留学生减课必须先经学校DSO批准：官方秋季提醒列出可减课的情形
美国国土安全部面向留学生的官方平台 Study in the States 10月21日发布秋季提醒说，在学生与交流访问者计划（SEVP）认证学校就读的 F 类和 M 类学生，每个学期都必须修满全日制课程，这是维持学生身份的关键一环；在特定情形下，学生可以申请减少课程量（reduced course load），但必须事先得到学校指定校方官员（DSO）的批准。
提醒说，全日制课程指每学期必须修读的学分或课时数，具体要求因学生类别和就读项目而不同，从幼儿园到高中的要求与大学不同；不确定自己课表是否达标的学生应向 DSO 确认。F 类和 M 类学生能选的在线课程数量也有上限。
对 F 类学生，DSO 可在以下情形批准减课：患病或有医疗状况，凭医疗证明最长可减课12个月；遇到特定的入学初期学业困难，但至少要保持六个学分的课量；最后一学期，只需较少课程即可完成学业；已获批特别学生 relief 就业；以及学校距美国边境75英里以内的半日制通勤学生。M 类学生只有患病（凭医疗证明最长五个月）和边境通勤两种情形。
顺序不能颠倒：学生必须先拿到 DSO 批准，才能把课程降到全日制以下，仅有学术导师的同意不够。未经 DSO 批准就减课，学生在 SEVIS 系统中的记录可能被终止，届时须离开美国或申请恢复身份。
DSO 批准后会在 SEVIS 记录中写明减课原因和起止日期；减课期结束，学生必须恢复全日制课程。有疑问可联系本校 DSO 或 SEVP 响应中心。（来源：国土安全部Study in the States）
International Students Must Get DSO Approval Before Dropping Below a Full Course Load, DHS Reminder Says
F and M students at schools certified by the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) must pursue a full course of study each term to maintain their status, and may only drop below it in specific circumstances with prior approval from their designated school official (DSO), the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Study in the States platform said in a fall refresher published October 21, 2026.
A full course of study is the number of credit or clock hours a student must take each term, and requirements vary by student category and program; kindergarten through grade 12 requirements differ from those at colleges and universities. Students unsure whether their schedule qualifies should ask their DSO, and there are also restrictions on how many online courses F and M students may count.
For F students, a DSO may authorize a reduced course load for illness or a medical condition, for up to 12 months with medical documentation; for certain initial academic difficulties, with a minimum six-credit course load; in the final term, if fewer courses are needed to complete the program; for students approved for Special Student Relief employment; and for part-time commuter students attending school within 75 miles of the U.S. border. For M students, only illness or a medical condition, up to five months with documentation, and the border commuter category apply.
The order matters: approval from an academic advisor alone is not sufficient, and students may not drop below a full course of study until the DSO approves. Dropping without DSO approval can lead to termination of the student's record in the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS), after which the student must leave the United States or apply for reinstatement.
Once approved, the DSO updates the SEVIS record with the reason and dates of the reduced course load, and the student must return to a full course of study when the period ends. Questions can go to the school's DSO or the SEVP Response Center. (Source: Study in the States, U.S. Department of Homeland Security)
来源：国土安全部Study in the States
发布：GSM·美国（发布链接）
图片来源：图：大学生在阶梯教室上课。Wikimedia Commons 图片（CC BY 4.0）。 / Photo: Students attend a class in a lecture hall. Image via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0).
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