Certified to operate in the State of Virginia by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia

______________________________________________________________________________________ Co-Op Office UNVA coop@unva.edu Rev. 10/02/09

CPT Program Rules

Curricular Practical Training Policies and Procedures (CPT) General Information: The UNVA

Graduate Co-Op program integrates off-campus employment with a graduate students academic program

through Curricular Practical Training (CPT). CPT is authorized under Title 8 in the Code of Federal

Regulations 214.2(f)(10)(i). This program offers an excellent opportunity for students to experience an

authentic American work environment while simultaneously completing their Masters degree program at

UNVA. CPT is not only encouraged, but is a required aspect of the UNVA Graduate Co-op Program.

Through this program students obtain real world work experiences, develop confidence in their abilities,

and become further prepared for securing their promising future careers.

Note to Students: Please read these policies and procedures thoroughly before seeking counseling.

Applications for CPT must be submitted a week prior to employment start date and are subject to the

approval of the UNVA Co-op Program Director.

Please allow at least 5-7 working days for CPT application processing.

In order for you to be eligible for CPT you must:

A. Be a participant in the UNVA Graduate Co-Op Program.

B. Enroll in a full course load.

C. Be in good academic standing.

D. Not have outstanding balances with the university.

Before applying for CPT you should:

A. Have read and understood the procedure for CPT application.

B. Have secured a job offer from a prospective employer. Job offer should describe list of job duties

related to your curriculum at UNVA.

C. Prepare and organize all necessary documents for CPT application.

Bring the following to Co-op office when you are ready to apply for CPT:

[ ] A copy of your last I-20 [ ] Copy of Passport [ ] Copy of your visa [ ] Completed "UNVA CPT

Application Form [ ] Receipt indicating registration for COOP500 or 590 for the current semester [ ]

Cancellation form for your previous position (in case if you have an active CPT work authorization) [ ] A

letter from the prospective employer indicating the following information [ ] Employer Name [ ] Number

of work hours/week [ ] Start date & ending date [ ] Employers Address [ ] Job title [ ] Attach a job

Description [ ] Salary

Co-op office will contact you once your CPT has been approved and issued and you will

be ready to work. In accordance to Federal Regulations F-1 students may not work

unless they have received proper work authorization from the University.

University of Northern Virginia

7535 Little River Turnpike, Suite 103 AB, Annandale, Virginia 22003 Phone: (703) 941-0949 Ext: 130 Fax: (703) 941-0893-www.unva.edu

Certified to operate in the State of Virginia by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia

______________________________________________________________________________________ Co-Op Office UNVA coop@unva.edu Rev. 10/02/09

Unauthorized employment is grounds for termination of F-1 status. Please do not

forget the following:

Your education is the number one priority and reason for your stay in the U.S. Your

employment is never a valid reason to curtail your academic program.

When employed in the United States, will be subject to all federal and state tax laws.

Students are expected to attend classes regardless of their work schedules. A minimum of

80% attendance is expected for regular classes.

A minimum of 3.0 CGPA is required to maintain all the time to continue working under

CPT work authorization. Lower than 3.0 CGPA may cause termination of CPT I-20.

All students who wish to apply for CPT must take ORTN 500 course before applying for

CPT. Part-time students are required to take ORTN 500 along with two academic courses

in their first term. Full time students are required to take ORTN 500 along with one

academic course. After the first term, all students that are working on CPT must register

ORTN 590 for the consecutive terms to continue working under CPT work authorization.

If a student cancels employment and is not working during the registration, the student

must take a full course load (two academic courses) and should not enroll in ORTN 590.

Part-time CPT students are authorized to work 20 hours or less per week. The Offer letter

must clearly state that the student will work 20 hours or less per week. Full-time CPT

students are authorized to work 20 hours or more up to 40 hours per week. Full-time CPT

students must pay CPT administrative fees ($3050) before starting full-time employment.

The students job and major must be directly related. The purpose of CPT is to help

student gain knowledge in their field of study.

If a student wishes to leave or is terminated / laid off, a cancellation form must be turned

into the Co-op Department within 10 days. We will not back date a cancellation more

than 10 days. If a student fails to turn in the cancellation form within 10 days period, the

student is responsible for wasted CPT time.

If a student works on part-time CPT for more than 24 months or full-time CPT for more

than 12 months, he/she will lose eligibility for Optional Practical Training (OPT) upon

graduating. Student interested in OPT must keep track of how much CPT time has been

used. Students not interested in OPT may work on CPT work authorization for the entire

duration of study.

If a student wants to work past the one-year end date, an extension form must be turned

in at least three weeks before the CPT I -20 expires. Extension Forms turned in after CPT

I -20 has expired will not be accepted. In this case, a new offer letter from the employer

and a new application will be required. Students are expected to keep track of expiration

dates and never work without work authorization. Doing so can result in serious

consequences.

Students may extend the CPT I-20 work authorization if they wish to work past the

one-year period. When an end date on CPT I-20 falls after the registration for next term

starts, the student must register for the next term before the extension for can processed.

Read & Agreed by (Student Name): Signature:

Date: