We develop and organize several events and invite you to get connected through helpful resources available to support you and make your international student experience even better, including but not limited to:
We will share a biweekly calendar with IU events and relevant information to your official emails.
We will host events and plan activities for O’Neill International Graduate students. Share Your Ideas
We will give you Campus Tours and O’Neill Building Tours (by request).
We will help you connect with other international and domestic students.
We will support you during your adaptation process.
Resources for International Students
At the O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs, you’ll get more than a great education—you’ll get a great college experience. You’ll have access to programs outside of the classroom and out in the world that will help you develop your leadership skills and launch your career. You’ll be part of a spirited community of O’Neill students in a culture with the incredible opportunities—and fun—of being on a Big Ten campus. But at the same time, you’ll be able to find the support, inclusion, and engagement you need. And, you’ll be at one of the best college towns in the nation—Bloomington, Indiana—famed for its food, art, music, bicycling, and outdoor adventure in an area of scenic beauty.
When you first come to the US, you may encounter difficulties in adjusting to the local culture.
OIS provides multiple programs for you to get involved:
Practical English Tutorials (PET): Improve your English-speaking skills and learn from native speakers who are eager to share their knowledge of the language. Sessions focus on topics like slang, holidays, and American culture in general.
Conversation Partners: We will match you with an IU Bloomington student or staff member who can help you learn a language that interests you, and who wants to learn your language. Because your partner will be a native speaker, you will learn how to use the language in daily conversation. You will learn about each other’s culture, too.
All IU international students in F or J status along with their dependents are required to have health insurance for their entire stay in the United States. You will be automatically enrolled in the IU Plan and billed for the cost.
You are responsible for ensuring your dependents have health insurance, and you may purchase health insurance for them through IU. Dependents are not automatically enrolled, and the cost cannot be billed to your bursar account. Find out more information here!
Download Anthem's Sydney app on your mobile device to access your health insurance information, including your ID card, benefit information, and provider network.
For more information, see the Student Services page!
International students may apply for many hourly-paid student positions on campus, such as teaching assistant and graduate assistant. Both F-1 and J-1full-time students can work no more than 20 hours per week during fall and spring semesters. However, you are NOT eligible for any work-study position.
As an F-1 student, you do not need authorization from Office of International Services (OIS) to work on the IU Bloomington campus.
As a J-1 student, you need to submit the “On-Campus Work Authorization” e-form via Atlas at least 5 days before the employment start date.
If you want to work on other IU campus, work more than 20 hours per week, or accept any on-campus employment not paid by IU, please contact OIS to discuss your options.
For more information, read the OIS On-Campus Employment’s page
CPT is a work authorization that allows you, an F-1 student, to have practical training in your field of study before you graduate. The practical training may include paid or unpaid off-campus internships, practicum, and jobs.
If you are an F-1 student nearing the end of your studies, you may be eligible for 12 months of OPT. OPT allows you to gain practical training and experience related to your major.
To look at the IU website for internships, "Handshake," click here.
You are always welcome to contact us if you have any questions on work authorization or have any problems during the application. However, please contact OIS or an immigration attorney for specific legal advice.
You may find more information regarding employment and work authorization on the following website:
Bashir Salisu International Student Services Coordinator
Hi, I’m Bashir Salisu, a graduate student in the Master of Science in Environmental Science (MSES) program with a concentration in energy and climate change science. As the International Student Services Coordinator, I support international students by organizing cultural and social events, coordinating programs, and providing resources to help them succeed academically and socially. I aim to foster a sense of belonging by providing resources and creating a welcoming, inclusive environment that empowers international students to thrive academically and socially.
I’m always here to answer your questions, offer advice, or help you navigate challenges during your time on campus. Feel free to reach out via email at oneillic@iu.edu or visit me on campus. You can find me on the second floor of the O’Neill building during drop-in hours:
Mondays and Wednesdays: 1:00 - 3:30pm (Room A204)
Tuesdays and Thursdays: 12:30 - 2:00pm (Room A206)
Don't hesitate to stop by to say hi, chat, and connect - not just to ask questions. I look forward to meeting you!
On-Campus Cultural Centers
Asian Culture Center
More than 2,500 Asian and Asian Pacific American students attend Indiana University, bringing their diverse cultures and talents. Like other students, they face common challenges in adjusting to university life and finding friends with shared values and outlets for their energy and convictions.
Established on the Indiana University campus in 2007, the FNECC addresses issues related to the education of and about Native Peoples, facilitates awareness of Native cultures, languages and histories, serves the needs of Native communities and enriches the diversity of IU Bloomington.
The purpose of the Latino Cultural Center, La Casa, is to enhance the historical, political and cultural awareness regarding Latina/os through its programs and services.
The Neal-Marshall Black Culture Center is committed to academic excellence through quality educational, cultural and social programs that promote public awareness about the Black experience while celebrating the academic and leadership achievements of our students.
The Jewish Culture Center at Indiana University is dedicated to ensuring Jewish college students have opportunities to recognize and develop their leadership potential and connect with Judaism in many traditional and creative ways.
LGBTQ+ Culture Center celebrates sexual and gender diversity on a campus providing a welcoming environment, LGBTQ+ Culture Center serves as a resource and information center for the IU LGBTQ+ community and people who want to better understand LGBTQ+ issues and concerns.
The TMBCC was established by Indiana University Professor Emeritus Thubten J. Norbu in 1979 to acquaint people with the history and culture of Tibet and to support Tibetans everywhere. Throughout the year, it provides a place for workshops, teachings, seminars, initiations, retreats and ceremonies relating to the Tibetan and Mongolian cultures.
Gaden KhachoeShing is a Tibetan Buddhist monastery dedicated to preserving the Buddha's teachings as transmitted by the Gelugpa lineage for the benefit of all beings. This cultural center provides the ideal environment for religious study by offering the benefits of isolation from worldly affairs as well as easy access to all necessary amenities of daily life.
El Centro Comunal Latino is a grassroots, community-based organization that seeks to provide an accessible and safe space for all Latinos, with a focus on Spanish-speaking people, to find information, access to resources and a place to hold community events.
