Frequently Asked Questions
How is Springfield? Is the University good?Though the Capitol of Illinois Springfield is not a big city like Chicago or New York, it’s a peaceful town and things run at their own pace. Yes, the university is wonderful, it is small campus with housing facilities.. To know more about Springfield please Google it and to know more about the university, check the University Website. Visit http://www.uis.edu/maps/ to view the campus maps and other locations and also for a virtual tour of the campus housing.
How much is the tuition? Can we pay in installments?
The fee mentioned in your I-20 includes the fee for both the Spring and Fall semesters. It also includes an estimate of the living expenses per semester. Visit this website for a detailed fee picture. You may pay your tuition in installments but you will be charged a late fee fine of 2% of the pending fee amount. You can pay in as many installments as you want to, but you need to pay the complete amount by the end of the semester else you will not be allowed to register for the next semester. The university does not mention the additional taxes. You can pay it in 3 installments if you wish but every month there will be a tax of 2% on the remaining amount.
Is there any financial assistance available for International Students?
If yes how do I apply for it? Yes there is. International students have the opportunity to work as Graduate Assistants or Graduate Inters. A GA/GPSI application is a common application and can be found at the end of the admission application. A GA/GPSI is provided with a complete fee waiver for 9 credit hours per semester in Fall/Spring and 4 credits for Summer (which is optional ) and also a monthly stipend of $900. For more information visit GA/GPSI . You need to apply early in order to be in the pool of applicants. Interviews for GPSI are conducted every year during the months of April and August, so people coming in Spring have better opportunities when compared to those coming in Fall But positions keep opening up and any one can be called for an interview anytime. GA’s positions keep opening up all the year round.
Are there on-campus jobs available? Is it easy to get jobs?
Our University is a small University with limited number of on-campus jobs. It may be difficult to find a job immediately but there are always chances if you apply early. Yes, there is availability of jobs. It will be enough for your monthly expenses. However, the housing is expensive and it’s not possible for you to pay for housing even if you earn unless you get a scholarship. Eventually your luck and communication skills will give you a job and there is always competition. Just stay focused and things will definitely work out. Visit this for more information on the availability and description of the On-campus jobs in UIS> How is On-campus housing.
Is off campus housing better? Which would you suggest?
Most of the students live on campus as it is safer, closer to the university with easy access to the net and also all the other necessary amenities.. The cost of housing depends on whether you opt for a private or shared bedroom apartment. Accordingly the cheapest available apartments are in Clover Court (approxmiately1500-1800$ per semester). Larkspur and Blue Bell are private bedroom apartments and slightly more expensive than Clover Court (approxmiately2100-2400$ per semester). It’s expensive but worth the money if you want privacy and don’t want to share your room. Renovated Clover and Clover has students which share room. There are also private rooms available but are as expensive as Larkspur or Blue Bell. As the name suggests, renovated clover is renovated and bigger in size. It is essential to fill the form and well in advance to get on-campus housing. The deposit money is mandatory as well. For further information please check the university website. There are students living off campus also, but transportation to the university becomes an issue as most of our classes are scheduled in the evening and we do not have bus services available after 6:00pm in the evening. The housing form should be filled before hand and paying the deposit is a must for them to allot you a room.
Which course is better CS or MIS? How is the faculty? Which courses should I take?
CS has more coding in it. MIS is related to management and has Computer concepts. Upon reaching here, students can change their course if needed. “Which is better”, the answer to this question would solely depend upon what you choose and want to do after your Masters. The faculty is wonderful. The professors are very helpful and studies are not difficult as compared to engineering. Courses would vary depending upon which Masters you do. However, it’s something which you should not worry about. There are many people to guide and help you choose the course. This is one doubt which you should worry about after you reach here.
Can you pick us up from Chicago (O’Hare Airport) / St Louis International Airport?
Due to University rules and insurance issues we are not allowed to offer rides to students from
Chicago / St Louis / Peoria etc. The university will provide for a pick-up in a University Insured Vehicle from the Springfield Airport (SPI) only and you need to inform the International Student Services regarding your arrival and details of your trip way in advance for them to arrange for a pick up. ISO takes no responsibility for students being picked up from any other airports by any of the campus students. Please do not contact ISO or any of its members asking for a pickup from Chicago / St Louis etc. Due to University rules, we are not allowed to pick students up from Chicago because if anything goes wrong ISO will be blamed for it. But, if you happen to come to the airport in Springfield, we will come and pick you up provided we are informed well in advance.
How is the Indian Community in Springfield? Is it easy to find Indian and other Groceries?
We have a small Indian Community in Springfield. We have a good number of Indian students living on campus. We also have an Indian store in Springfield where almost all the necessary Indian stuff can be found. Walmart / Meijers / Target /County Markets are the other places where we do our grocery shopping. We have bus services available to all of these places, the campus has shuttles going to Walmart every weekend. Apart from this a lot of Indian students on campus have vehicles and are always willing to help take students for grocery shopping.