Arrival Information

Howdy, Aggies!  
   
International Student Services (ISS) is excited to welcome new students at Texas A&M to the Aggie family! We are here to help make your transition to this great university as simple and successful as possible. We encourage you to visit ISS with any questions, concerns, or needs you may have.  Our office is located in the Pavilion Room 110. 
   
As a new international student, you have the opportunity to attend some exciting events before classes begin. These events are Aggie traditions and can be a great way to meet friends and get to know the culture here at Texas A&M!  

  • Howdy Week 

  • As a first year undergraduate student, you can attend: New Student Conference and Fish Camp 

  • As a transfer student, you can attend: New Student Conference and T-Camp 

  • As a first year graduate student, you can attend: New Graduate Student Orientation​

    Students moving to College Station may take a flight directly to the College Station Easterwood Airport (CLL). However, many students choose to fly into surrounding Texas cities, such as, Houston, Austin, Dallas or San Antonio. Students arriving at airports outside of College Station should arrange additional transportation to College Station. There are several options available: 

    • Call a taxi: You can reserve a taxi online before you have arrived in Texas or find one after you have arrived at the airport. Be aware that taking a taxi directly to Bryan/College Station could cost over $100. 

    • Purchase a Lyft or Uber: You can use the Lyft or Uber apps to find a ride after your arrival at the airport. As with a taxi, be aware that this could cost over $100. 

    • Reserve a bus or shuttle to College Station 

    • Use Texas A&M Rideshare Zimride:This new social network rideshare partnership is ran by Texas A&M students. Zimride helps students quickly and easily find rides with other students traveling to the same location or post rides of their own to share the costs of commuting. 

    • Public Bryan and College Station Bus System 

    • The Texas A&M Bus System, which runs approximately every 8-10 minutes when classes are in session taking students to campus from many off-campus apartment complexes. The Texas A&M bus system also passes many grocery and department stores on its various routes.  

    • Taxi services in Bryan/College Station 

    • Purchase a car 

    • Purchase a bicycle/renting a bicycle, College Station can be navigated by bicycle 

    • The Department of Residence Life offers temporary summer housing for Texas A&M students as a part of the Aggie Hostel program. Aggie Hostel is designed for students needing temporary housing upon arriving in College Station prior to the start of the Fall term. There is a maximum stay of two-nights.  

    • Adult, Graduate, and Off Campus Student Services (AGOSS) is the on-campus office that specializes in helping students find temporary and permanent housing upon their arrival to the Bryan/College Station area. AGOSS’ Temporary or Short Term Housing webpage provides information about short term stay apartment options, short term stay residential options, extended stay hotels, area hotels, and other hotel resources. 

    The majority of undergraduate and graduate international students live in apartments located off campus. Many students share an apartment with another student to lower costs. Recently, new students had much difficulty locating off-campus housing when arriving less than two weeks prior to classes.  
    To help in your search for long-term housing, please visit the following: 

    At Texas A&M University, students have the option to live on-campus either in Residence Halls or the University Apartments. To help in your search for On-Campus housing, please visit the Department of Residence Life’s website at http://reslife.tamu.edu. Students must be admitted to TAMU-College Station (main campus) before they can apply for on-campus housing at TAMU-College Station.  
     
    IMPORTANT: New students interested in living on-campus should note that you have to apply very early! On-campus housing can fill up as early as February for the Fall semester. 
     
    On-Campus Early Move-In 
    Students planning to live on-campus at should be aware that the Department of Residence Life designates specific dates as the official move-in dates for each semester. Please visit the Department of Residence Life website, to determine the move-in date for semester in which you will begin your degree program. Students may request an early move-in date for their on-campus residence hall by sending an e-mail to the Housing Assignments Office (housing@tamu.edu) with their full name, UIN, reason for wanting to move in early, and the date that they would like to move-in. Such requests will be handled and approved on a case-by-case basis. Students are not guaranteed to obtain approval for early move-in. If approved to move in early, you will be charged a per night rate for moving into your residence hall. The total charge will depend upon the style of residence hall and the number of nights you are there early. 
    If you find that on-campus housing is already full for the Fall semester and you would prefer to live on-campus, send an email to iss@tamu.edu with your full name, UIN, and preferred on-campus housing location by no later than April 30th. ISS reserves a few on-campus housing spaces for international students each year for the Fall semester only and there may still be availability. Please note that this is not a guarantee. All reserved/unclaimed spaces will be reclaimed by the Department of Residence Life by May 1st each year. Unfortunately, ISS is unable to assist you with finding on-campus housing after April 30th. Please contact the Department of Residence Life directly if you have questions after April 30th. 

    Many students choose to purchase a dining/meal plan on-campus at Texas A&M, even if they live off-campus. There are two cafeterias on campus, multiple cafes, and other restaurants, most of which will take dining dollars or meal trades. To learn about dining on campus and to decide if it’s the right choice for you, visit the Dine on Campus website here. 

    Setting up a bank account can take as little as 15 minutes. There are several banks and credit unions surrounding campus, and there will be some offering their services on campus and at campus events, so it’s your decision on which one you choose. The materials needed will be the same regardless of which bank you choose: 

    • Valid, government-issued photo ID such as a driver’s license or passport 

    • Basic information like your birthday, Social Security Number (if applicable), address, and phone number 

    • Initial deposit 

    There are two general bank accounts to choose from: checking or savings. Checking accounts allow you to pay bills, pay with a debit card, and write checks; when choosing a bank, research if they charge monthly fees on their checking accounts, or if they charge any overdraft fees (money charged to you when you try to withdraw money that isn’t in the account), and if they have convenient ATMs. Savings are for storing money without easy access to withdraw, such as building an emergency fund or saving for a specific goal; you’ll want to see if they offer high interest rates or if they charge fees. 

    In addition to paying your rent and tuition, having a bank account set up also allows TAMU to automatically deposit any refunds you get right into your account! You’ll be able to access that information in your Howdy portal. 

Prospective Students Arrival Information