This article outlines the steps to create, process, and SEVIS-register an Education Level Change for an F/M SEVIS record. Click on the links below to jump to the relevant section.

• Change of Level Process
• Step 1: Record Creation
• Step 2: Find the Change Education Level Record
• Step 3: Review and Complete SEVIS-Required Data
• Step 4: Create SEVIS Update Record
• Step 5: Change of Level SEVIS Registration
• Canceling an Initial Status Change of Level Record

 

Change of Level Process

Four Terra Dotta ISSS records are involved in the Change of Education Level record lifecycle:

• Academic Objective Active (current) I-20
• Academic Objective Initial (future) I-20
• Change of Educational record
• SEVIS Registration record 

The chart below illustrates how the Academic Objective status changes for both the Active and Initial I-20, the Change of Educational record, and the Registration record during the Change of Education Level record lifecycle. 
 

Record	Previous Status	New Status
Prior Educational Level Academic Objective	Active	Deactivated
Change of Level	Initial	SEVIS-Processed
SEVIS Registration	Pending	SEVIS-Processed
New Educational Level Academic Objective	Initial	Active

In Terra Dotta ISSS, the prior Educational Level academic objective started as Active when the Change of Level was initiated; that status of the record changes to completed after the new record is SEVIS registered.

The Change of Level record status is created in Initial status; the status of the record changes to SEVIS-processed after the new record is SEVIS registered.

The SEVIS Registration record is created as a Pending record; the status of the record changes to SEVIS-processed after the new record is SEVIS registered.

The new Education Level Academic Objective is created in Initial status; the status of the record changes to Active after the successful SEVIS registration.

 

 

Step 1: Record Creation

Staff-initiated 

The best practice for SIS-integrated clients is to monitor the SEVIS Change Manager for potential Change of Level records. They will be clearly flagged. Note that certain data must be manually entered in the Change of Level record. The SEVIS Change Manager will not automatically create a pending SEVIS update record for the new level.

Alternatively, admins may add the Change of Education Level request to an existing student record by going to Records > New Record, locating the student and clicking Yes, then selecting Change of Education Level in the drop-down menu and clicking Create.

 

 

Student-initiated

Students may initiate the  Change of Education Level request. Offices can create a student link, an external webpage, or an email that the student can click to access a request.

Importantly, after it is confirmed that a student needs a Change of Level I-20, the student will use the request to update information, financial documents, and more.

 

 

Step 2: Find the Education Level Change Record

You may also search in the SEVIS Admin for the SEVIS Profile, and click Create New Update Record. 

Or, navigate to Records > Search.

Enter the name of the student whose Change of Education Level record you would like to process.

Click on the Change of Education Level record.

 

 

Step 3: Review and Complete SEVIS-Required Data

You may configure your site to either:

• Allow students to complete their Change of Education Level record. 

• Edit the questionnaire to remove it from student view for the Change of Education Level request. By removing it from student view, only Admins can complete the question items.  To complete this action:  

  1. Process > Questionnaires > Change of Education Level > Click the edit pencil > Select Yes to Is this an internal-use questionnaire? > Select Update
     Note: If you remove the Financial Information questionnaire from view, see if the questionnaire is deployed to any other programs where you may want the student to complete the questionnaire. This will ensure the continuity of your processes.

  2. Select the checkbox to the left of the Application Cycle(s) of the questionnaire to be updated > Select Apply.

Depending on how your site was designed, DSOs will review, edit, or complete the required SEVIS-mapped  Question Items in two questionnaires of the Change of Education Level application.

The image below shows the new record with two questionnaires.

 

The first questionnaire is called Change of Education Level Information. This questionnaire will batch to SEVIS the current education information, whether or not that data is available in the SIS refresh.

When an SIS-integrated student record changes level, the SIS refresh will automatically change the profile field and alert the DSO through the SEVIS Change Manager; however, this is just a notification. For a successful batch update, the question items must be manually updated for the change of level, regardless of the data contained in the user parameter of the profile.

 

The second questionnaire is the Financial Information. It may replicate some of the data from the currently active Academic Objective. It is the same format as the questionnaire used in the Academic Objective, and will be used to report the new program's estimated cost and funding to SEVIS for the new I-20. See the SEVIS Admin: F/M Student Batch Action > Create Student (F/M) KB for detailed instructions on how to complete this questionnaire.

Finally, enter the new program start date and new program end date for the Change of Educational Level record.

Click Start/End Dates in the new record.

Start Date: Enter the new program start date with the date widget.
End Date: Enter the new program end date with the date widget.

 

 

Step 4: Create SEVIS Update Record 

When all fields are complete, create a SEVIS Update Record. For instructions on how to do this, see the SEVIS Admin: Creating a SEVIS Update Record Knowledgebase article.

The Change of Educational Level record will batch to SEVIS. Its successful SEVIS batching will create the new SEVIS Initial record, and maintain the SEVIS Active record under the same SEVIS ID until the SEVIS Initial record is registered. The batch download will return the new Initial I-20 document for the new educational level.

 

 

Step 5: SEVIS Registration

The recommended best practice is to register all of your pending Change of Level records first.

• Run a query to find all the Change of Level records for that term.
• Confirm that the student is enrolled.
• Confirm the student's address/es and any additional information that your institution requires for Registration.
• Complete SEVIS registration for all changes of level individually through RTI Connect. Do these SEVIS registrations before you register your continuing students.
  This way, when they run the large list of students from the SEVIS Admin: Activities > Students > Generate Registration Records the students with changes of level will already have a Registration Record for the current term associated with their profile, and the SEVIS registration action will not be duplicated.

Important: Terra Dotta ISSS follows SEVIS rules during the change of level process. If the SIS refresh pushes data changes for the student before the change of level record is registered, the data updates will always be applied to the SEVIS Active record, not the SEVIS Initial change of level record. Ensure that the data associated with the Initial record is accurate.

 

 

Canceling an Initial Status Change of Level Record

To cancel via SEVIS batch a Change of Educational Level record in Initial status, see this SEVIS Admin: F/M Student Action > Education Level > Cancel Change.