Student Information

You will only be eligible for authentication if you are attending an approved program and school.To search for approved programs, please use the University Search

To begin the placement process, email [email protected] to be assigned to an advisor and include the following documents/information:

• Full Name
• Passport
• Civil ID
• High School Transcripts (and Equivalency Letter if applicable)
• Admission Letter
• Official transcripts from any college/university attended (i.e., PAAET transcripts)
• PIFSS Letter (Statement from Kuwait’s Public Institution for Social Security confirming student is not a current employee in Kuwait and does not receive any sort of salary)
• Manpower Certificate
• IELTS/TOEFL score (if admitted to a university)
• Private Unsupervised Statement of Understanding

Remember to thoroughly check your I-20, admission letter, and all other documents included in the admission package that you receive from your ESL program/university for the following information: program start dates, placement exam dates, mandatory orientation dates, health waiver deadlines, immunization record requirements, and other program/university requirements and deadlines. Students are responsible for completing all waivers and document submissions by the deadlines set by the school.

After you arrive in the U.S, the registration process to receive health insurance and initiate social allowance (200KD) through the Ministry of Higher Education can begin. As soon as you arrive, email your advisor to let them know you are here and include the following documents:

• VOE showing full time enrollment
• Visa
• I-94 Most Recent Date of Entry
• I-94 Travel History
• Release of Information Form
• Registration Checklist Form (No bank info required)
• *You will be notified via email if further documentation is required.
  Expected processing time for registration is 3-5 business days, so please plan.

Eligible students attending approved programs will be provided with dental/medical insurance through United and it will be activated after you arrive in the U.S. and inform our office.

You should expect to receive a separate email from United to set up your health insurance portal; make sure to check all of your email folders for this important email. It is important that you do so because this is where you will be able to access your 2 separate health insurance cards: medical/vision and dental.

It is your responsibility to waive your university health insurance every term/year if you receive health insurance through our office. Please make sure to check the deadlines to waive out of this and to avoid any unwanted charges on your account. Our office WILL NOT pay for any university health insurance fees that are not waived. It is your responsibility to complete any forms required by your school to complete the waiver and you can use the information found on your health insurance card to do so.

If you have any difficulty with completing the waiver, please contact United Healthcare via the following emails: Tariq ([email protected]), Omaima ([email protected]), and the Embassy of Kuwait customer service email ([email protected])

You can also get a physical health insurance card by requesting it directly from United who will mail it to you within 4-6 weeks to the address that you provided on the registration checklist form. If you did not provide an address on your registration form, then your insurance card will be mailed to the Cultural Office. Once you have a permanent address, inform your advisor so that it can be mailed to you.

Students attending approved programs may be eligible for a 200 KD Social Allowance administered by the Ministry of Higher Education.

To initiate your social allowance, you must create an account through the Ministry of Higher Education’s Al-Dayrah. Once you have created your account you will be able to upload the required documents.

Remember to register with our office once you arrive in the United States and submit an official verification of enrollment to complete your social allowance request. Without an official verification of enrollment, our office will unfortunately be unable to process your social allowance request.

The 200 KD social allowance is released through the Ministry of Higher Education in Kuwait. If you have questions you can reach the allowance department at: [email protected]

How to maintain social allowance:

• To keep your 200 KD allowance active you MUST submit an official transcript and Verification of Enrollment Form EVERY FALL/WINTER (if applicable) and SPRING term. Your social allowance account on Al-Dayrah will not be updated if you do not submit official transcripts, which will result in the suspension of your social allowance.
• Please have your official transcript sent directly from your school to our office. We do not accept transcripts that are hand-delivered, mailed by students, or issued to students.
• The Cultural Office only accepts signed/stamped verification of enrollment forms as confirmation of class schedules. The VOE form must be signed and stamped by the university/college registrar. Screenshots of class schedules will NOT be accepted.

You are eligible for authentication if:

• -Your university and major are approved by the Cultural Office
• -For an Associates degree, study period in the U.S. must have been a minimum of 2 years.
• -For a Bachelors degree, study period in the U.S. must have been a minimum of 3 years. For those with previous approved PAAET diploma, minimum years of study for Bachelors degree must have been 2 years.

Authentication Request Steps

1. 1. After you meet your program’s graduation requirements and receive your final degree, create your authentication request through Sahel.
   
   Upload all required documents in their system and make sure it is assigned to the Los Angeles Office.
   
   You or a family member must visit floor M3 of the Kuwait Ministry of Higher Education to sign a release form in order for our office to receive and process your request.
   
   
2. 2. Order the following documents to be sent directly from your school to your advisor:
   
   
   • -Official transcripts from all institutions attended
   • -Verification of Non-Traditional Courses Form from all institutions attended
3. 3. Notify your advisor that you are initiating a degree authentication request. If you do not have an advisor, email [email protected] for assistance.