International Student Orientation:  International Student Services of UNA (ISS) organizes orientation sessions for all new incoming international students. During this orientation, international students learn more about life at UNA and in the United States. Representatives from most of the departments in the University attend these orientation sessions and give brief information about their services.

Airport Transportation: ISS provides free airport transportation at the beginning and ending of every semester for international students to and from Huntsville International Airport and Northwest Regional Airport.

Please visit  http://www.una.edu/international/newstudents/airport.transportation.htm for more information.

Community Friend Program: Through the Community Friend Program, ISS helps international students to integrate with American culture, and provides them with opportunities to improve their English skills. Many international students are matched with a faculty, staff, student, or a volunteer from the community and meet with this community friend at least once a month. Through this program many international students found the chance to learn more about American culture and teach more about their home cultures.

Social Activities: International Student Services organizes many social and cultural activities for international students. ISS also organizes seminars, meetings, and dinners for international students in various subjects through the academic year. Most of the international students spend their free time attending intercollegiate sports competitions.

Global Friendship Organization: The GFO is the biggest international student organization at UNA. Under the advisement of the ISS director, GFO organizes several different cultural and social activities, which help integrate international students with other UNA students and surrounding community. Membership in the unique, prestigious Global Friendship Organization is open to all UNA students, faculty, staff and community members as well.

Optional Practical Training (OPT): Students may apply for OPT sixty days before they graduate. Please find the Request for Employment Authorization Document (EAD)  for necessary documents. Please see Ms. Margaret Farley at Powers Hall to get more information.

Site Seeing Tours: ISS organizes different site-seeing tours to several places. International students have chances to see interesting places such as Nashville, Tennessee (Music Capital of the United States); Memphis, Tennessee (Elvis Presley's home); Birmingham, Alabama (largest city in Alabama); Huntsville, Alabama (NASA Space Center); Muscle Shoals, Alabama (International Music recording Center); and Atlanta, Georgia (Coca-Cola and CNN headquarters).

Internship: Each semester ISS selects two international students for an intern position at the International Fertilizer Development Center in Muscle Shoals or the Shoals Economic Development Center in Florence. Students are given the opportunity to gain experience in real life business environment with this non-credit and non-financial internship.

Health Insurance: 

The University of North Alabama offers Health Insurance plan for all International students. This mandatory Insurance plan has the coverage required by the United States Bureau of Immigration and Citizen Services. ISS provides assistance to all International Students who have any problem regarding Insurance. For more information please visit www.studentinsure.com/una

For More Information

International Student Health Insurance Plan