Arriving on Campus

A BU login name and Kerberos password are necessary to access BU resources, including the wireless network, the MyBU Student Portal, and course sites such as Blackboard Learn. Once we have registered you for your summer courses, we will provide you with information on how to create a BU login account.

All BU students are assigned a nine-character, computer-generated ID number. This ID number is used for all University records, including registration, course adjustments, and student accounting. This number will be included in your registration confirmation email.

Students can create their Terrier Card ID by uploading a photo through the “Terrier Card Center” in the MyBU Student Portal. Please follow these guidelines. You can pick up your Terrier Card once you arrive to campus.

Please email tco@bu.edu with any questions.

If you have already set up your BU login account, you may make a payment using a US bank account through the MyBU Student Portal by selecting “My Bill & Aid,” then “Student Account Balance Due,” and clicking on “Nelnet Payment & Payments Plans” from Nelnet’s main page, select “Make a Payment” from the left navigation menu. You will need to have an active BU login name and Kerberos password to gain access to the MyBU Student Portal.

Students who do not yet have access to the MyBU Student Portal or are unable to access their student account there may submit a credit card payment (American Express, VISA, MasterCard, or Discover) at bu.edu/payment.

Boston University offers two options for international payments: Flywire and Convera. Both of these vendors provide a tailored interface for international payments to BU. Since the information collected through these vendors, including the student’s BU ID number, is transmitted electronically to BU along with payment, use of either of these vendors will allow for efficient crediting of payments to the correct student account.

For more information on payment options including international payment, go to our How to Pay section.

Student Accounting Services

25 Buick Street, Suite 130
Boston, MA 02215
Open Monday–Friday, 9 am–5 pm
Phone: 617-353-2264
Email: studenta@bu.edu

Payment is due by the first day of the summer session. A late payment fee may be assessed to your student account if your Summer Term payment or receipt of settlement documentation is received after the session payment deadline.

Once your uploaded materials for your student ID have been approved (see section above “Upload your photo for your student ID”), your Terrier Card will be available for pick up on campus. Students staying in University residences can pick up their Terrier Cards at their assigned residence hall while checking in. Students who are not staying in residence halls will receive an email with information on where and when they can pick up their cards.

Please email tco@bu.edu or call 617-353-9966 with any questions.

All visiting international students attending on campus Summer Term courses and programs at BU are required to check in with the International Students & Scholars Office (ISSO) upon arriving on campus, regardless of US immigration status. You will need to complete Initial ISSO Check-in by answering a few questions and uploading copies of your immigration documents to the ISSO Portal, which can be accessed through the ISSOPortal option under the Quick Links section of the MyBU Student Portal.

It is the responsibility of the ISSO to keep complete and accurate records on every international student and to provide them to US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) upon request. It is critical that all on-campus students check in with the ISSO at the beginning of Summer Term to ensure accurate reporting.

ISSO is located at 888 Commonwealth Avenue on the second floor. Call 617-353-3565 or visit the ISSO website if you have any questions about check-in or immigration documentation.

In addition to reporting to ISSO when you first arrive, students in F-1 status on an I-20 issued by BU must also contact the ISSO for any of the following reasons:

1. If you plan to register part time or withdraw from any courses, even if for medical reasons.
   
   
2. Before you interrupt a program of study at the University, whether due to a temporary leave of absence, suspension, or permanent withdrawal.
   
   
3. If there are errors in your legal name, date of birth, country of citizenship, or country of birth, as such information appears on your I-20 or in your University record.
   
   
4. If at any time there is a change to your or your dependent’s legal name (within 10 days), country of citizenship, program of study, or financial sponsorship, as such information appears in your passport or on your I-20.
   
   
5. If there is a change to your or your dependent’s residential address (within 10 days) during your stay in the US in F-1 status while on an I-20 issued by Boston University.

Failure to report such changes promptly to ISSO could result in a violation of your F-1 status, and may even prevent you from remaining in the United States to complete your studies.

Before your program begins, the Summer Term office will provide you with information to assist in your transition to Boston University. It is important that you review all emailed communications sent to you from Boston University and confirm your intent to attend when requested.

Summer Term will offer Orientation for visiting international students during the first week of each summer session. Details regarding our Summer Term 2025 orientations will be posted in the spring.

All visiting international students should participate in hosted orientation activities. During orientation you will learn about University resources such as the ISSO, Student Health Services, and the Fitness & Recreation Center, as well as scheduled summer social activities and more.

Make sure you know where to go—and when—on the first day of class. After you have been registered for classes by the Summer Term staff, you will receive an email confirmation with your schedule and classroom location. You can also view your schedule under “My Academics” on the MyBU Student Portal.

Here is an example of a possible course listed on your schedule: CAS PS 101S B1.

• CAS PS means the course is offered by the College of Arts & Sciences (CAS), Psychology department (PS).
• The course number 101 indicates that General Psychology is an introductory-level course.
• S stands for Summer.
• Section B1 means it is a Summer 2 course (Summer 1 courses have an A section code).

Use the following links to find your class location:

• List of Building Codes
• Campus Maps

A course site is a web-based system for managing course materials. Your instructor can make announcements, share course materials, and enhance discussion, all in one easily accessible location. Blackboard Learn is the most common location for course sites used at BU. You will need an active BU login name and Kerberos password to access Blackboard Learn.

Blackboard Learn is available to anyone with a BU login name and Kerberos password. Visit this page for more information. In addition, you can access Blackboard Learn through your course listings on the MyBU Student Portal.

Not every course at BU will have a course site, so be sure to check with your instructor if you do not see your course site listed in the “MyCourses” section of Blackboard Learn. Once your instructor creates a course site, all students on the official roster will be given access.

If you are unable to access your course site, please contact your instructor for access or information on availability.

You can buy or rent new, used, and digital textbooks for your courses at Boston University Campus Store. the official campus bookstore. Course materials can be reserved ahead of time on the MyBU Student Portal. You can also find a list of required and recommended course materials by entering your courses manually on the Find Course Materials section of the Boston University Campus Store website.

In addition to providing access to all of your required and recommended course materials, you can find at the bookstore everything from BU gear to a curated collection of fiction and nonfiction titles for general reading.

Boston University Campus Store

910 Commonwealth Avenue
Boston, MA 02215
Phone: 617-267-8484
Email: bksbu@bncollege.com

For store hours, visit bu.bncollege.com.

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts requires all full-time and part-time international students who study on campus to submit proof of immunization against the following communicable diseases: measles, mumps, rubella (MMR); tetanus (must be Tdap vaccine); hepatitis B; (bacterial) meningitis; varicella; and tuberculosis, depending on country of origin.

Please work with your medical provider to complete the Summer Immunization Requirements Form. Once complete, please upload the form to BU’s Patient Connect Portal. To do so, visit https://patientconnect.bu.edu/, choose the Medical Clearances tab from the menu, and click on “Update” beside the option “Immunization Record.” Note, you must have an active BU login name and Kerberos password to access the portal.

If you are not in compliance with all BU health immunization requirements when you arrive on the BU campus, you have seven days to obtain the necessary vaccination(s) or you will be considered noncompliant. You may obtain vaccinations (by scheduling an appointment in advance) at:

Student Health Services

881 Commonwealth Avenue
Boston, MA 02215
Phone: 617-353-3575