International Students

Jobs & Financial Aid

Financial Loans or Scholarships

Presently, CSUMB does not offer any financial aid to incoming international students. Please check the Outside Financial Aid Web page for financial aid for international students from outside organization. However, there are scholarships and loans available to current international students at CSUMB. Please check the CSUMB Office of Financial Aid .

International students are not eligible for United States federal or state financial aid.

On-Campus Jobs

International students may work on campus up to 20 hours a week during the semester and up to 40 hours a week during winter/spring break and summer. To find out about on-campus jobs see Career Development's OtterTRAK Job Search. F-1 visa students are only eligible to work in jobs that are non-work study. Work Study jobs are a part of the federal financial aid program.

In order to work on campus, international students must have a Social Security number before starting the job. OIP can assist students in applying for Social Security cards, which may take some time during the processing of applying.

Off-Campus Jobs

F-1 students may not work off campus without proper authorization from the Office of International Programs or the U.S. Immigration Service. Permission may be given in the case of severe economic hardship.

Severe Economic Hardship
Off campus employment due to Economic Hardship is permitted only in cases where there is proven severe economic hardship. The purpose of this kind of work is to enable a student to earn income that is needed to pay tuition and living expenses because his/her sponsor cannot provide sufficient funds. A student applying for permission to work off campus must prove there is economic necessity due to unforeseen circumstances. In other words, a student must provide evidence that he/she is not receiving enough money to pay for school expenses and that the cause for not receiving enough money is something that was not expected to happen when he/she came to the U.S. Permission to work off campus is granted by the USCIS. Students interested in applying must first contact the Office of International Programs. (A student may not apply for this work permission until s/he has been in full-time F-1 status for two academic semesters.)

Practical Training
Practical training refers to employment in a student's field of study, which adds practical work experience to the knowledge acquired in the classroom. Practical training may be obtained both during studies and after the completion of studies. An exception is a student must be in full time student status for one academic year before become eligible for any practical training. A student who is in a one-year program that requires Practical Training would be eligible when required by the program. Contact the Office of International Programs for more information and to apply for practical training.

There are two types of practical training, Curricular Practical Training (CPT) and Optional Practical Training (OPT). Both are described below.

Curricular Practical Training
Curricular Practical Training (CPT) refers to work experience that is part of the curriculum. In other words, it is work for which one receives academic credit. Some academic majors require students to acquire practical work experience as part of their degree program. Please refer to the course catalog to determine if an internship or practicum class is part of the curriculum that is required for graduation in your major. International students in such majors may obtain CPT approval to satisfy the requirements for such a class. In other cases, a student may enroll in an optional internship or practicum class as a way to obtain Curricular Practical Training. The work must be in the major and a professor must approve the job and establish what requirements must be met to earn credit for what is learned on the job. In these cases, the department offers internships or practicum classes, which a student may take to gain practical work experience. Please see your academic advisor and the Office of International Programs to determine if you are eligible for CPT.
Optional Practical Training
All international students are eligible for a total of one year (12 months) of Optional Practical Training (OPT) in addition to curricular practical training of less than 12 months. This provides the opportunity to find employment in the student's field of study, which adds to what is learned in class. It can be done while still a student, or after completing all course work for a degree. A student may wish to use some of the 12 months of Practical Training available while still working on a degree. S/he may do so 1) full-time during the summer break, if intending to register for the Fall semester, 2) part-time while school is in session and 3) full-time after completion of all course requirements with only a thesis or project remaining.

Any Practical Training used while still a student will be deducted from the 12 months total available, reducing the amount available after graduation. Thus, if a student decides to use Optional Practical Training for three months full-time during summer vacation, he/she would only have nine months available at the completion of studies. Practical training during the school year (20 hrs/wk) is counted as ½ time. If a student decides to have Optional Practical Training for four months during the semester (20 hrs/wk), then 2 months would be subtracted from the 12 total available months. In all cases, OPT must be completed within 14 months following program completion.

A student will be eligible for another 12 months of OPT if the student completes a higher educational level. A student's OPT will be cancelled if they enroll in a new degree program while still on OPT, and it is a violation of F1 status. Note that to obtain OPT an application is made to the USCIS California Service Center (CSC) after obtaining permission from the Office of International Programs and it may take as long as three or more months to have it approved. Students may not work until the Employment Authorization Document (EAD), is received by mail. Students may apply 120 days before the completion of all degree requirements. The application must be received at the CSC and logged in to the USCIS system prior to graduation.

Important SEVIS Regulations for Students on OPT

Social Security Number

Social Security Card
A Social Security card lists a social security number, which is a U.S. government identification number. You will need a social security card only if you are employed. You do not need one to apply for a driver's license or open a bank account.

To apply for a social security card:

Step 1:
Gather the following documents:

Your passport

Your I-94, which is attached to your passport

Your I-20

Your CSUMB ID card

The Social Security Card application form (available at the Social Security Office)

A letter from OIP after you have obtained a job offer letter

Step 2:
Go to a Social Security Office.
The offices are open from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. The closest office to CSU Monterey Bay is at 24 East Alvin Drive, Salinas, CA 93906. The local number for information or an appointment is 831.443.8896 or 800.772.1213.

Other locations can be found at http://s3abaca.ssa.gov/pro/fol/fol-home.html

Social Security & Medicare Taxes

When you receive a paycheck, there will be a paper attached to it describing which government taxes have been withheld from your salary. International students holding an F-1 visa should not have social security or medicare taxes withheld from their salaries. You should inform your employer of this before you start work. However, if the taxes were withheld in error, contact the employer who withheld the pay and ask for a refund. If it is not possible to get a refund from the employer, file a claim for refund from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS - the office which manages U.S. taxes) on Form 843. Attach a W-2 copy to prove the amount of tax withheld, your work permit, Form 8316, or a signed statement claiming that the employer was asked to refund social security and medicare taxes withheld in error, and it has not been refunded.

File the claim for refund to the IRS office where the employer's tax return was filed. If such information is not known to you, file your claim with the IRS Center, Philadelphia, PA 19255. http://www.irs.gov.