FAQ for In-person Students

The INTERLINK programs are designed for carefully screened, serious, and disciplined students. All full-time students receive 20 hours of in-class instruction, plus additional time each week for orientation and advising for new students. We offer two courses, Reading & Writing and Communication Skills, each meets 2 hours per day, 5 days per week. 

Most students spend 2-3 additional hours per day studying and doing out-of-class assignments. Students have the opportunity to participate in co-curricular activities such as concerts, lectures, and field trips to local places of interest. In-depth orientation to academic and social life in the U.S. is an important feature of the INTERLINK programs.

The six-level curriculum is specifically designed for university-bound students, emphasizing the communicative use of English, academic skills, and cultural orientation. It is also beneficial for anyone looking to learn English to meet their personal and professional goals. Our classes don’t use textbooks; students learn by using the language. Students receive frequent feedback from instructors and other students to make faster progress, and work on projects and topics chosen by the students.

INTERLINK courses are taught by professionally trained teachers who are native English speakers. Our instructors have Master’s or Doctorate degrees in Teaching English as a Second Language or related subjects. Most of them have studied other languages, traveled, lived and/or attended classes abroad and are very familiar with the challenges which face students in new cultural settings.

This depends on a student’s prior knowledge of English. A student’s duration of stay at INTERLINK may range from two to fifteen months.

Click here to see term dates.

The majority of INTERLINK students are undergraduate or graduate students preparing to attend colleges and universities in the U. S. A few are professionals who enroll in the program to improve their language proficiency for personal and professional reasons. Students come from all major geographic regions of the world, including Africa, Europe, the Middle East, Latin America, and Southeast Asia.

Students who successfully complete the INTERLINK program do not need TOEFL or IELTS scores for undergraduate admission to University of North Carolina Greensboro or a number of our affiliated institutions.

Click here to read more about the TOEFL waiver.

Academically qualified students planning to study at INTERLINK may be admitted conditionally to a select group of universities. Upon meeting the conditions as specified in the university’s conditional admission letter, a student may be admitted as a regular student. Most universities require that students submit application forms, official transcripts from previous study, and documentation on finances. Admissions requirements are determined by each institution and vary from school to school. In all cases, one of the conditions will be to achieve a certain TOEFL/IELTS score or complete the INTERLINK program successfully. INTERLINK  does not offer test-taking preparation for TOEFL, IELTS, GRE, or GMAT. However, our classes do help students improve their skills for those exams.

We have intentionally chosen to be small so that individual attention can be given to each student. The maximum number of students in each class is 12-15.

In the INTERLINK program, students are constantly receiving both verbal and written instructions and feedback. INTERLINK instructors are watching to see if students can use instructions and feedback to improve their skills. INTERLINK does not give number grades. Instead, instructors monitor and review the feedback and improvement that happened over the term to see if it resulted in the student being able to demonstrate the skills in each benchmark.

Effort, participation, completing assignments, and attending classes are important factors in helping a student make progress, but they are not included in the assessment of the student’s abilities.  A student must work hard and work smart using the strategies, instructions, advice and feedback of their instructor.  Students must meet ALL benchmarks to pass the course, not many or most.

Qualified students may begin study at INTERLINK at the beginning of any term. New terms begin approximately every 5 weeks. Find application deadlines and term dates on our Dates and Fees page.

Applicants must submit the following:

• An application form;
• Identification and supporting documents;
• A $100 application fee + $110 I-20 processing fee
  Make a payment 

  For a full list of application requirements, visit our Application Process page.

Most students who plan to study full-time need an F-1 student visa.  Once the student application is complete, INTERLINK issues the I-20, student acceptance letter, and all the required information needed to apply for an F-1 student visa. 

Students who are in the U.S. on a valid tourist or another visa (i.e. B-1, J-1) may be eligible to take classes. Contact us if you have questions. 

INTERLINK does not issue I-20s and acceptance letters to applicants for the purpose of requesting a change of visa status from USCIS.

If you enter the U.S. with a student visa, you must study full-time with no break to keep your student status.  It is possible to leave the U.S. at the end of a term, and return for a later term.  After nine consecutive months of study in the U.S., it is possible to take a break from classes for up to three months (or two 5-week INTERLINK terms) and remain in the U.S. legally.  If you lose your student status, you may have to apply to get it back (a long and expensive process with no guarantees), or you may have to leave the U.S. and return with a new I-20 (and possibly a new visa).

You will receive a message prior to your arrival in the U.S. with details about arriving on campus for orientation. Orientation begins at 9:00 am on the first day of the program. The registration date is specified on students’ I-20 forms.

Yes. On-campus housing must be confirmed at least 15 weeks prior to the start of the program. On campus housing is in high demand and UNCG may not have dorm housing available. Visit UNCG’s website to learn more about on-campus housing.

INTERLINK does not provide placement assistance for off-campus housing. The following off-campus apartments are located near UNCG campus:

The Vic Website Telephone: 336.663.3283

The Province Website Telephone: 336.617.7292

The District at West Market Website Telephone: 336.379.0776

The Reserve Website  Telephone: 336.412.5300

University Village  Website  Telephone: 336.944.6838

Medical care or counseling is available to all students through university health facilities, and students are referred to private doctors or hospitals and professional counselors when there is a need.

The INTERLINK directors and staff receive reports from teachers on students needing medical or personal attention and talk with students to see what kind of help is needed. All students are required to have medical insurance. Students are responsible for enrolling in a health insurance policy.

If you are going to miss class, you should email or message your teachers to let them know as soon as possible.  Remember, there are no excused absences—please do not miss more than the allowed number of classes or there are strong consequences such as leaving the program. 

Also, every teacher has a different policy about late work—not all teachers will let you make up work you miss because of absences. Look at the teacher’s syllabus for their policy. If you can, email the teacher homework that is due on the day (or days) that you are missing. You can ask classmates what you missed in class and what homework you need to do.

Yes. INTERLINK requires students and their dependents to have health insurance to study in the US on an F-1 visa. Travel insurance is not the same as health insurance. Travel insurance is designed for people traveling to cover cancellations, personal belongings and only emergency medical treatment, whereas international health insurance is designed to cover inpatient treatment check-ups and continuing treatment of chronic conditions abroad.

Students are responsible for enrolling in a health insurance policy and providing proof of their insurance by the start of their INTERLINK studies.

INTERLINK at the University of North Carolina Greensboro is located at:

Foust Building 025, Administration Drive
Greensboro, NC 27402

As soon as you receive your visa, please contact us at ana.valdivia@interlink.edu to confirm your attendance and arrival date. 

Each term, students should expect to pay INTERLINK tuition, the UNCG university fee, and housing fees if living on campus. See Dates & Fees

All fees are due by the tuition payment deadline, usually 2-4 weeks before the term begins. Tuition payment deadlines for upcoming terms are listed here:

Term	Tuition Payment Deadline
Winter I 2026	December 19
Winter II 2026	February 9
Spring I 2026	March 25
Spring II 2026	May 5

If payment has not been made (or satisfactory arrangements made) by the deadline, the student may be subject to additional fees or dismissal.

Bank drafts or traveler’s checks drawn on a U.S. bank are recommended. Credit cards are accepted  for application fees, insurance,  tuition, room and board. An additional 2% will be charged if you pay with a credit card. Bank wires are also accepted.

INTERLINK offers assistance to students who want to open bank accounts upon arrival.

Click here to see dates and fees.

Yes! Please click here to read more about scholarship opportunities at INTERLINK.

Students on an F-1 visa may be eligible to work part-time (up to 20 hours/week) on the campus of UNCG. F-1 students may not work off campus or full-time. Work which might help pay for your studies at INTERLINK is not available. INTERLINK does not provide assistance with job placement. 

Refunds will only be considered for emergency circumstances and are evaluated on a case-by-case basis. To request a refund, students must complete and submit the Refund Form, which will be provided upon request. Transfers are not considered emergency circumstances. Refunds will not be issued for students who choose to transfer to another institution after paying tuition.

No refund will be given for housing or university fees.