Education Week, Campus & Community Dialogue on Race, and other events with multicultural aspects, which of course international students can be part of. If you are worried about your academic skills, the Learning Center provides workshops and one-on-one assistance on writing, reading, note-taking strategies and other study skills. They have a language skills specialist who can help you with language difficulties as well. Review our website for Cultural Centers and Clubs!
In most cases you will not. The city of Arcata, where Humboldt is located, has a good public transportation system and provides free access to the buses for Humboldt students. You can take the bus, walk or bicycle to most places in town. For the instances where you might need a car, there are many Zip Cars located around campus.
