FAQs & Terms to Know

Can someone pick me up at the airport when I arrive in Omaha?

Yes. You can request an airport pickup online.

Does UNO have dormitories for international students?

Not exactly. UNO has on-campus, apartment-style housing, in which four students live in a unit. They enjoy private bedrooms and share bathrooms, a kitchen, and common area. International students may live with U.S. students or students from almost anyplace in the world; there is no housing complex exclusively for international students. Read more about on-campus and off-campus Housing Options.

I heard health care and insurance are expensive in the United States. How do I get insurance and medical care?

UNO requires all students to carry health insurance, and an affordable policy is included in your tuition and fees statement. Under certain conditions, you may be able to use an insurance policy from your home country. See the insurance section of the International Student Handbook or go to studenthealth.unomaha.edu for more information.

Call Number, Course ID, Course Number, and Section Number: A call number is an inventory number the computer uses to reference a specific course on MavLink. A section number refers to the specific day of the week and specific time the course is scheduled to meet. For example:

MWF 0800 AM to 0850 AM

Note that MWF courses meets Monday, Wednesday and Friday. TR courses meet Tuesday and Thursday

Concurrent Enrollment: The term concurrent enrollment is used for students who are enrolled in ILUNO and UNO classes at the same time. The term is also used for UNO students who are taking classes part-time at another school while remaining on UNO's immigration document. In order to enroll concurrently, a student needs permission from the academic advisor and international student advisor. Students with permission to be concurrent at UNO and another school are required to take the majority of their credits at UNO. Your academic advisor will need to certify that the credits you take at the other school will transfer to UNO and that the course is required for your degree program.

Credit Hour: One hour spent in class equals one credit hour. A three-credit-hour class will meet for three hours each week. The number of credits that each class is worth is listed in the online registration system. You will need a certain number of credit hours to complete your program of study.

Freshman, Sophomore, Junior, and Senior: An undergraduate student's academic classification is determined by the number of semester hours of academic credit earned. These titles equate roughly to one, two, three, and four years at the college level.

Freshman: 0 to 26 credit hours
Sophomore: 27 to 57
Junior: 58 to 90
Senior: 91 or more

ILUNO: Stands for Intensive Language at UNO, the intensive English program that helps prepare international students for study at a U.S. college or university. Many students in ILUNO are preparing to take the TOEFL so that they can apply for undergraduate or graduate admission to the university, while others are studying in order to return to their home country with improved English skills.

Invitation Letter for Family Members: If you are an F-1 or J-1 student and would like to request an invitation letter for a family member who is applying for a visitor's visa, you may request this at International Advising office by completing the Student Request Form. You will need to provide the name, birthdate, country of birth, country of citizenship, and indicate the relationship of the family member you wish to invite. You will be contacted in a few days to pick up your letter.

MavLink: This is the online system used by all UNO students, staff, and faculty. Students use it to enroll in classes and manage their tuition payments and financial aid.

MavCard: It is strongly suggested that students, faculty, and staff obtain a MavCard. The MavCard is the official identification card at UNO. Your MavCard is used to access many services on campus, including entrance into the HPER building and checking books out at the Library. The card can be used as a debit card for making purchases across campus. Learn more at mavcard.unomaha.edu.

NUID: Your NUID (Nebraska University Identification) is and eight-digit number assigned to you when you are admitted to the university. This number will be listed on your student identification card and is used to access your personal information and various campus services.

Reduced Course Load: U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will only accept certain reasons for less than full-time enrollment. Your academic advisor will need to certify that your reason is legitimate and an international student advisor will need to give his or her final approval as well.