Lighten the Burden of Tuition with Paid Jobs by Using Day 1 CPT 

It is often believed that studying in America will cost an arm and a leg. As international students, very few scholarships can be applied and under most circumstances, F1 students are not allowed to work. For the most part, this is true. Day 1 CPT programs provide an alternative. Although most of the day 1 CPT programs do not hold high positions in QR ranking, they are way more practical than some of the elite programs. They allow international students to work while studying. They also offer special scholarships for international students. In addition, you will also be able to build a professional network while still studying at school. This could be beneficial for career development in the future.

How to find paid jobs as an F1 student?

1. Enroll in one of the accredited day 1 CPT Universities

Don’t know which day 1 CPT university and which day 1 CPT program fits you the best?

We can help: book our free consultation to obtain a personalized day 1 CPT universities list

2. Look for an employer that accepts CPT work authorization

• We made an employer checklist for day 1 CPT students.
• We also update hiring news from time to time. For example, if you work for the tech sector, you may find this article regarding ICC that accepts day 1 CPT, CPT, and H1B transfers interesting.
• Pro Tip: if you started working at a company by using OPT but failed to get an H1B after your OPT is used up, switching to day 1 CPT usually is not a problem. Most companies that accept OPT will also accept day 1 CPT as a type of work authorization for their existing employees.

3. Enroll in a day 1 CPT course and get CPT i-20

You will need to enroll in a CPT course which usually takes about 1-3 study credits. After that, you can hand in your CPT request to your day 1 CPT university. You’ll need to prepare a CPT agreement and offer from your employer along with other ID documents. Each day 1 CPT university has different requirements but the aforementioned documents usually are essential.

If you are already a day 1 CPT student, you are welcome to contact our consultants for help through your CPT application. We work with many day 1 CPT universities to provide before and after enrollment services to day 1 CPT students.

4. Start working and Get Paid

• Once you receive your CPT i-20, you can work legally in the USA
• Remember to fulfill all CPT requirements posted by your day 1 CPT university, such as maintaining a 3.0 GPA, attending on-site lectures as required, renewing your CPT i-20 periodically, etc.

How to get a Day 1 CPT scholarship

1. Enroll in one of the day 1 CPT universities

There are many Day 1 CPT universities out there. We recommend you choose the accredited ones. Otherwise, you may face problems later during RFE. You can read our article: risks of using Day 1 CPT to find out more.

2. Check with the university you choose to see if they have scholarships

For international students, these are the usual type of scholarships you might be able to get:

a. The Distinguished scholarship is for students with a GPA of 3.5 or above

b. Diversity Scholarship for international students with a GPA of 3.25 or higher.

c. Scholarship for students with financial hardship and a GPA of 3.0 or above.

Want to learn more about Day 1 CPT and Day 1 CPT Scholarships?

Contact our experienced educational consultant with expertise in dealing with all kinds of study-abroad problems in the US.