Student Housing

All new international students are highly encouraged to arrive on Monday, August 16th or Tuesday, August 17th. University Housing & Residential Life will accommodate an early move-in for international students on Monday, August 16th. Students living off-campus must confirm their move-in date with their residential manager or landlord.

On-Campus Housing

• On-campus housing is managed by the Office of University Housing and Residential Life. We encourage new students to explore options and utilize the virtual tours available on their website. New incoming students can manage their housing selection via the "MyHousing" application on their TUportal homepage. ISA recommends all new students live on-campus. For specific questions or inquiries regarding on-campus housing, please email housing@temple.edu. 
• Our Global Living Learning Community facilitates a cross-cultural experience for domestic and international students in Morgan Hall. Students live with other globally-minded students and learn from each other through monthly programming and a required one-credit First-Year Seminar. This is a great opportunity for first year international students to make long-lasting friends and build connections that can lead to future leadership development opportunities. 

Off-Campus Housing

• The University Housing & Residential Life office maintains a listing of available off-campus apartments for students to review, accessible here. If you are looking to live off-campus, this is a great resource to explore options throughout Philadelphia. 
• We encourage all students seeking to lease an off-campus apartment that is not managed by Temple University to fully read and review the leasing agreement prior to signing. Please note that leases in the U.S. are typically a legal contract and do not allow for early move-outs or subleases. If you have questions about the details of your lease, we advise you to discuss the details with the leasing manager or owner of the property. 
• The ISA office works closely with the following off-campus buildings. In each of these buildings, we have International Resident Coordinators (IRCs), international student leaders who live in these buildings and help our international students. IRCs plan fun programs and events in their buildings, connect international students to resources as needed, and answer questions and help residents navigate any challenging situations. If you have questions about this program, please email our office at intl@temple.edu
• The View
• 1220 Apartments
• The Vantage
• University Village
• Oxford Village
• Diamond Green Apartments

Protect yourself and others throughout the duration of your study in the United States. Temple University requires all international students with F1 or J1 visa status to maintain health insurance that meets certain minimum standards as determined by the United States Department of State.

• A maximum deductible of U.S. $500 per accident or illness
• Payment of at least 75% of covered expense 
• Medical benefits of at least $100,000 U.S. per accident or illness
• Repatriation benefits of at least $25,000 U.S.
• Medical evacuation benefits of at least $50,000 U.S.

Learn more about Temple University's health insurance plan options and rates. Enroll in Temple's health insurance plan or complete a waiver for health insurance here. For more information about student health insurance, please email studentinsurance@temple.edu. 

COVID-19 Testing and Vaccination Clinic for International Students

The Office of International Affairs has arranged for a special COVID-19 vaccination clinic for international students in the basement of Paley Hall, room G2 of the following days:

• Wednesday, August 18th from 9am-11:30am
• Thursday, August 19th from 9am-11:30am

Deadline: Friday, August 6th.

To learn more about required immunizations and COVID-19 related questions for all incoming full-time students, visit Temple University's Student Health Services.

UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS:

Each new student is required to complete their "Next Steps" process on TUportal. Following completion of these steps, students are able to register for a required Orientation/Advising session. More details may be found on the orientation website. Additionally, all new international students are required to attend a virtual International Student Welcome Session prior to the start of the semester. This session is mandatory for all new undergraduate students. For Fall 2021, this session will take place on Friday, August 20th from 9am-12pm Eastern Day Time. A Zoom link and additional details will be sent by email to all new students who have submitted their enrollment deposit. 

First-Year Students: 

• New first-year students will register for an Orientation session that includes academic advising after completing the required "Next Steps" on TUportal. Academic advising involves students meeting their academic advisor in their school or college and selecting courses for the coming semester. For Fall 2021, international students can attend any First-year Orientation session for their School/College, including a morning session on Thursday, July 22 from 7:00am - 11:30am EDT that may better meet your needs depending on time zone. Visit First-year Orientation for more details about First-year Orientation and steps to sign-up. For additional questions about this process, please email our office at intl@temple.edu. 

Transfer Students: 

•  New transfer students will register for an academic advising session after completing the required "Next Steps" on TUportal. Academic advising involves students meeting their academic advisor in their school or college and selecting courses for the coming semester. For Fall 2021, international transfer students can attend any Transfer Orientation session for their School/College. These are scheduled in May, June, July, and August. Visit Transfer Orientation for more details about First-year Orientation and steps to sign-up. For additional questions about this process, please email our office at intl@temple.edu.

GRADUATE STUDENTS: 

All new graduate international students will receive information from their school or college about specific departmental orientation sessions. All graduate international students who have submitted an enrollment deposit will also be invited to a virtual International Students Welcome Session event. This session is not mandatory, but highly encouraged; it will cover expectations, resources, and tips for success. For Fall 2021, this event will take place on Thursday, August 19 from 9am-12pm Eastern Day Time and will be recorded for those who are unable to attend at that time. New students will receive a Zoom link and additional details about the session via email. Additional questions can be sent to intl@temple.edu. 

Prior to the start of the academic term, new, deposited students are invited to a virtual Pre-Arrival webinar. During this session, both the ISA team and other campus partners will introduce helpful Temple resources and provide information regarding arrival processes. This session is not mandatory, but highly recommended for new students. 

The following are Pre-Arrival webinars for new students:

• Watch the Pre-Arrival Webinar #1 from July 14, 2021. 
• Watch the Pre-Arrival Webinar #2 from August, 2021.

While each student's packing list will look different, we encourage you to consider bringing the following items to your new home in Philadelphia: 

• Clothes, athletic wear, underwear, footwear, and socks 
• Weather appropriate items (e.g. heavy jacket, sweaters, raincoat, etc...)
• Passport, I-20, and other supporting documentation
• Cash (USD) for your first few days
• Driver’s license and any other identifications
• Medications and/or prescriptions 
• Electronics & gadgets (e.g. mobile device, SIM card, chargers, adapters, etc...)
• Nice business casual or semi-formal wear
• Pictures of friends/loved ones - helps with homesickness! 
• Cultural clothing or decorations from home
• Snacks from home

International Payments

Temple University has partnered with Flywire which provides a fast, convenient and secure way for international students to send funds for tuition payments only. Students can make international payments with real-time currency conversion. This service offers 24-hour support in multiple languages.

Banking For International Students - Presented by PNC

Making it easier to make your way in a new culture. PNC Virtual Wallet Student® makes being far from home less challenging. With checking and savings combined, plus easy-to-use digital tools to help you budget, plan and track your money, PNC Virtual Wallet Student helps make banking in the U.S. an easy adjustment. PNC has convenient locations on and near campus and encourage you to set an appointment by calling 215-978-1477, emailing jamie.rojek@pnc.com or tyree.sharp@pnc.com.

PNC is hosting small group sessions during Temple’s Week of Welcome to assist with opening accounts – call us at 215-978-1477 to reserve a spot!

• Monday August 16th @ 10 AM and 10:30 AM
• Tuesday August 17th @ 2:30PM and 3:00PM
• Wednesday August 18th @ 10:00 AM and 10:30 AM
• Thursday August 19th @ 2:30 PM and 3:00 PM

Students will need to bring their passport and student visa related documents as well as U.S address and U.S. phone number information. For more information, visit pnc.com/internationalstudents or pnc.com/temple.