New Student FAQ

Illinois State University is located in the central part of the United States, in the town of Normal within the state of Illinois. Our community is generally referred to as “Bloomington-Normal” because the town of Normal and the city of Bloomington are located directly next to each other.

We generally recommend that students arrange their international flight plans so they land in Chicago, Illinois, at Chicago O'Hare International Airport. Since Bloomington-Normal is about 3 hours south of Chicago, you will need to make additional arrangements to travel from Chicago to Bloomington-Normal.

• Bus - Peoria Charter Bus offers service to Illinois State University from Chicago O'Hare and Midway International Airports. The trip from Chicago to Normal takes approximately 3 hours and costs about $35. Students can buy their tickets on the bus. It arrives at the Uptown Normal transportation center (Uptown Station).
• Air - There are direct flights from Chicago to our local Bloomington airport, Central Illinois Regional Airport (BMI). The trip from Chicago takes only about 30 minutes. CIRA is very conveniently located in the Bloomington-Normal community and is only 3 miles from the university. Students will need to buy their tickets in advance.
• Train - Students may also take the train from Chicago to Normal on Amtrak. Students arriving at Chicago O’Hare International Airport and Midway International Airport can take a taxi or other transportation to Union Station in Downtown Chicago. The Amtrak station is located about 45 minutes away from the airport. The trip takes 2.5 hours and takes students to the Uptown Normal transportation center (Uptown Station), right next to the University. It is best if students buy their tickets in advance at the Amtrak website. This is a good option for students who will arrive early and want to spend time in Chicago before continuing on to Illinois State.

*Please avoid taking a taxi, Uber, or Lyft from O’Hare to campus, as it can be very expensive.

The Connect Transit bus system picks up from BMI Airport and can take you to Uptown Station which is within walking distance of campus. You can also take a taxi, Uber, or Lyft from the BMI Airport to campus. In addition to these options, there are community groups who offer free rides upon arrival to new international students. Students must request a ride in advance – see the Help Upon Arrival section of our website for details. Alternatively, please email Matt Schwab, Coordinator of International House, at mlschwa@ilstu.edu to make in-town travel arrangements.

Once you have finalized your travel and accommodation plans, you MUST fill out the following form: https://forms.office.com/r/x0HF88Esw7

ULID and password, please refer to the instructions here.

This will help the Office of International Engagement (OIE) team coordinate the necessary services and resources(including in-town transportation assistance) to help you get you started upon arrival.

Students are able to make use of the local bus system, Connect Transit, for free with their Redbird Card. There are also several local taxi companies, and Uber/Lyft drivers are available in the area.

Further details can be found under the Life at Illinois State section of the ISSS website.

Bloomington-Normal has two shopping malls:

Eastland Mall – 1615 E Empire St, Bloomington

Shoppes at College Hills – 314 Towanda Ave, Normal

There are also several superstores in the area, including Walmart, Target, and Meijer. An OISP staff member will take international students on a shopping trip the Monday before Orientation.  Please see the Orientation Schedule for further details.

All of the above stores are accessible via the local Connect Transit bus system. You can also plan your trip on their website by clicking on the “Plan My Trip” button from the homepage.

Uptown Normal, within walking distance from campus, features several shops and restaurants, including CVS Pharmacy, where you can get prescriptions filled and purchase essential items like toilet paper, toothpaste, and snacks.

Illinois State University does not provide temporary housing for students arriving early. There are local community organizations that provide temporary housing. Please see the Help Upon Arrival section of our website for details and contact information for these groups. If you need any additional assistance or information, please email International House Coordinator, Matt Schwab at mlschwa@ilstu.edu. We are happy to help you in any way that we can.

If you have chosen to live on-campus, either in a residence hall or on the I-House TLLC floors, please refer to the move-in schedule of your building.

If you have chosen to live in a university apartment, please contact University Housing Services at housing@ilstu.edu to arrange for a staff member to check you in.

If you are living in a privately owned apartment, please review your lease and contact your Leasing Company with any questions.

There are several privately owned leasing companies near ISU that rent apartments to students. Please refer to the Housing section of our website for a list of local leasing companies. There is also an Off-Campus Housing Database where current ISU students can find apartments available for rent or sublease. You will need your ULID and password to login to the database.

It is recommended that you speak to other ISU students for recommendations pertaining to Leasing Companies and apartment locations. One way to do that is to join the ISU Housing, Sublets & Roommates Facebook group. This page is not affiliated with Illinois State University and is only being provided as a convenience in accordance with our mission to serve the international student populations.

For additional, helpful information regarding off-campus housing, please refer to the Dean of Students Office webpage Off-Campus Services.

Privately owned Leasing Companies offer a variety of lease lengths. Please refer to the Housing section of our website for a list of local leasing companies.  Your landlord should contact you about whether you want to continue to live in the same apartment for the next school year.  At that time, if you do NOT plan on living in the same apartment, you should begin your apartment search immediately.

Thoroughly review your lease before signing it. The University Student Attorney provides Lease Review services to help you clearly understand the terms of your lease. Once you have signed a lease, you are responsible for paying rent for the entire duration of that lease whether or not you are living at that location.

For additional, helpful information regarding off-campus housing, please refer to the Dean of Students Office webpage Off-Campus Services.

Some leasing companies allow pets of a certain size at their locations. The best way to find out which leasers allow pets in their locations is to contact the company directly.

ISSS strongly discourages international students from bringing to or adopting pets within the United States given the complications related to caring for an animal during school breaks and while traveling internationally.

Many students are able to find jobs on campus. You can find a complete list of job openings at https://jobs.illinoisstate.edu/.

Click on the “Student” option to view available student positions. International students are generally not eligible for any positions that are federal work-study only or off-campus positions, so check each posting before you apply.

Graduate students are eligible to apply for a Graduate Assistantship. Click on “Graduate Assistant” from the main page to view available Graduate Assistantship positions.

F-1 students are not eligible to work off campus until they have completed two full-time semesters of study. J-1 students must receive authorization before working any job, either on- or off-campus.

You can read more about on-campus and off-campus employment in the Student Employment section of the ISSS website.

F-1 students are not eligible to work off campus until they have completed two full-time semesters of study. Once you have completed one academic year of study, you will become eligible for Curricular Practical Training (CPT). You must apply for CPT authorization through ISSS prior to beginning the internship/job. Any off-campus work must be within your field of study and you will need to earn course credit for the work performed.

J-1 students must receive Academic Training authorization from ISSS before working off campus.

There are several international student-tailored health insurance plans. Listed below are a few of the options listed in alphabetical order.

• Compass Benefits Group
• GeoBlue
• International Student Insurance
• ISO Student Health Insurance
• ISP International Student Protection
• PSI Health Insurance

The cost can vary, but so can the coverage. We recommend that you read the coverage information carefully so you know exactly what the insurance will cover and what it will not.

In addition, some companies will cover dependents only if the primary F-1 is also covered by that company's insurance. Since you already have coverage through ISU, you should make sure to research this question with each company.

There are several other health insurance options out there on the internet and some provided by local companies in Bloomington-Normal as well. You would need to research those on your own.