Student Update

Registration for spring and cycle D is underway! The last day to enroll for a spring class is February 2 and cycle D is March 31.  

Register for classes in three steps:     

• Step 1: Connect with your academic advisor to choose courses and stay on track for graduation.   

• Step 2: Clear any holds and complete your To Do items in Student Service HUB.   

• Step 3: Build your class schedule in the Schedule Planner in Student Service HUB. Make sure to review the campus, session (class start and end dates), and instruction mode for each class. Import the class schedule to your shopping cart and register for classes. 

Spring 2026

• The add/drop period dates:  
  • Spring semester classes January 20 – February 2 
  • Cycle D classes March 25 – 31. 
• The withdrawal period dates:  
  • Spring semester classes February 3 – May 7.  
  • Cycle D classes April 1 – May 14.   

Withdrawing from a class will result in a grade of W on your transcript. A withdrawal may affect your financial aid eligibility, immigration status (if applicable), and progress toward graduation. In some cases, your overall education cost may increase due to extended enrollment or loss of aid. 

It is strongly recommended that you consult the following offices before making any withdrawal decisions: 

• Your Academic Advisor
• Office of the Bursar
• Office of Financial Aid
• Office of International Education (if applicable)

Last Day to Apply for May 2026 graduation is February 13. Students must apply online at Student Service HUB.  

We have recently published updated information regarding SEVIS check-in, international travel, and U.S. reentry, Optical Practical Training (OPT), and I-20 extensions. We will continue to keep you apprised of any changes in policies and processes. 

Information for New Students

Registration Deadline

All new students must be registered full time by the end of the Add/Drop Registration period on February 2. Failure to do so will result in the termination of your F-1 status. 

Workshops

F-1 Student Orientation – Spring 2026 
Dates: January 29 
Time: 1 p.m.

F-1 On / Off Campus Employment (Student) Workshop 
Date: February 26
Time: 1 p.m.

Information for New and Current Students

Optional Practical Training Workshops 
Dates: February 24, March 3, 10, 17, 24, 31 
Time: 1 p.m. 

Registration Information 

Full-Time Requirements (for students) 

• All F-1 students, new and current, must be enrolled in primarily in-person courses.  

• Undergraduates and grads are only allowed one online course within their required full-time threshold (grads must register for 6 credits in-person out of 9 credits; undergrads must register for 9 credits in-person out of 12 credits).   

• Additional online courses beyond full-time registration are allowed. For example, a graduate student taking more than 9 credits can have additional online courses. An undergraduate taking more than 12 credits can have additional online courses. If a student needs to drop a course, it must be the online courses before any in-person courses. 

• Best practice is to keep a maximum of 3 online credits per semester for a student registering for the required minimum full-time study. 

Definition of In-Person Courses (for faculty purpose only) 

• The ‘In-Person’ requirement (means that courses require a student’s physical presence in the classroom) can include: 

• Complete in-person instructions for courses. 

• Hybrid courses require partial presence in the classroom. 

• In-person class requirements must be noted in course syllabi. 

• In-person class must have a set time and location for courses. 

• The instructor does not have to be physically present in the classroom but an in-person assistant/instructor, in the form of the Teaching or Research Assistant, would be required to take attendance and be present to assist the students and professor as needed.

Part-Time Authorization

This is to remind you that if you are planning to enroll for part-time courses, prior authorization is required to do so. Failure to do so will result in the termination of your F-1 status. 

Full-Time Status is as follows:

• Graduate Students – 9 credits 

• Undergraduate – 12 credits 

• English Language – 18 clock hours 

• Note: New students must be enrolled full-time, no exceptions.   

USCIS states that an F-1 student can only be part time under these circumstances: 

• Illness or medical condition (doctor’s letter and medical withdrawal from the Registrar required) 

• Academic Difficulties (can only be done once and only in the first semester) 

• Final Semester of Study 

Should you have to register part-time for any of these reasons, you must complete the Part-Time Authorization Form. It must be completed by you and your academic advisor and submitted back to our office. 

Optional Practical Training Deadlines – Fall 2025 

Students graduating in December 2025 may submit applications for Optional Practical Training from 90 days before their program end date until 60 days after. Be sure to apply for graduation with your academic advisor prior to applying for Optional Practical Training so that your advisor can review your credits and ensure that you are on track to graduate. 

Expiring I-20s 

If your I-20 is set to expire and you are not graduating, you will need to extend your I-20 to maintain your F-1 status to do so. It is your personal responsibility to ensure that your I-20 does not expire. 

To check whether your I-20 is due to expire, check the “Program of Study” section on Page 1 of your Form I-20. 

Note: If you have already applied for OPT then you need not worry about the expiration. 

I-20 Extension

To extend your I-20 you will need: 

• Program Extension Form attached to an email. 

• Financial Affidavit of Support attached to an email. 

• Bank Statement provided by you. 

These documents must be given to us complete before your I-20 expires for us to extend your record. If you allow your I-20 to expire, there is nothing we can do at that point, and you will be forced to apply for reinstatement. 

Reinstatement 

If your I-20 as already expired then you will have to apply for reinstatement. The average processing time for reinstatement is 12-18 months. During this process, you cannot do any of the following: 

• Travel outside the United States. 

• Pursue any employment, either on or off campus employment 

• You can only register for courses and attend classes full-time. 

See the attached application for more information. 

Alternative to Reinstatement 

A faster alternative to applying for reinstatement is to leave the country and return the following semester with a new Form I-20.  

Keep in mind that if you do so and plan to apply for OPT, you will need to be enrolled for an additional two semesters to meet the federal requirement for OPT. 

Gain an academic edge by taking advantage of free academic coursework tutoring or general skill-building support (time management, study skills, and test taking). In-person and online tutoring appointments are available.

• Review any Holds and To Do list items in the Student Service HUB to avoid delays in processing aid or impacts on enrollment.
• Enroll in the Spring Tuition Payment Plan. Find out more. 
• Tuition for spring is now due.
• Submit a Seasonal Loan Request Form: If you received financial aid this past summer, submit a seasonal loan request form to the Financial Aid office for the upcoming spring 2026 and summer 2026 semesters. 
• The 2026–2027 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is now available at studentaid.gov. File early to maximize your aid eligibility. You will need to create an FSA ID and use our federal school code 002782. 
• File the 2025–2026 FAFSA online at studentaid.gov to receive financial aid, including any scholarship offers you received. The 2025–2026 FAFSA is required for the spring 2026 semester.
• Apply for the NYS Tuition Assistance Program. Undergraduate students who are New York State residents are encouraged to apply for the NYS Tuition Assistance Program at hesc.ny.gov. You will need to create a user ID and PIN. Our TAP school code is 2120.

Is there a civic or community issue that you want to solve?

Consultants for the Public Good has received a grant that can provide funding for student-led service initiatives that are transformational and impactful to the community. Grab your fellow New York Tech peers or even your campus club and get to brainstorming! 

Additionally, if you are already participating in a volunteer initiative that requires travel, you can apply for funding to aid in travel for access to that opportunity. 

If you are interested, please follow this application form. You will receive a response within one to two weeks of applying. We look forward to reviewing all your project ideas!

• Feeling stressed, anxious, or uncertain about things? You can make an appointment to meet with a fully licensed counselor by emailing counseling@nyit.edu.
• The Office of Counseling and Wellness offers confidential support to any students who are affected by Hurricane Melissa, which recently affected several islands in the Caribbean. Please contact the Office of Counseling and Wellness if you would like to make an appointment. Appointments are available virtually or in person. If you have specific questions, please email counseling@nyit.edu.
• If you are interested in becoming a Peer Health Educator, please contact Esther Landerman at elenderman@nyit.edu for Long Island or Lynzee Medina at lmedin02@nyit.edu for NYC. 

Career Success and Experiential Education (CSEE) has grant funding available for student-led service activities. Students can apply for funding to cover travel expenses or materials needed for service work.

Download the Tech Safe App

New York Tech’s security app includes “panic buttons” to alert Campus Security or 911, location tracing options to have your travel on campus monitored by Campus Security or even by a friend or family member, chat and tip reporting, and an “I’m OK!” feature to let people know you’re okay in an emergency. Learn more about Tech Safe.

Please download the app from either of the following locations: 

Update Your Contact Information

It is important to review and update your contact information, so we can quickly inform you of campus emergencies, closings, and other important updates. Campus Safety Services Quick Links may also be a helpful resource for your campus experience.

Long Island campus: In addition to quiet study areas available in the campus libraries, students may reserve a study room in Anna Rubin Hall or Field House at the Long Island campus. 

New York City campus: The third floor of the Library has carrels for quiet study, and the new Learning Center location will also be available for quiet study when programming permits. Students can reserve a single use study room and the podcasting/media room located in this area. The IT open lab is also available as a study space. 

The Manhattan Library now offers a dedicated media creation space designed for recording podcasts, screen captures, and live streams. This workstation is equipped with popular software including Audacity, Discord, OBS, and StreamLabs, making it easy to produce high-quality audio and video content. If you’re looking for a quiet, professional environment to bring your creative projects to life, stop by and explore the new setup.

The Manhattan Library is also proud to introduce a new Sensory Room, created to support relaxation and wellness. The space includes a bean bag chair, puzzles, coloring books, medication reminder stickers, and other calming resources to help you recharge when academic stress feels overwhelming. The Sensory Room is located on the third floor at 1855 Broadway—stop by and check it out.

At the Long Island campus Salten Library, students can take advantage of a dedicated Learning Glass space to create engaging presentation videos. Learning Glass is an innovative tool that allows you to write notes on a lightboard while facing the viewer, making it ideal for recording lectures or practicing presentation skills. Visit the Salten Library to try it out and enhance your next presentation.

Stop by to purchase reasonably-priced New York Tech-branded merchandise. Spring 2026 hours of operation are listed below. Additional hours may be added and will be posted on CampusGroups and student update emails. 

New York City (16 W. 61st St., first floor):

• Monday: 10 – 11:30 a.m. / 2:30 – 4:30 p.m. 
• Tuesday: 11 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.  
• Wednesday: 10 a.m. – noon / 1 – 4 p.m.  
• Thursday: 11 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.

Long Island (Salten Hall, first floor):

• Tuesday: 12:30 – 2 p.m
• Thursday: 12:30 – 2 p.m. / 4 – 6 p.m.

Our Grizzly Cupboard food pantries in New York City and Long Island are accepting online orders. Students can place orders on Pantrysoft. 

Grizzly Cupboard Pickup Hours (starting January 27) 

• Long Island: Tuesday – Thursday, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. 

• New York City: Tuesday – Thursday, 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Have you or your family recently experienced food insecurity? We always welcome new users to the Grizzly Cupboard! Additionally, we have added additional resources to our Bear Bytes webpage to help you locate food services and resources in your area.

For any additional support regarding food or other basic needs securities, please visit Bear Bytes or email us at bearbytesnyc@nyit.edu. 

Tech Threads provides New York Tech students with free access to new and gently used professional clothing and accessories for interviews, career fairs, networking events, and the workplace, as well as other career-related experiences. Our inventory may include suits, dresses, skirts, button-down shirts, dress pants, ties, belts, scarves, jewelry, and other accessories.

Access tools and support for:

• Email, my.NYIT Portal, Canvas, and Wi-Fi
• Printing, software, and student discounts
• Device discounts
• Password resets, training resources, and more

ITS has lots of great news to share with you about new services and software updates. Read the ITS Newsletter for information about new services, software updates, and important changes that impact you.  

Explore how ITS is transforming campus operations, enhancing academic and research capabilities, and enriching the student experience through the power of artificial intelligence.

If you’re getting a new phone, uninstalling your MFA app, or resetting your device, update your MFA settings before making any changes. This helps prevent a call to the Help Desk and being locked out of your New York Tech Resources, such as email and Canvas.

• Call: 516.686.1188
• Visit us: Harry Schure Hall (Long Island) or 1855 Broadway, room 703 (New York City)