International students at orientation hold up flags from their respective home countries.
Supporting WMU international students and alumni at home and abroad with admissions, immigration support, student success and post-graduation job training.

International Student Resources

WMU's International Student and Scholar Services is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. To make an appointment, please contact staff directly. Express advising for international students is available Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 1:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. at Faunce Student Services. Virtual appointments are available.

1,050+

international students on campus representing 95 foreign countries

—Fall Enrollment Data, 2025

520+

students studying abroad in 30 countries, on average, each year

—Study Abroad Enrollment Data, 2024-2025

11,000 +

globally engaged students on campus

—Global Engagement Program Participation Data, 2024-2025

Admitted Student Resources

Passport, paper application and pencil.

Student Visa Categories

Learn more about the visa types for study and exchange programs.

A student walks on Western Michigan University's campus.

Find a US Embassy or Consulate

Find your nearest US embassy or consulate.

Frequently Asked Questions for International Students

The following are frequently asked questions by admitted international students and scholars. Please send additional questions to @email

goWMU is Western Michigan University's portal which allows the WMU community to access secure online resources such as course registration, on-campus housing sign-up and academic grades. 

Your Bronco NetID is the username (7 alphanumeric characters) that allows you to log in to goWMU. You will receive your Bronco NetID and temporary password information in an email from the Office of Information Technology (WMU OIT Web Apps Admin Team).

Before you log in to goWMU for the first time, you will be required to change your temporary password according to the instructions on your Bronco NetID letter. You will not be able to log in using the temporary password.  

If you are unable to activate your goWMU account or have any concerns regarding your Bronco NetID, please visit the WMU Help Desk website, contact our technical support line at (269) 387-4357 or send an email to @email.

To log into your WMU email account, go to wexchange.wmich.edu and log in using your BroncoNetID@wmich.edu (NOT your email address).

Before you log in to WMU email account for the first time, you will be required to change your temporary password according to the instructions on your Bronco NetID letter. You will not be able to log in using the temporary password.

To receive your immigration form (I-20 or DS-2019). please follow these steps:

  1. Log in to the Terra Dotta Portal
    Use your activated Bronco NetID to access the Terra Dotta Portal for International Student and Scholar Services.
  2. Review Your Information
    Carefully check all your details in the portal to ensure accuracy.
  3. Submit Your Request
    Click  the “Complete” button to submit your request for your immigration document.
  4. Receive Notification
    Our team will email you at your official WMU email address when your I-20 or DS-2019 (and admission documents) are ready for you to print.

You will need to print your I-20 or DS-2019 for your visa appointment and to bring with you when traveling to the United States

Visit the U.S. Department of State for a step-by-step guide on applying for an F-1 visa (I-20) or a J-1 visa (DS-2019). You may also contact the U.S. consulate office in your home country for information about applying for a U.S. visa. Note that a SEVIS fee is required when a new I-20 or DS-2019 is issued with a new SEVIS number. 

Western Michigan University is certified by the United States Student and Exchange Visitor Program to enroll non-immigrant F-1 Students. WMU is also a designated participant of the United States Department of Exchange Visitor Program to sponsor J-1 Exchange Visitors. 

WMU Immigration Services offers comprehensive immigration advising and services to international students, visiting scholars, foreign-national faculty and staff and their WMU hosting or sponsoring departments.

Two-factor authentication (2FA) is required as part of the WMU login process for admitted and currently enrolled students. 2FA adds an extra layer of security by sending a notification to your mobile device when you log in so that you may verify that it is you logging in and not a criminal. Students will not be able to log in to online services, such as goWMU and Elearning until they complete the 2FA activation process.

The day after course registration you will be required to activate two-factor authentication (2FA) as part of the WMU Login process. Have your cell phone and Bronco NetID password ready. Learn more about two factor authentication.

You will need to arrange for housing during your studies at Western Michigan University. Housing options are available on WMU's main campus as well as off-campus through private apartment communities.

Health insurance will be purchased for you each semester of enrollment and will be billed to your WMU account with your tuition and fees. 

Vaccinations and additional health screenings are not a requirement for your admission and should be acquired only upon recommendation from your doctors or health professionals. You may also contact the WMU Sindecuse Health Center for their professional advice in this matter or call (269) 387-3287.

Incoming students from countries identified by the CDC as high-risk for tuberculosis exposure will be required to have testing done at WMU’s health center. Sindecuse Health Center will bill your health insurance. Sindecuse Health Center only offers the highly-reliable Quantiferon Gold test for M. tuberculosis exposure. 

International Student Orientation is a mandatory program for newly admitted international students designed to facilitate a smooth academic, social, geographic and professional transition to Western Michigan University. 

Students new to their program are required to attend orientation, even if they have previously attended as a student of the Center for English Language and Culture or as an undergraduate student.

There is a bank located in the Student Center on the Western Michigan University campus called PNC. During International Student Orientation, you will have the option of opening a U.S. bank account at this bank. The city of Kalamazoo offers many other banking options.

A semester invoice is sent to all students who are registered for Western Michigan University classes four to five weeks prior to the beginning of the semester. The semester invoice will include the tuition, fees, room and board, pending financial aid, class schedule for the semester and the tuition due date.

If you are not registered when the invoices are sent, your monthly online statement will reflect your charges and payments. You will receive notification via email when your statement is available online. You can view your statement in the Payment and Account Information channel in goWMU by logging in with your Bronco NetID and password.

Recommended payment methods for international students include:

  1. Wire transfer. WMU participates with Flywire to facilitate overseas payment into student accounts.   
  2. Online banking. Once you have opened a U.S. bank account, you can set up electronic payment through the goWMU Payment and Account Information channel.
  3. By check. Opening a checking account with a U.S. bank allows you to write checks for payment of tuition and fees. Checks can be dropped off at the Bronco Express office located within the Student Financial Aid office in the Faunce Student Services building on the west side of campus. The Bronco Express office can be reached through email at @email or by phone at (269) 387-6000.

The International Student Fee supports the Haenicke Institute for Global Education and its International Student and Scholar Services office to provide a comprehensive set of services to all international students through the most appropriate delivery modes to ensure efficiency, safety and student success. These include admission processes and selection, immigration support and advising, credential and credit evaluation and transfer, student advising, student insurance assistance, orientation and other activities. The International Student Fee is $750 per semester (fall/spring) and $375 per summer session (summer I/II).

The International Student Fee applies to: 

  1. International graduate students, as of Summer II 2021 and after; and
  2. International undergraduate students, as of Summer II 2017 and after.

In addition to supporting the Haenicke Institute operations necessary for international student programming, the fee structure will also support the Strategic Fund for International Graduate Student Enrollment. This fund will contribute to:

  • Increase graduate non-resident degree-seeking enrollment;
  • Leverage the colleges’ GA budgets while allowing for more equitable financial decision-making when selecting graduate master’s students;
  • Equalize the financial incentive for international undergraduate and graduate recruitment;
  • Assessing the same fee level to all international students for the same set of comprehensive services.

International students with a graduate assistantship should contact their department to inquire about special funding to cover the International Student Fee. Academic colleges, not the Haenicke Institute for Global Education, disperse applicable funds to international students who hold a graduate assistantship.

Are WMU tuition and fees still competitive? Yes. The implementation of the International Student Fee followed tuition adjustments that lowered the total tuition and fees level applicable to international students: a reduction of undergraduate non-resident tuition of over 50% per credit in 2017 and a reduction of graduate non-resident tuition of nearly 20% per credit in 2020.

Resources for Current Students

The following are resources for current international students and scholars.

An immigration officer speaks to a group of students as they listen during a workshop on OPT.

OPT Workshops

Looking for help or have questions about Optional Practical Training (OPT)? Come to a workshop at International Student and Scholar Services (I3S).

A student standing near a globe.

Travel Signature Events

Are you traveling over a break? We are offering extra days for you to obtain a travel signature!

Students at WMU hosting a party. They are taking and there are balloons.

Birthday Parties

Celebrate with us. The Haenicke Institute for Global Education hosts a birthday party for international students and scholars every month.

  • University Libraries Book an appointment with a subject librarian trained specifically to help students in your department. University Libraries also has microcourses, guides and workshops to help students with graduate level work.  
  • The Graduate College offers in person and virtual writing circles during the academic year, as well as other events tailored to graduate students.  
  • The Writing Center offers one-on-one writing support to help you in every stage of the writing process.   
  • Student Rights and Responsibilities uses an equitable and supportive approach to educate and partner with WMU students, faculty, staff and community members in order to develop a civil, ethical and safe campus environment. 

WMU Career and Student Engagement Services offers one-on-one appointments and drop in hours to help you write your resume or CV, practice interviewing, or get general career advice. 

  • Bronco Food Pantery offers a free, on-campus food pantry for registered WMU students. Shop as often as every other week!
  • Western Outfitters provides free, high-quality professional attire to support their career development. It ensures that all students, regardless of financial circumstances, have access to the clothing they need for key professional opportunities such as internships, interviews, job shadowing, and public speaking events.
  • S.H.E.Shed advances sustainability at Western Michigan University by reducing waste, promoting resource conservation and supporting student well-being. Each year, a significant amount of housing equipment is discarded during student move-outs. The S.H.E. Shed collects gently used household items, cleans and repairs them and redistributes them to WMU students.
  • Broncos. Period. provides menstrual hygiene products for any menstruating WMU student.  This includes single-use, long-term, and sustainable options, when possible at low or no cost. 

Disability Services for Students (DSS) at Western Michigan University strives to make education accessible and remove barriers to student success. DSS is located in room 2080 of the Seibert Administration Building. Accommodations updates, course issues, syllabus breakdown, time management and other general questions can be discussed.
 

  • Financial Aid Information on how to apply for student loans and find scholarships and funding within the university.  
  • The Graduate College has information on scholarships, assistantships, grants and other funding opportunities for graduate students.   
  • Books For Broncos The Invisible Need Project works to assist students with accessing free or low-cost options for course materials, including textbooks and other required course materials.   

WMU Campus Housing offers a variety of apartment options for graduate students.   

WMU’s Sindecuse Health Center provides evaluation and treatment for a variety of illnesses and injuries, preventive health check-ups, periodic health monitoring, and opportunities that enhance individual and community health.  

  • WMU Centers for Counseling and Psychological Services Trained graduate student counselors offer free counseling and psychological services to children, adolescents and adults in Southwest Michigan. Appointments available in both Kalamazoo and Grand Rapids.
  • WMU Behavioral Health Services is a licensed and accredited outpatient substance use and behavioral health disorder treatment provider. 
  • WMU Health and Wellbeing is an online collection of campus resources. Being healthy requires a holistic approach—one that balances both the physical and emotional aspects of your being. At Western, our goal is to help you maintain your wellness and manage growth so you can truly thrive.

Multicultural Affairs for Students focuses on the transition and success of multicultural students at WMU. The ultimate goal is for our multicultural students to retain and graduate on time. Support includes online tutoring, academic monitoring, employment and internship exploration, events and programs that promote cultural awareness, networking opportunities, peer mentoring, scholarship information and student organization support.

About the Haenicke Institute for Global Education

Your journey at Western Michigan University is a global one. Through transformative events, immersive classes and Experience-Driven Learning, the Haenicke Institute for Global Education connects Kalamazoo to the world—and the world to Kalamazoo. We assist more than 2,000 international students and alumni at home and abroad with admissions, immigration support, student success and post-graduation job training. We host 80+ study abroad programs and bring students, faculty and staff to 30 countries, on average, each year.  From fostering academic opportunities to showcasing cultural events and providing K-12 outreach, the Haenicke Institute promotes learning that transcends borders and takes you wherever you want to go.  

A student wearing a study abroad map tshirt while making a W symbol with his hands. He is posing in downtown Kalamazoo.

International Student and Scholar Services

International Student and Scholar Services is responsible for international student recruitment, admissions and immigration support.

A student proudly holding a Western flag during a study abroad adventure in another country. He stands in front of an historic building.

Study Abroad

WMU Study Abroad supports more than 80 programs around the world, sending students, faculty and staff to 30 countries, on average, each year.

Students talking to each other outside at a picnic table in downtown Kalamazoo. They wear tshirts promoting global eduction at Western Michigan University.

Global Engagement Program

The Global Engagement Program provides opportunities for all  students at Western Michigan University to become globally engaged. 

Students working together at a table. They are both looking a paper, as if they are studying together.

English Language Learning

The Center for English Language and Culture for International Students offers short- and long-term intensive English language study.

A member of the WMU Asian Initiatives staff working with children at a community outreach event.

Asian Initiatives

WMU Asian Initiatives enhances scholarship and knowledge of East Asia on campus and throughout southwest Michigan.

Robert Brown, an instructor at the Haworth College of Business, sitting side-by-side talking to a student as he teaches an Applying Business Fundamentals class in Schneider Hall.

Faculty Enrichment

The Haenicke Institute supports partnerships with more than 100 international institutions, offering options to faculty who are interested in collaboration and exchange.