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 Indian Students' Association -
http://www.uky.edu//StudentOrgs/ISA/
Dear prospective student,
Congratulations on gaining admission to the University of Kentucky. On behalf
of the Indian Students Association and its members, I take great pleasure in
welcoming you to Lexington. Having successfully gone through the extensive
preparation that is required to get admission you must be all geared up to
continue your academic career in the US. To help you better prepare for this
journey we have listed a few suggestions to help you get started on the right
foot.
Travel
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Keep all your important documents and articles like passport, I-20, admission
letter, traveler's checks, one set of clothing, toilet kit, etc. in your hand
baggage as a safety measure, just in case your luggage is delayed by a day or
two. Carry some cash of smaller denominations ($1, $5 etc.) with you so that it
comes in handy during your travel. Keep a copy of your visa, passport, I-20,
admission letter and other important documents in the baggage that you
check-in.
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Arrive in Lexington at least 10 days before classes begin. Students without
funding, are advised to arrive by early August (atleast 3-4weeks before the
classes begin), to try for alternate sources of funding.
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Book your flights to Lexington, Kentucky, preferably arriving here on a
weekend. Do write to us at the address below or call any one of us at the phone
numbers given, well in advance, to inform us about the date and time of your
arrival at Lexington's Bluegrass Airport. We can make arrangements to pick you
up. We will not be able to pick you up from Cincinnati (Ohio) or Louisville
(Kentucky)
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Do not forget to call up your airlines (and not the travel agent) and confirm
your flights two/three days before your departure.
Housing
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It is very important for the students coming to UK to try and make prior
arrangement for their accommodation. Getting accommodation in August is very
difficult as most of the other international students are also trying for them.
The ISA will make every effort to find each new student at least temporary
accommodation, however, we are often unable to do this for everyone. It is
advisable that you at least try to get in touch with some of the new students
who are coming to UK and jointly apply for an apartment. We are trying to put
up a list of students admitted to UK with their city of residence and contact
numbers on the ISA web page.
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You would have received the housing application form and mailing instructions
in a separate letter from the International Student & Scholar Services
Office. If you wish to take up on-campus graduate housing, as most Indians do,
complete the housing application, enclose the deposit, and mail it to the UK
Housing office at the earliest. There are several apartment complexes for
students located close to school. Cooperstown, being one of the closest, is the
most popular among Indian and other international students. The deposit is $65
if you apply from India but is $150 if you request a friend out here to pay for
you. If you do apply from India you shall need to pay the remaining $85 after
you take up an apartment out here. The amount is refundable when you either
cancel the housing application or you vacate the apartment.
Finance
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In case you have been granted financial aid by your department then an amount
of $1000 should be enough to get you started until you start receiving you
paychecks. You need not carry more than $150 in cash as your bank accounts will
get operational as soon as you have deposited your traveler's checks. In case
you are receiving financial aid from your department, then according to the new
rules your health insurance will be paid by the department. Else you might have
to pay for it yourself. It is good to have some sort of health insurance out
here as medical bills could get exorbitantly high in case of unfortunate
accidents. The average insurance rates are around $650 per year. Note that we
are not yet clear about the details of the health insurance that the
departments might provide.
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The minimum expenditure incurred on the basic amenities is $350-$400 /month.
Sincerely,
President, ISA
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Current Student