International Student Programs at Christian Fellowship School

Christian Fellowship School welcomes international students to our school, and we find our student body is enriched by the experience of learning about other cultures. Please review the information sheet to see if we are a good fit for your student. Please email the school office for details.

I-20 Forms

Some useful tips for along the way.

Christian Fellowship School is authorized by the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service, a division of the Department of Homeland Security, to issue I-20 forms. Upon acceptance for admission and issuance of an I-20 Form, international students may apply for an F-1 visa, which allows them to attend CFS and participate in our educational program. International students may either live with their own family, a family friend or relative in the Columbia area, or a host family may be identified through the help of the school administration. Since all instruction is in English, students must be able to demonstrate a level of English ability sufficient to reasonably ensure success in a rigorous academic program.

The SEVIS ID for Christian Fellowship School is: KAN214F10391000.

For more information about attending CFS as an international student, please see our International Student Application Information Sheet. For general information about studying in the United States as an international student, visit Study In the States.

International students who need assistance from the school to locate a host family will be assessed a Host Family Placement Fee of $500 to cover the additional time involved in locating and arranging for a host family. This fee is due after the student has been accepted for admission, with enrollment contingent upon location of a host family. The fee is due at the time of the request for a host family and it is non-refundable. Every reasonable effort will be made to locate a host family; however, since this requires willingness on the part of the host family to take on this role, it cannot be guaranteed. Host families are asked to make a one-year commitment when they agree to host an international student. If a different host family is needed in order for a student to return for a second year, the placement fee will be assessed for locating a new host family. If the same host family agrees to host the student for a second year, no additional fee will be assessed for the second or subsequent years.

Host Family Stipend

If CFS assists in the location of a host family, the international student’s family will pay the host family stipend of $10,000 per school year ($1,000 per month) to offset the expenses incurred by the family. The host family will be providing housing, meals, transportation, internet access, and supervision for the student while they are attending the school. This rate is based upon the University of Missouri – Columbia’s residence hall single room rate and their meal plan rate (which does not include transportation) for 2013-2014. This stipend is paid directly to the family, not to CFS.

International students who make their own host family arrangements with a family relative or friend are not required to pay the $10,000 stipend; however, this is still considered a reasonable estimate of the costs that the family will incur for providing housing, meals and transportation for the student and it is the amount that will be entered on the I-20 Form in SEVIS for room and board costs. Immigration officials may therefore require families to provide evidence that they have sufficient financial resources to pay this amount for room and board.