Preparing for your arrival to UMBC in advance will help to make your transition as comfortable and easy as possible.
International Student Arrival Guide
Get ready for your journey to the United States and prepare for your first weeks at UMBC! This guide shares what you need to know about arriving and settling in on campus. From useful resources, campus contacts to packing lists and where to buy necessities once you’re in the US; this guide has everything you’ll need!
Housing Information
On-campus housing, Undergraduates – Undergrads can choose to live on or off campus, but many new students prefer to live on campus in their first semesters. Admitted undergrads will receive directions on applying for housing in their admissions package, but can also learn more on the UMBC Residential Life website. Be sure to apply before the deadline, as on-campus housing always fills up quickly.
On-campus housing, Graduate students – Graduate students can choose to live on-campus in the Walker Avenue Apartments, and can apply for this kind of housing from Walker Avenue’s website directly.
Off-campus housing: If you prefer to live off campus, you can start your search for off-campus housing with the Off-Campus Housing Resources from Retriever Support Services. Be sure to note the UMBC Roommate Finder link! Retriever Support Services also provides information about leases you will be asked to sign, deposit requests you might not understand, and more.
If you are considering living off-campus, please be aware that Greater Baltimore’s public transportation system is not always convenient. Please plan ahead to make sure you have a viable public transportation option to get to campus easily using UMBC’s free transit system or the public MTA bus system – the 35 and 77 routes stop on UMBC’s campus. OCSS’s website can help you find apartment complexes on the UMBC shuttle routes and on the MTA routes.
For more detailed Housing information, you can also visit the ISSS Housing webpage, here.
Course Registration
Undergraduate Students will enroll in courses at their Undergraduate Orientation and Course Selection Day. Information on registering for this program are included in your admissions package, or can be reviewed here.
Graduate Students should review information sent to them by their academic departments, as each academic department handles course registration differently. Please contact your academic department directly if you are unsure about the process for new students in your program to register for courses.
Please note that course registration will result in a bill to your UMBC account.
Billing Information
Your bill for your tuition and fees each semester is only generated when you register for classes. You can use the billing calendar to see the schedule of when your bill will be generated, and when it is due, based on when you register each semester.
Please note that bills are only generated in your myUMBC account – you will not receive a paper bill in the mail. You can see your bill by logging into your myUMBC account, and under the Topics menu, choose Billing and Personal Finances. You can click on Payments and Billing to see your bill, or click on Account Inquiry to see a live balance, which will reflect recent transactions before your actual bill is updated.
Bills can be paid in a number of ways, including those listed here on SBS’s website.
If your family or another individual should have access to your bill, you can set up a “parent PIN” that allows another person to have access to your bill. PIN stands for Personal Identification Number. Log in to your myUMBC account, click on Topics, then Billing and Personal Finances, then Payments and Billing, then click on “create new” under the Parent PIN section.
Third Party Billing – If your bill is paid by an outside organization, such as a scholarship from your home government, you can learn more about connecting your financial sponsor to UMBC here.
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