Before you arrive for International Student Orientation on August 19, there are many logistics and steps to complete.

• Complete all steps in the New Student Checklist
• Sign housing contract and reach out to new roommate(s)
• Complete registration for classes and contact your academic advisor with questions
• Set up your U.S.-based cell phone
• Complete and submit the JMU Immunization Form
• Pay your student bill

Paying for tuition, fees, and room and board at JMU:

• The University Business Office (or UBO)  oversees fees and payments at JMU with various payment methods (including international payments to JMU) available.
• Bills will be sent in late July for Fall term and early December for Spring term.
• M3, short for Madison Money Manager, is the student financial account portal. This is where students can view or make an online payment to their student account.
  • By default, only students can view and pay their own account. If students would like to give other people (e.g., their family members) either viewing and/or paying rights, students will need to grant them appropriate access.
• Installment payment plans are available for the fall and spring semesters to all enrolled students. Students may sign up for an installment plan, which allows students to select 3, 4, or 5 month payment plans.
  • Students interested in scholarship information should review our resources page and the Madison Scholarship Hub.

Please go to the Cost of Attendance Calculator to see the estimated cost of attendance for your program of study.

All new undergraduate students are required to live on campus. After you sign the housing contract, you will be assigned a room in one of JMU’s residence halls. You will also be assigned a campus mailbox.

Their mailing address will be:
First Name & Last Name
James Madison University
800 South Main St., Box # (found in MyMadison)
Harrisonburg, VA 22807 – USA

Please visit the Mail Services page for frequently asked questions about JMU mail.

All students studying in the state of Virginia are required to complete an immunization form, documenting a specific set of vaccinations, before the start of classes. This is to help prevent outbreaks of contagious diseases. The University Health Center provides information on what new students need to complete. UHC has translated versions of the JMU immunization form that may be helpful for doctors in non-English speaking countries.

The immunization form should be completed and submitted before beginning your studies at JMU. Completing your vaccinations in your home country could be considerably less expense than receiving immunizations in the U.S.

Once the immunization form is completed, including your doctor signing it, you will need to save the document as a PDF file and upload it to your MyJMUChart.

If the immunization form is not submitted by the first day of classes, a $50 fee and a hold will be placed on your JMU account, which prevents you from making changes to your academic schedule.

JMU requires all students on F and J visas to have health insurance coverage. ISSS offers a comprehensive accident and illness insurance plan through Cultural Insurance Services International (CISI) and enrolls all students in this coverage to meet JMU’s requirement. For more information, please visit our Health Insurance page.

If a student currently holds an insurance policy, they may review the waiver requirements (e.g. provides equal levels of cover, etc.) to see if they qualify to waive out of the JMU-sponsored health insurance plan through CISI. If you wish to apply for a waiver, you must complete an insurance waiver application.

Selecting a phone plan may require some research, and you may want to contact other students, particularly those from your home country, for suggestions.

Most international students keep their current phone and insert a SIM card, which can be purchased from companies like CampusSIMS/Mint Mobile, or purchase an eSIM, which is a digital SIM card. Not all phones support eSIMs, so it's important to check that your phone is compatible before you purchase this option.

• Make sure your phone is unlocked and is eSIM-compatible
• ISSS can provide free physical SIM cards to students who request it upon arrival.

Click here for information and to get started with CampusSIMS.