Skip to the content

Kansas State University

Arrival Information

We are excited about your arrival to Kansas State University !
Please read through this information before leaving your home country:

 

Preparing to Leave

Travel Plans

Make travel reservations well in advance of your departure date. This is especially important if you travel in the United States during peak tourist seasons or holidays. These include the Easter observance (either in March or April); the summer months of June through August; and the Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Day holidays in November, December, and January. The ten U.S. Federal holidays are listed below.

New Year's Day - January 1
Martin Luther King Day - observed the third Monday in January
Presidents' Day - observed the third Monday in February
Memorial Day - observed the fourth Monday in May
Independence Day - July 4
Labor Day - observed the first Monday in September
Columbus Day - observed the second Monday in October
Veteran's Day - November 11
Thanksgiving Day - observed the fourth Thursday in November
Christmas Day - December 25

What to bring
  • A good bilingual dictionary, since it might not be possible to find one for your language in the United States
  • All of your essential identification papers and documents, to be carried on your person or in your hand baggage. DO NOT PUT IMPORTANT DOCUMENTS IN BAGS YOU HAVE CHECKED ONTO THE PLANE - KEEP THEM WITH YOU.
  • Books, manuals, or journals that you think may be useful for reference in your field of study and that definitely will not be available in the United States
  • Pictures of your family, home, and country, for yourself and to show to your new friends
  • Items from your culture, such as musical instruments, recordings of traditional and contemporary music, picture books, arts and crafts, and small gifts, to share your talents and customs with people in the United States. (For festive occasions you may consider bringing traditional dress and accessories from your country. This would be a great way to show and tell Americans more about your culture and traditions. There will be many opportunities to share your culture while at K-State.)
  • Enough money to live on until you can open a bank account and arrange for funds to be transferred from home.
What not to bring

You can get a booklet on customs regulations at the consulate or embassy where you acquire your visa. Prohibited items include some foodstuffs, narcotics, weapons, and items for resale. The U.S. Customs Service also provides this information on their Web site at http://www.customs.gov/travel/travel.htm.

  • Expensive jewelry, treasured possessions, family heirlooms, or delicate things, since there is always a chance that these items can get lost, stolen, or damaged during travel or during your stay
  • Firearms, knives, weapons, or articles that could be perceived as weapons
  • Narcotics or drugs
  • Medications, unless you have written prescriptions from a doctor
  • Any article of clothing, artifact, or medicine made from endangered animals
  • Electrical appliances (Appliances in the United States work on a 115 volts and 60 cycle system. It is usually best to purchase electrical items in the United States , especially if you plan to live in university housing, as some items will not be allowed. Most items are reasonably priced. Also note that video systems, including televisions, VCRs, and DVD players, including those in laptop computers, use different systems in different parts of the world, and those you bring from home are unlikely to be compatible with the U.S. media.)
  • Things you can easily buy in the United States , such as notebooks, pens, paper (paper in the United States is of a slightly different size than in countries following the metric system), toiletries, towels, or bed sheets (These items will take up valuable space in your luggage.)
  • Food, seeds, or plants (The United States has very strict restrictions on importing foods, perishables, and agricultural goods into the country.)
  • Books that can easily be obtained in U.S. libraries (Some universities have their library catalog on the Internet, where you can check the availability of books. You can also contact the university library staff to verify the availability of any essential books. You can usually also obtain books through interlibrary loans. The web site for KSU's Hale Library is http://www.lib.ksu.edu/index.html )
  • Animals

Arrival in the U.S.

What to expect when you arrive at a U.S. Port of Entry

Please go to this U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Website:

http://www.ice.gov/sevis/factsheet/100104ent_stdnt_fs.htm

TB Testing and Health Insurance

All international students are required to have a TB test before enrolling for classes. To get information on TB testing please go to Lafene Health Center 's web site at http://www.ksu.edu/lafene/intrnatl.htm .

Health insurance is required. Lafene Health Center can provide most routine health care. (See the web site for more information.) However, there may be an incident for which you will need to seek health care off campus. U.S. health care is very good, but it is expensive. To cover expenses from an off campus facility, it is required that all students at KSU carry medical insurance for themselves and any family members who have accompanied them.

It is a good idea to get health insurance either before you leave your home country or immediately upon your arrival at K-State. It is generally not possible to purchase insurance after you get sick or a problem is detected during TB testing, because an illness or injury that you already have is considered a pre-existing condition and is usually not covered by insurance.

You may contact the Office of International Programs for further information at: ininsure@ksu.edu

Permanent Housing Options

There are two types of housing to consider when coming to K-State. First is on-campus housing. That would include the residence halls and Jardine Apartments. You can find information about on-campus housing at www.ksu.edu/housing/ .

You may also choose to live in an apartment or house off campus. Here is a listing of resources to help you locate an apartment or find a roommate to share a house or apartment.

•  The International Student Center 's web site includes a bulletin board. Sometimes students or landlords will post an available apartment, a room in an apartment or house to share. You can view this at: http://www.k-state.edu/intlstucenter/bulletin/

Temporary Housing Options

The Department of Housing and Dining Services usually has beds available on a first come, first serve basis in the residence halls for the international students that arrive for Orientation in August. The cost is $25.00 per person per night for a standard double room. The rooms include bed linen, pillow and towels. To reserve a space, email guestrh@ksu.edu .

Meals can be purchased in the dining hall, although there may be some days that the dining hall will be closed. You will be given the dates that meals are provided as well as costs at check in.

For a listing of hotels in the area, visit the Manhattan Convention and Visitors Bureau website . http://www.manhattancvb.org/

For further information about temporary home stays provided by H.I.S., please contact the International Student Center at: intlstucenter@k-state.edu

Here are several web sites where you can get information about Manhattan.
School Districts

The Manhattan-Ogden School District provides education for grades Kindergarten through 12th grade. The web site is http://www.usd383.org/ . The specific school your child attends will depend on the grade and where in Manhattan your family resides. However, children who will need English Language Learning (ELL) classes should specifically enroll in Lee Elementary or Northview Elementary, if in grades K through 6. For more information on the ELL program, contact Nancy Kole at Nancyk@manhattan.k12.ks.us .

Please email our office at intlpreadmit@ksu.edu if you have any questions. Thank you!