CIS Staff Spotlight

Staff Spotlight – Jarreth Martina aka JJ from Curaçao!🇨🇼
JJ works as an Admission Counselor at the Admission Office and will be pursuing his Master’s in Higher Ed Administration this Fall here at SCSU! Fun Fact: JJ was also a Track & Field Student Athlete in NSU during his undergrad years and is currently coaching the SCSU Running Club!
JJ would like to tell international students to step out of your comfort zone, be active and join different organizations to create the best college experience!

CIS Student Spotlight

Student Spotlight! Today we are featuring Falguni, a EMEM student from India. Falguni is also currently studying at our Plymouth campus.
Falguni chose SCSU because of the program that we offer in an affordable rate and is accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education as well as the flexibility of courses. Her favorite part about the SCSU is the faculty members that have helped her through her journey here!

International Student Health Insurance 2021-2022

A charge for the 2021-2022 International Student Health Insurance (the insurance required for all F-1 international students) has been added to your St. Cloud State e-Services account for the amount of $1,927.00 for the upcoming policy year (August 10, 2021 – August 9, 2022).

The payment options for the 2021-2022 International Student Health Insurance are as follows:

  • Option 1.      Submit a full payment ($1,927.00)
    • When you make the payment of $1,927.00 in full by August 4, 2021, you will be enrolled in the insurance plan for the entire policy year of August 10, 2021 – August 9, 2022.
  • Option 2.      Submit a partial payment ($760.00)
    • You must submit at least a partial payment of $760.00 by August 4, 2020 to enroll in the insurance plan for the fall semester only: from August 10, 2021 – December 31, 2021.
    • With this option, you will not have health insurance coverage beyond December 31, 2021 until you make your payment in full.
    • By December 10, 2021, you should submit the remaining $1,167.00 to continue your insurance coverage from January 1, 2022 – August 9, 2022. You may begin making payments toward the $1,167.00 balance during fall semester. Failure to pay the remaining $1,167.00 may result in a hold placed on your account restricting your spring semester enrollment.

Payment Methods

  • Online through e-Services: stcloudstate.edu (Mastercard, Visa, Discover, or E-Check accepted). Please select “Health Insurance”
  • By Phone: Call Cashiers Office at 1-320-308-4012 between the hours of 7:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday: Mastercard, Visa, Discover or American Express accepted.
  • In Person: Administrative Services Building, Room 123 between the hours of 7:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Coronavirus Emergency Grant

Students with financial need are encouraged to apply for the CRRSAA/ARP Emergency Grant for emergency funds that may assist with things such as tuition, food, housing, health care, etc.

Graduating Students

Students completing their degree program at the end of the fall semester may choose to make the fall-only payment of $760.00. However, should you need to purchase university international student health insurance after December 31, 2021, you will need to enroll in at least 1 credit during each semester of insurance coverage.

Internship Opportunities — Environmental Science, Biology, etc.

Minnesota Native Landscapes, Inc. is providing internship opportunities (CPT, OPT) for SCSU students majoring in Environmental Science, Biology, and other academic fields directly related to the positions below:

Products Dept. (Foley, MN)

  • Greenhouse Technician, seasonal until ~the end of October – 2 FT positions (may be open to PT positions)
  • Equipment Operator, year-round – 1 FT position
  • Production Agronomist, year-round – 1 FT position

Construction Dept. (Otsego, MN)

  • Ecological Field Technician, year-round – 2-3 FT positions
  • Equipment Operator, year-round – 2-3 FT positions
  • Equipment Operator (Travel), year-round – 1 FT position

Vegetation Management (Otsego, MN)

  • Equipment Operator, year-round – 1 FT position

For more information, please see the job postings on Handshake.

Immunization Hold

SCSU and Minnesota State require that all new students provide the school with their most recent tetanus and MMR dates: https://www.stcloudstate.edu/medicalclinic/medical-clinic/immunization.aspx.

Although the requirement is not new, the message on the e-services homepage is. Any student who has not provided SCSU with the required immunization information will have a message on their e-services homepage that looks like this:

Students can provide their immunization dates to www.scsu.mn/immunizationrecord. Note that the current Minnesota State system requirement does not include COVID vaccination dates. This may change in the future, but for now, Minn State only requires MMR and Tetanus dates.

Student Spotlight – Sachith Ranasinghe

Student Spotlight Thursday! Let’s welcome Sachith to the CIS Front Desk team! Sachith is a Manufacturing Engineering major from Sri Lanka.

His favorite class was MME 224 and he has recently return from Tennessee for his Internship. One advice Sachith would like to give international students is to be active and talk to people to establish good networking skills!

COVID-19 Emergency Grants

If you are a student who is experiencing financial challenges as a result of the pandemic, please refer to the application process included below. Recent policy changes have made this funding available to all students who are currently enrolled or have been enrolled at some point in time since the beginning of the pandemic (March 13, 2020).

This information is also available in the “Ask St. Cloud State” knowledgebase and on the Scholarships and Grants page of the Student Registration and Financial Services website https://www.stcloudstate.edu/srfs/finances/scholarships-grants.aspx

Are Emergency Grants available to help with expenses related to COVID-19?

Yes, a portion of the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act (CRRSAA) and American Rescue Plan (ARP) funding is available for distribution through an emergency grant program. These emergency funds can be applied directly to institutional charges on a student’s account or disbursed directly to the student based on the student’s preference. Awards will be made based on the order applications are received until the last available funds are awarded.

Eligible students who had emergency expenses including items like tuition, food, housing, health care (including mental health care), or child care are asked to complete a brief application.

Step 1: Make sure that you are logged into Office365 with your starid@go.minnstate.edu and StarID password.

Step 2: Complete the brief application.

Student/Staff Spotlight – Akshyata

Student Spotlight Thursday! This week we have Akshyata, one of our Front Desk Student Worker here at CIS!
Photo of Akshyata
Akshyata’s favorite memory when she first arrived here at SCSU was attending Huskies First Four Days as she got to meet the most incredible people and the environment was welcoming and exciting to her!

Her favorite study spot on-campus is the Computer labs on the second floor of the library. A quick tip she would like to share with all international students is to “Never hesitate to ask questions and get involved on campus as much as you can. That is how you grow!”