Please visit the official US government website for the latest information on travel requirements to enter the United States. This information is subject to change, so please check it before you travel.
The Global Education Center looks forward to welcoming you to UNH!
Schedule for All New International Students
Welcome to the University of New Hampshire (UNH)! The Office of International Students and Scholars (OISS) is looking forward to welcoming you to campus in August 2023 for the start of the Fall semester.
Arrival COVID Testing:
All students in the UNH Durham community are required to take a COVID test. You must either submit a labeled PCR test in a UNH COVID drop box on campus or upload the results of a third-party PCR or home rapid test here. If you tested positive in the past 90 days, you should use a rapid test.
It is strongly encouraged that you take this test 24 hours prior to departing for campus. If you do not test at home before arrival, we recommend testing within 24 hours of arriving on campus. Any PCR or Rapid Antigen test can be used for this mandatory arrival test. More information can be found on the COVID 19 Updates website.
Below is a checklist for you to follow in preparation for your arrival:
The mandatory International Student Orientation will be on Monday August 21 – Thursday August 24, 2023. Please click here for the orientation schedule. If you have reserved on-campus housing, you will be able to move into your residence hall on Monday August 21, 2023, so plan your arrival to campus accordingly.
If you arrive earlier than Monday August 21, 2023, there are two hotel options in Durham, NH: Holiday Inn Express or The Pines Guest House.
When you have your visa and flight tickets, please let us know the details of your travel plans. Be aware that F-1/J-1 visa holders may enter the U.S. no earlier than 30 days prior to the start of classes on August 28, 2023. Our Pre-Arrival Newsletter provides important information about airports and transportation to UNH.
Set up your UNH IT accounts:
First, you need your 9-digit UNH ID number, which begins with the number “9”.
Instructions:
Step 1 - Visit https://myaccount.usnh.edu. You will be presented with a login screen.
Step 2 - Click Activate Account to begin the process of activating your new account and establishing a password.
Step 3 - Input your username or your USNH ID. This information is included with your welcome materials.
Step 4 - Enter the personal email address that USNH has on file for you (generally the email address used in your application). After you’ve put in this information, click on the Activate button.
Step 5 - Confirm that the email address being shown to you looks correct, and then click Continue. You will receive an email from the MyAccount tool with the security code.
Step 6 - Retrieve the security code from your email and enter it into the field shown, then click Check Code.
Step 7 - Set a password following the guidelines shown on the page and confirm when done.
Step 8 - Choose and answer three security questions to use for self-service password recovery.
- You cannot use the same answer more than once
- Answers must be at least 3 characters long
- Answers are not case-sensitive
Step 9 - Choose and answer two security questions for Help Desk verification; these are used in conjunction with other information about your account to confirm your identity if you call for help.
Step 10 - Review the answers to your questions and click on the Confirm button.
Note: To set up a mobile device for account recovery purposes, choose the tab relevant to your phone’s operating system and follow the instructions on the screen. MyAccount supports the Microsoft Authenticator app (recommended) and most third-party authentication apps including as SmartAuth and the Google Authenticator app.
Step 11 - Re-enter or choose a new personal email address and click Update when ready.
Step 12 - Review your Password Reset Email and click Confirm to finish the process.
Your official UNH email address will be First name.last name@unh.edu. This is the ONLY email address to which UNH will send official notices. Check in often! To set up your UNH email, go to: unh.edu/it/student-email.
If you have questions about your UNH IT accounts, please contact the IT Help Desk at +1-603-862-4242 or go to unh.edu/it/ and at the bottom of the page are ways to get online assistance.
Arrange housing:
Demand is very high for on-campus housing. If you plan to live on-campus, make an application with UNH Housing: unh.edu/housing. The UNH Housing website has information about residence halls, room sizes, and what to bring. (Note to Exchange Students: Your Housing Application has been submitted to UNH’s Housing Office. You will receive an email in late July/early August 2023 just before your arrival with your room assignment.)
Demand is also very high for off-campus housing. If you plan to live off-campus, use this website for available listings: unh.edu/housing/off-campus. Wildcat Transit bus service provides free transportation to UNH students, faculty and staff with a UNH ID card. It operates on a reduced schedule until classes begin. For routes and schedules, go to: unh.edu/transportation
Register for your Spring semester courses:
- Graduate and Undergraduate Students: Please contact your academic department to get connected with your Academic Advisor and register for courses.
- Exchange Students: Your Academic Advisor will contact you to help you register for your courses.
Complete health insurance requirements:
To complete your medical/immunization forms, go to: unh.edu/health/health-requirements
- Scroll down to the topic Areas of Specific Interest
- Choose the link Medical Forms to Complete Before You Come to UNH (Entrance Requirements)
- Read the forms carefully and complete them accurately. You may bring your completed forms to UNH and submit them directly to Health & Wellness, or you may email them to: health@unh.edu Note, failure to complete and submit these forms may result in a hold on your student account.
Health insurance is REQUIRED for all F-1/J-1 students. You MUST enroll in UNH’s Student Health Benefits Plan (SHBP). The deadline to enroll in SHBP is August 28, 2023.
- Go to: unh.edu/health-services/shbp
- In August, there will be a link for you to ENROLL in SHBP. (Note: Until you register for your Fall semester courses, you won’t have access to this system.)
- You may not have access to some of the online forms from your home country, so you may complete them when you arrive on campus.
- If you have difficulty enrolling, please email Gregory.Turcotte@unh.edu.
Pay your tuition bill:
Tuition bills need to be paid on time. Please be aware of the extra time needed to process online payments. Overdue bills will jeopardize your visa status.
- Your bill is posted to Webcat which can be accessed through my.unh.edu (Graduate Students: Your tuition bill may not be posted until you register for your courses.)
- For payment options, go to: unh.edu/business-services/paymethods. Flywire is a preferred method of payment and is secure and available using Webcat.
- The UNH electronic payment system requires that checks come from U.S. banks. UNH is not able to accept checks from foreign bank accounts.
- If you have billing-related questions, please contact: Student.accounts@unh.edu Please be sure to include your full name and UNH ID number in any email request.
If you have any questions, please email oiss@unh.edu. We look forward to your arrival!
