Overview
An Academic Dismissal from ISU is a result of failing to meet the requirements of academic probation. A dismissed student is unable to continue enrolling at Iowa State University.
Common Reasons for Academic Dismissal
Students are most often dismissed for failing to maintain a required GPA of 2.0. Each College Academic Standards Committee is responsible for final decisions regarding the academic status of students in that college and any appeals to academic dismissal actions are considered by the college committee.
Other reasons that a student may be dismissed from the university are suspension or expulsion from ISU due to a Student Conduct hearing. In order for student to be able to return from a dismissal through the student conduct process, they will need to comply with the steps set forth in their dismissal.
Immigration Consequences and Options
Students who have been academically dismissed have only a short period of time to pursue other options. By the end of the student's deadline, if no other action is taken, ISSO will terminate their F-1 immigration record and students must leave the United States.
Immigration Options
F-1 students who have been dismissed have the following immigration options:
- Receive admission and request a transfer to another U.S. institution,
- Change non-immigrant status, or
- Leave the United States immediately
Deadline to Transfer or Depart U.S.
Following notification from academic departments, ISSO will email students their options and timeline. The deadline to transfer or leave the U.S. can be found in this email.
Changing Major
Students who are dismissed by one college/major cannot immediately transfer to another college/major. After the required time away from Iowa State (typically one semester), a student may choose to apply for reinstatement to their previous degree or a different degree.
Returning to ISU
Dismissed students must complete the following steps to return to ISU:
- Request permission to return to department/college by completing reinstatement application with academic adviser. Read more about this on the Registrar’s Reinstatement after Academic Dismissal webpage.
- Request permission to return to the university by completing the Reentry form with the Office of the Registrar. Read more about this on the Registrar’s Reentering or Returning International Students webpage.
- Request an I-20 from ISSO by completing the "Returning to ISU" electronic form in Cystart. F-1 students can read more on ISSO’s Returning to ISU webpage.
Reentry Processing Time
Processing can vary depending on the individual college or departments. Students should apply at least three months in advance to allow enough time for processing.
I-20 Request Processing Time
The timeline to get a new I-20 from ISSO depends on the student's situation:
- Students who are outside of the U.S.: After a student's reinstatement (by their college) and reentry (by the Registrar's Office) applications are fully approved, ISSO will process the student's Cystart e-form and issue a new I-20 within 10 working days.
- Students at another U.S. institution: Students wishing to transfer back to ISU must work with the international office at their current institution to request their SEVIS record be transferred to ISU. Transfer I-20s can only be issued after the student's SEVIS record has been released to Iowa State University.
Students may contact the ISSO at isso@iastate.edu with any questions or concerns regarding their immigration documents.
Following Academic Reinstatement
As a condition of reinstatement, students will re-enter on academic probation and must meet whatever additional requirements are stipulated by the college Academic Standards Committee.
Transferring Credits to ISU
Students will want to consult with their college and academic adviser to discuss how specific classes will transfer back to ISU.