Common Questions

General Questions:
          Q:  When do I have to pay?
          A:  You must pay the registration fee with your application. You must pay 4 weeks of your tuition by the first day of class.

          Q:  Do I have to pay all of my tuition when I start studying? 
          A:  No.  You can pay each month.  However, if you study for 12 weeks or more, you can get a 5% discount if you
          pay all of your tuition when you start studying. 

          Q:  Can I pay online?
          A:  You can pay your registration fee online here.  You will pay your tuition when you arrive in Austin. 

          Q:  I have a car.  Where can I park?
          A:  AIA has a large parking area for teachers and students. There is also free street parking every day until 3pm.

Questions about housing:
           Q:  What are the advantages (+)/disadvantages (-) of renting an apartment?
           A:  (+) There is usually more space in an apartment, and it is a more secure option for longer-term study (2 or
           more semesters), and the space is not shared with anyone else.
           (-) Apartments often do not have furniture , you usually need to sign a long-term lease (apartments prefer 1
            year leases), you need to purchase renters insurance, and you need to do a lot of paperwork to create accounts
            for utilities. 

           Q:  What are the advantages (+)/disadvantages (-) of renting a room in someone's home?
           A:  (+) The rent is often cheaper, sometimes the rooms have furniture and housing items, you do not need 
           renters insurance, you do not need to open a utilities account, you can often rent month-to-month.
           (-) The room is usually smaller than an apartment, you may need to share common areas (like a living room or
           kitchen), and you usually need to share utilities with the owner.

Questions for non-student visa holders:
          Q:  Do I need a student visa to enroll in AIA?
          A:  No, you do NOT need a student visa to enroll in AIA. 

          Q:  How many hours can I study with my student (B1/B2) visa?
          A:  You can study full time (18 hours/week) for up to one month. If you study longer than one month, you can
          study from 2-16 hours/week. 

Questions for student visa (F1) holders:
          Q:  How many hours do I have to study if I have an F1 visa?
          A:  U.S. law says that you MUST study at least 18 hours/week at a language school. 

          Q:  When can I take a vacation?
          A:  You can take a one-semester vacation AFTER you have studied two full semesters in a row.  These can be two 
          semesters at AIA, or one semester at AIA and one semester at another ESL school. 

          Q:  What happens if my visa expires while I am in the U.S.?
          A:  It is NOT a problem if your visa expires. Only your I-20 and your passport must remain valid while you are in
           the U.S.

          Q:  Why do I need to show AIA a bank statement?
          A:  U.S. law requires that you prove that you are able to pay for your school and living expenses while in the U.S. 
          AIA is required to see this proof before we can create an I-20 for you. 

          Q:  What kind of bank statement can I show? 
          A:  You can show your own bank statement, or the bank statement of a family member who plans to support
          you.  If the person supporting you is inside the U.S., that person will need to fill out the Form I-134: 
          https://www.uscis.gov/i-134.  Your bank statement must be no older than 2 months. 
        
          Q:  What if I don't have enough money in my bank account for the length of time I want to study?
          A:  This is NOT a problem.  You can easily extend your I-20 while you are in the U.S. You can find directions here.