FWT for International Students

Jacob Perkins on his FWT at Los Manatieales (Costa Rica)

Immigration and Naturalization Service regulations affect Field Work Term for international students during their first year. International students who have been in the country for less than nine months are not eligible to work off campus in the United States for any type of compensation (pay, room and board, etc.).

Options for first-year international students are:

• Working on campus.
• Working as a volunteer.
• Setting up an FWT job at home.

Most first-year international students choose to stay on campus or to return home. Low-cost, on-campus housing, arranged through Student Life, is available to first-year international students who choose to stay for the winter term. Many campus employers including Admissions, Student Life, the Computer Center, Crossett Library, the FWT and Career Development Office, and Maintenance hire student employees during FWT. Volunteer opportunities are also available in nearby North Bennington. After nine months of full-time residency in the United States, international students can take regular FWT jobs as part of their curricular practical training (CPT).