New Student Check-in

The SSSP Check-in Process Provides Important Information regarding your Relationship with Sponsored Students and Special Programs and The University of Arkansas

Please log into I S S Link to confirm the following items:

SSSP Check-In Form

Includes important information regarding your studies at the UA. You will electronically sign this form to acknowledge you understand and accept responsibility for the information within the SSSP check-in packet.

Billing

SSSP will bill your sponsor for all terms of enrollment or coordinate with the individual student to provide scholarship advising for those students whose sponsor submit lump sum payments to the Treasurer’s office. Contact us at uaspbill@uark.edu for an appointment to meet with Jacob Hiatt, our Scholarship Coordinator. Please Note: Our billing process has a different timeline than the Treasurer’s office. Contact us if you have any questions or problems.

No Refund Fee

A "No Refund Fee" billing indicator will appear as a hold. This is only a Treasurer’s Office Hold for billing purposes, not a registration restriction.

This release waiver allows for 3rd party billing and to correspond with other offices on campus for obtaining records, grades, and advisor information. These offices include, but are not limited to the Treasurer’s Office, Registrar’s Office, and academic departments.

Financial Commitment Form

You are not allowed to take online, Global campus, or distance education courses of any kind without written approval by your sponsor and financial verification submitted to our office. You are responsible for personally paying for any of these off-campus classes if not approved by your sponsor. You are also responsible for paying any tuition and fee charges as a result of dropping a class after the registration deadline if not approved by your sponsor.

University Of Arkansas Student ID Card

You will be able to obtain your student ID at the Campus Card office on the 4th Floor of the Student Union. Do Not Pay For Your ID, tell them you are a sponsored student. It will be BILLED to your student account.

Immigration Basics Sessions

You must complete one Immigration Basics session at the International Student and Scholars (ISS) office concerning ALL immigration documents.

Health Insurance/Immunization

If you have private health insurance with your sponsor - It is required that you take your Health Insurance card to the Pat Walker Health Center so they can make a copy so they are able submit a claim to your insurance company for any charges. It is also required that you visit the Health Center to handle your immunization process.

NOTE: If you cannot make an appointment that you scheduled with the Health Center, you MUST call and cancel it within two hours of your appointment time. If you do not, you will be charged $10.

J1 Visa holders Only

You are required by federal law to show proof of insurance coverage for yourself and all dependents.

If you receive private Health Insurance from your sponsor - Do not select the waiver option on UAConnect. SSSP administers the insurance waivers on your behalf.

Read Your Email

Your UARK email is the email all campus offices will use to send important information, notices, and upcoming events.

Your UARK Email address

Activate your Email account by going to Activate new account. This link also addresses any issues you may have with activating your account. CHECK your university email account on a regular basis. All university offices, your academic department, and our office will contact you via email. Therefore, you must always thoroughly READ any information you receive from these offices. Create a folder that reads "IMPORTANT UofA Information," for example, in order to organize the emails that you receive. DELETE any read messages from both your In-box and Trash/Junk email folder or Deleted Items email folder.

Verification of Enrollment letter

You will be required to obtain a proof of enrollment every semester for your sponsor in order to remain in good status and/or obtain your stipend. You may obtain this proof of enrollment from the Office of the Registrar located in Silas Hunt Hall. It is free of charge, and you should be able to obtain it within about 10 minutes of requesting it. Take a picture ID.

All course work must be completed by the last day of finals. This includes transfer and correspondence, online courses, grade changes, grades for incomplete courses, and program modification (course substitutions).

Sponsorship by a U.S. Agency

If you are sponsored by a U.S. agency such as IIE, AMIDEAST, LASPAU, IREX, American Councils, World Learning, your Program Officer is your immigration advisor and scholarship program advisor. Contact them with immigration needs. Do not go to the International Students and Scholars office. They will direct you back to SSSP and your Program Advisor.

UA Connect

Log onto UAConnect with your UA email account ID and password at UA Connect - Check for holds, view Priority Registration dates, register for classes, view transfer credit (UGRD), and more.

Graduate School and International Education: GEAR 213; phone: 479-575-4401;

Immigration Address

You are required by immigration to update your and phone number on your UA Connect center within 10 days of any changes.

In addition, students with sponsor issued DS-2019s must notify their program advisor of any changes. F1 students and J1 students on UA issued DS-2019s contact the International Students and Scholars office for immigration matters, advising, and travel signatures. J1 students on sponsor-issued DS-2019s – contact your Program Advisor for all immigration advising, program advising, travel signature process, etc.

Holds

Check your UAConnect account for any Holds. Many, but not all of these Holds might prohibit you from registering for your classes. An example of these Holds are: Immigration Basics check-in, remaining admission letter items, ELPT, ELAC requirements, unpaid parking ticket, unpaid health center fees, incomplete immunization, library or technology fees, student financial agreement, or an academic advising hold, etc.

Please note that the student financials agreement and academic advising holds go back onto all student accounts at the start of each spring and fall term and must be resolved before you can register for classes.

Instructions on how to resolve the student financials agreement hold

Open a Checking Account

We suggest Arvest Bank on the square (identify yourself as a student for a student account that does not charge a minimum balance fee.)

Off-Campus Housing

Have you obtained local housing?

Off-Campus Housing

Apartment hunting excursions may be offered during New International Student Orientation.

On-Campus Housing

University Housing

All new unmarried freshmen under age 21 are required to live on campus.

Meal Plans

If you are interested in obtaining a meal plan with the University of Arkansas dining services, view information on the Dining Services website. Your food plan costs will be billed to your student account. It will not be billed to your sponsor. Students are responsible for paying for their meal plan, except those undergraduate student groups who live on campus and have meal plans paid by their sponsor. Let us know if you have questions.

Social Security Number (SSN)

SSNs are only issued to students with a valid work letter and do not already have an ITIN. Check with our office if you have questions.

You must apply at the SSN Office located at 2153 East Joyce Blvd., Suite 101, Fayetteville, AR, Phone: 877-694-5493.

Take the following items with you to apply for the SSN: A letter of work authorization provided by your sponsor or department, along with your DS 2019 or I-20 and your passport.

Individual Tax Identification Number (ITIN)

  • May be obtained for tax filing purposes if you are not eligible to apply for a SSN.
  • Please email both:
  • Be sure to include:
    • Your name, university ID number and a non-UARK email address.

Once the non-resident taxation analyst obtains this information, a website link named Glacier will be sent to you to be completed. Once Glacier is completed, send an email to Non-Resident Taxation Analyst with a 2-3 times of availability. It will take about 30 minutes for the meeting. F-1 students will need to bring their I-20, passport and I-94 information. J-1 students will need to bring their scholarship letter, DS2019, passport and I-94 information.

State ID

The State of Arkansas ID (this is not your UA ID) or Arkansas Driver’s License process is as follows: Wait two weeks after completing your ISS Immigration Basics Session – the Revenue office is on the Purple Bus Route. You must take your admission letter, DS 2019/I-20, I-94, and your passport to the:

Arkansas State Revenue Office
3086 W, Martin Luther King, Jr. BLVD, Suite 2
Fayetteville, AR 72701
Ph: 479-442-7691 or 479-442-6611

View their website at Fayetteville Revenue Office Details for map, online resources and more information.

Our Sponsored Students and Special Programs Office is here to assist you with transcripts, academic or personal problems, campus advising, locating information and resources, etc.

Academic Advising

For Graduate Students

Contact your faculty advisor. Email your advisor to set up an appointment to meet for academic advising and course scheduling and all things academic. Pending any other "Holds", you will be able to enroll once your advisor removes the advising hold. Required before enrollment during Priority Registration Fall & Spring terms.

For Undergraduate Students

Make an appointment to meet with your academic advisor. There is UGRD advising and registration during New International Undergraduate Orientation. You should attend the University Academic Orientation to meet with your academic advisor. If this date has passed you may contact your advisor by email to make an advising appointment, request letter for your sponsor, or go to the Advising Center of your academic college for assistance with academic advising and enrollment. If you are a visiting student you will work with the Visiting Student Coordinator in ISS.

Important Academic Dates

Check the Registrar’s Office website for their Academic Semester Calendar for add/drop deadlines, beginning and ending term dates, graduation, holidays, and other important academic information & dates at Academic Semester Calendar

Please Note: Sponsors may require student payment for any dropped classes.

Check with SSSP before considering dropping a course. We are here to assist you. Not Allowed To Withdraw From All Of Your Courses. If So, You Will Be Out Of Immigration Status! You may be personally responsible for all fees and tuition for dropped courses.

Keep every syllabus from every class

Scan and keep them on your computer or the cloud for future needs, for example: transfer credit to another school, to give information to future employers or to your sponsoring university.

Academic and Tutoring Support

The University of Arkansas offers several options for students who need tutoring and academic support.  Please contact the Sponsored Students and Special Programs staff whenever you believe you need any kind of academic support. It is VERY IMPORTANT to your academic success and immigration status!!

Plan of Study

Your sponsor requires that you submit a Plan of Study within the first semester of enrollment.

Transcripts

SSSP handles sending your sponsor your official transcripts at the end of each term. Depending on your sponsor, we will either ship your transcript directly to them or scan and send it to you in order for you to download onto your account/portal with your sponsor, such as IIE, LASPAU, AMIDEAST, SACM, VIED, SABIC, etc. Students must take care of any holds that prevent our office sending their official transcript to their sponsor.