Frequently Asked Questions

1. I have failed to maintain my status in some way – what can I do?

Please visit with an ICA Assistant Director as soon as possible.  We are advocates on your behalf.  As you already know we strongly urge that you properly maintain status, but if something has gone wrong please see us as soon as possible and be candid about the situation so we can best assist you. 

2. What information and how does the college communicate with my parents and family?

Not as much as many international students and families expect!  American higher education is a time when students are becoming responsible for taking care of themselves.  Our routine contact for most communication is with the student, who we expect will notify the family of developments as appropriate.  Students can choose to have grades and bills sent to their campus post office box or to their home address - and we will follow whatever request the student makes.  America has strong individual privacy laws that cover student records.  Parents who provide financial support can request and receive certain information on a case by case basis, but we do not routinely send reports home except when directed to do so by the student. Medical record privacy laws are even stronger than those regarding student records, and we do not routinely notify parents about student medical condition or treatment.

In an emergency or highly unusual situation we contact the parents using the best possible method for the situation.  We request students and families provide up to date email addresses and phone numbers (including country and city codes so these can be dialed from campus) for emergency contact to the Student Affairs Office.

3. What do I do if my visa expired or will expire while I am still studying?

A US visa is permission to cross the border and enter the US.  Once you are here, the visa validity only affects you if you will leave the US and enter again.  Read more information about Visas.

4. How can I receive more Concordia international student financial aid?

Concordia prizes the contributions international students make on campus, and provides the best possible financial aid we are able to provide.  It is easy to see that operating a school like Concordia costs a significant amount of money.  Our philosophy is to make the best financial aid award we can to a student at the time that student is considering attending Concordia, so that the student and family can make a sound decision.  Concordia international scholarships are generally renewed each year you attend for the same amount.  It is generally not possible to increase your Concordia scholarship.  For more information, please contact Don Buegel.

5. I received a named scholarship from Concordia because I am a good student, but my total scholarship amount from Concordia remained the same – why didn’t it increase?

Receiving a named scholarship from Concordia is a good thing for many reasons: it demonstrates in a quantifiable way that you are a good student, you can participate and will be recognized in the annual Weekend of Excellence celebration, and it is something you can mention when you leave Concordia as you search for a job or graduate school.  It does not, however, increase your total Concordia gift aid – it simply changes the source of funds used to provide your gift aid.  Like many schools, Concordia receives gifts from donors, some of which we can use only in certain ways, called restricted funds, and some of which we can use in any way, called unrestricted funds.  International Student Scholarships are provided from unrestricted funds, and named scholarships are provided from restricted funds.  Receiving a named scholarship will change the source of funds we use to provide your scholarship, but will NOT increase your total scholarship.  For more information, please contact Don Buegel.

Please note Concordia is a selective school that attracts high achieving students, and we expect students will do well academically.  Your total gift assistance will stable while you are enrolled.  Concordia gift aid will not be decreased if you have a bad academic semester, and similarly does not increase if you achieve the expected results.

Information For:

current students
faculty and staff		 parents
alumni		 high school students
admitted students