International Students We’re so excited that God is calling you to serve Him as a cross-cultural missionary! Each year we enroll a number of students from countries outside of the U.S. These students are a blessing to our campus and as they graduate from our program they become a light to the world. In order to apply to Bethany College of Missions, you will need to complete the entire application process and fulfill several other requirements specific to international applicants. Before filling out any forms, please read the rest of the information on this page.
Important For Married Applicants If you are married it is encouraged that both you and your spouse apply and enroll as students. If you have dependent children they would be required to come with you. However, because it is not always practical for more than one person in a family to come to the US for studies, we do allow one spouse to enroll alone at Bethany for a maximum of one year. See the Couples and Families page and the Program Options for Couples document for more information.
Important For All International Applicants All items submitted to Bethany College of Missions must be submitted in English. If some of your documents are not in English (references, transcripts, etc), you must have them translated before sending them to us. If they are not translated, we will reject the document. Please go to http://www.bcom.org/admissions/apply to begin the application process. Some programs are not currently offered to international students because they are not yet SEVIS-approved. SEVIS stands for Student and Exchange Visitor Information System and is a US Government division of the Department of Homeland Security. Bethany has SEVIS approval to enroll international students on F-1 visas in the
Certificate in Bible and Missions and the Bachelor of Arts Degree in Intercultural Studies programs. We plan to request SEVIS approval of our other certificate and degree programs after we receive accreditation from the Association of Biblical Higher Education (ABHE). This should take place between 2013 and 2015.
How to Submit Application Components It is not necessary to submit all documents at the same time. However, we will not review your application until everything is received. Use one of the following methods to submit application materials: Send everything by mail to: Bethany College of Missions Admissions Office 6820 Auto Club Rd, Suite C Bloomington, MN 55438 Scan the materials and send as e-mail attachments to info@bcom.org Fax items to 952-829-2535.
Application Process for International Applicants 1.
First, go to the Admissions page and read the requirements for making application to Bethany. In order to assess your English language proficiency all international students are required to submit a 3 to 5 page, unedited essay on any topic as an additional application component. (Canadians are exempted from this policy unless English is not your first language).
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In some cases international applicants will be asked to take the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language). The Admissions Office will advise you if this is requested.
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Once Bethany receives all of your application materials the Admissions Committee will review your file.
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If approved you will be notified by e-mail and referred to various acceptance documents to read in the shared files of our online student management database. An electronic version of your acceptance letter is sent at that time, as
well as links to various online acceptance forms to submit. 5.
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International students are required to pay for their first year of studies in full (tuition, room and board, additional fees and medical insurance) before immigration paperwork is released. (Canadians are exempted from this policy). Therefore, once you are accepted, we suggest you submit the financial assistance application materials as soon as possible, so we can calculate your total due for the year in a timely manner. When the college receives your first year fees, we will enter your name in the U.S. government SEVIS (Student Exchange Visitor Information System) database as an approved international student, will generate an I-20 form for you, and send it by express mail. You will then pay a US Government fee on-line to SEVIS and will be able to apply for a student visa.
Time-line 1.
Once you begin the application process you must complete all requirements within 12 months. After 12 months your file is no longer considered active and certain time-sensitive materials will need to be re-submitted if you wish to reactivate your file in the future.
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If you are unable to enroll as planned your acceptance can be deferred for up to one year (three total enrollment opportunities) from the original date of projected enrollment.
Finances Detailed financial information will be sent to you by e-mail once you have been accepted as a student; however, we encourage you to spend time on the Financial page to get familiar with our financial assistance and costs, especially if you will be requesting supporters to help with your costs. Please do not apply for financial assistance until after you are accepted as a student. Important: Bethany College of Missions limits financial assistance to any one student to the cost of tuition for the year. Students are expected to pay for their room and board, additional fees and medical insurance. Bethany is a non-profit organization and does not provide full scholarships to any students regardless of circumstances.