International Students Must Get DSO Approval Before Dropping Below a Full Course Load, DHS Reminder Says
F and M students at schools certified by the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) must pursue a full course of study each term to maintain their status, and may only drop below it in specific circumstances with prior approval from their designated school official (DSO), the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Study in the States platform said in a fall refresher published October 21, 2026.
A full course of study is the number of credit or clock hours a student must take each term, and requirements vary by student category and program; kindergarten through grade 12 requirements differ from those at colleges and universities. Students unsure whether their schedule qualifies should ask their DSO, and there are also restrictions on how many online courses F and M students may count.
For F students, a DSO may authorize a reduced course load for illness or a medical condition, for up to 12 months with medical documentation; for certain initial academic difficulties, with a minimum six-credit course load; in the final term, if fewer courses are needed to complete the program; for students approved for Special Student Relief employment; and for part-time commuter students attending school within 75 miles of the U.S. border. For M students, only illness or a medical condition, up to five months with documentation, and the border commuter category apply.
The order matters: approval from an academic advisor alone is not sufficient, and students may not drop below a full course of study until the DSO approves. Dropping without DSO approval can lead to termination of the student's record in the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS), after which the student must leave the United States or apply for reinstatement.
Once approved, the DSO updates the SEVIS record with the reason and dates of the reduced course load, and the student must return to a full course of study when the period ends. Questions can go to the school's DSO or the SEVP Response Center. (Source: Study in the States, U.S. Department of Homeland Security)
Source: Study in the States, U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：大学生在阶梯教室上课。Wikimedia Commons 图片（CC BY 4.0）。 / Photo: Students attend a class in a lecture hall. Image via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0).
