On special occasion, an F-1 student may drop below the required course limit and take a reduced course load (RCL) for the following reasons:

1. If there is some sort of illness or medical condition that impairs the ability of the F-1 student.
2. If the student is having initial difficulty with the English language
3. If the student is having difficulty with the reading requirements
4. If there is a certain unfamiliarity with American teaching methods
5. If the student was improperly placed at a course level
6. If the student is going to complete their course of study (graduate) during that same term

A student can only receive RCL based on academic reasons, for only one term and must resume a full course load the following term. Furthermore those students that receive RCL for academic difficulty can only receive it once per academic level (i.e. undergraduate, graduate studies).

A student that receives RCL for medical reasons may remain on RCL for no longer than 12 months. Receiving RCL for medical reasons may jeopardize that student's employment.

If you need to apply for RCL, come to the ISP office to get the authorization before reducing your course load or download the RCL form and turn it in to the ISP office before the end of drop/add period.