A) Transportation from Airport:

Once you fill out the form on this page, you will be added to our what’s app group. You can post all your questions in the group and can even request a ride from the airport to your destination. If one of us is available we may come to pick you up from the airport. In this case, one of us will contact you with details. If you do not receive a response from us until a week before your scheduled departure, then you can avail one of the following transportation services:

• UBER which will cost about $60
• Austin Yellow Cab which will cost about $85
• Airport Shuttle which will cost about $150

B) Check in with International Office:

Your first work is to meet the officials at the International Office (IO). They keep a photocopy of your passport, I-20 student copy, visa details, etc. When you leave the US (temporarily or permanently) you have to report to IO and have your I-20 signed by an official at IO. Keep the contact numbers of ISA office bearers; you will always need their advice.

C) Register for Courses:

You will have to register for courses through the following link:

Register for Courses.

You will have to visit your department homepage to check which courses you need to register according to your degree requirements. It is always advisable to consult your graduate advisor before you register for courses (Computer Science students will have a diagnostic interview with the graduate advisor to determine if they need to register for any prerequisite courses in their first semester). The following are links to a few well-known departments (for other departments click here):

• Master of Business Administration
• Computer Science Department
• Master of Science in Construction Management
• Master of Science in Data Analytics and Information Systems
• Master of Science in Engineering
• Master of Science in Engineering Management
• Master of Science in Exercise Science 
• Master in Health Administration

D) Jobs:

Prepare a decent resume and make a few copies. You can book an appointment with the Writing Center. They will help you in preparing your resume and cover letter. You are eligible to work on campus for no more than 20 hours. Each job has its own requirements and most of them require you to complete one semester of coursework and have a TXST GPA. You can check for available jobs and apply to them by visiting the following website: Job4Cats .

A Graduate Assistant (GA), Graduate Instructional Assistant (GIA), Teaching Assistant (TA), or Research Assistant (RA) will waive your tuition fees by 50%. These jobs are highly competitive. More information about the description of these jobs can be found in the following link: Graduate Assistantships.

After you obtain a job at the university, you will have to apply for SSN by visiting the office at 900 Bugg Ln #200, San Marcos, TX 78666.

E) Finances:

If you applied for a loan, your bank will pay your first semester fees through an international wire transfer. Check the following link for details on how to make an international wire transfer: International Wire Transfer Details.

If you are paying from your personal savings, the first thing you need to do after coming to the USA is, open a bank account. There are several banks near the university such as Wells Fargo, Bank of America, etc. Wells Fargo has a branch in our university itself. So, most of us prefer Wells Fargo as it is convenient. You can visit the following link for Banking and credit card information.

You will then have to visit the following link to pay your tuition fees:
Tuition Payment Portal. You can enroll in a payment plan for a fee of $30 which will enable you to pay your fees in 2 – 3 installments. You can check for more details after you log in to your portal.

F) Accommodation:

We suggest you plan your travel according to your apartment move-in date. If you need temporary accommodation (it might be expensive) till your apartment move in date:

• First, message in the what’s app group to check if there is any availability with the seniors.
• You can book a room on AIRBNB
• You can book a room in a HOTEL

• Rent -> $250 – $300 Max per head ( if 4 students opt for a 2 bedroom apartment)
• Electricity -> $20 – $40 Max per head (depends on how you consume the power in your apartment).
• Water -> $10 – $20 Max per head (again depends on your usage).
• Internet -> A few apartments provide FREE internet in the unit, but if you want to opt for high speed internet, you might end up paying $10 – $15 per head.
• You will need to pay renters insurance (for rented apartments) which might cost from $10 – $17 per month for a full apartment ($4 – $5 per head per month). You can compare different companies such as State Farm, All State, etc. for the best deal.
• Approximately it will cost about $75 – $120 per person per month for groceries and dining out.
• This will approximately bring to a total of $380 – $500 Max per head per month.

H) Phone Carrier:

1. There are many carriers from which you can avail yourself of a plan.
2. Lyca, H2O, Ultra, Boost -> these are the popular (Pre-paid SIM cards) which you can use only for first few months.
3. The advantage of taking the above-mentioned carriers is free calling and texting to India (always check terms and conditions) and low prices.
4. You can either order them online on their respective websites or go to some mobile shops and pick it up. It is better to order online as you might not be aware of the shops where SIM cards are available.
5. But after about 2 or 3 months, 4 or 5 students can take a family plan in either T mobile, Sprint, or AT&T. These are Postpaid carriers. You will get to know about it after you come to San Marcos.
6. These prepaid SIM cards might cost from $19 – $55 per month according to the plan you choose. Please check the prices and plans online.

I) Point of Contact for any help:

1. If it is a life-threatening emergency, never depend on anyone call 911.
2. If you need some information that you need to work on, message in the Facebook or What’s app group and someone will reply.
3. For example, if you want to go to an Indian store, message in the group to check if anyone is going to Austin/San Antonio sometime in the near future. Someone will reply and you can go with them (for a nominal fee).
4. If you have any doubt regarding the courses, contact any senior in your department and ask him/her about courses to be taken.
5. If you are not satisfied with the response from seniors, email your respective graduate advisor to request for the info. They are in that position to help students. So DO NOT HESITATE TO DO SO.
6. If you have any other questions or problems, please contact current Indian Student Association – TSU volunteers. As their position says, they are Volunteers, and they do have their works to be done as they are students like you, but they still come forward and try to help new joining students. So kindly understand that point and request some help sensibly. For example, they might not help you find an apartment, they can only suggest you. They might not help you take you to Austin for your groceries but they can suggest the ways you can go to Austin.

J) Health Care:

1. As mentioned above, if it is a life-threatening emergency, please do call 911 and DO NOT WAIT for anyone to bring their car and take you to some hospital.
2. You must pay for health insurance. You can enroll in the insurance offered by the university as it is the cheapest one: Click here to enroll.
3. If you are sick, you can consider going to the university health center which is really a good place to go and get treatment.
4. As you will be opting for United Health Insurance, you are responsible to pay a $30 deductible on each visit to the university health center.
5. The university health center is not 24/7, so if there is an emergency in the middle of the night, consider going to the emergency room at that time.
   • CTMC is one of the emergency rooms in San Marcos.
   • My Emergency Room 24/7 is the other one.
6. But remember, emergency rooms are expensive, but life is more worth than your money. You don’t need to pay them immediately, first they treat you then they will ask you to pay the bill after 30 to 60 days, only if there is anything that your health insurance did not cover.
7. It is very important to opt for health insurance. For more questions on health insurance you can contact International Health Insurance.

K) Public Transport:

1. There are a few bus transport facilities in San Marcos:
   • CARTS
   • CARTS Schedule
   • CARTS Route
2. CARTS ride in San Marcos is FREE of cost if you show your student ID.
3. Other than these, Uber, Lyft and other taxi services will be available 24/7.
4. Request any of the seniors living near your apartment if they can help by taking you to the grocery store when they are going. They might help you sometimes but not always.