Welcome to Rice University & Houston, Y’all!
We are thrilled to welcome our newest cohort of Fulbright Scholars to campus! Moving to a new country and starting a graduate program comes with a lot of moving parts, but you are not alone. This hub is your go-to guide for essential checklist tasks, housing resources, campus life details, and contacts to ensure a seamless transition to Rice. Explore the sections below to get prepared for your arrival!
Action Required: Your Quick Checklist
- Communication & Community
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Join the WhatsApp group and check your official Rice email address regularly. Don't have the link? Email Jennifer Hunter (jkh6@rice.edu).
- Update your Fulbright@Rice Bio
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Complete or update your Fulbright bio here to be listed in our community page!
- Terms of Agreement and Financial Information
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Send your Fulbright Terms of Agreement and Financial Information to Jennifer (jkh6@rice.edu) each time these documents are updated.
- Work Authorization
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If you will have a student worker job, or will have a TA/RA responsibility for your department, or are doing some other form of paid work, you must have work authorization from Fulbright/IIE/Amideast. Please reach out to IIE/Amideast at least three weeks before your employment is due to start. Notify Jennifer (jkh6@rice.edu) AND Sophie Bahamon (eb60@rice.edu) once you receive this document, and forward a copy of it.
- Health Insurance
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Fulbrighters who are degree-seeking Ph.D. students will have their Health Insurance fully-subsidized by Rice University, in addition to the insurance that Fulbright offers while on-grant. However, you still have an action to take. You must enroll in the Aetna plan to be eligible. A notice will be sent by Rice Student Health Insurance; you may contact them at (studentinsurance@rice.edu).
Students currently enrolled in the ASPE plan who wish to waive enrollment in the Aetna Student Insurance Plan may submit a waiver request. A notice will be sent by Rice Student Health Insurance; you may contact them at (studentinsurance@rice.edu).
IMPORTANT:Students are NOT REQUIRED to enroll in only one form of health insurance coverage, and, depending on your country, your Fulbright commission may require you to enroll in both, even if you must pay for that coverage. Be mindful of this and check the coverage requirements. Be responsive to messages sent by all Rice offices.
Please be advised that students who do not take action - either by submitting the enrollment form, requesting a waiver, or contacting the Student Insurance Office - will be AUTO-ENROLLED into the Rice plan. Master's students will be responsible for the associated premium.
Who to Ask About What
- Academic Questions (just about everything)
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Accordion content 1.
- Fulbright Administrative Support
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Contact your primary Fulbright representative (e.g., Ang Li, Piper Arnold or Lisa Mervosh with IIE) and CC your Rice Fulbright contact (Jennifer).
- Other Campus Offices
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You will likely interface with many campus offices while you are here. Here are some more common offices and what you may reach out to them for.
Office of the Registrar: course registration, transcripts, enrollment and academic records, academic rules, and student status updates.
Office of International Students and Scholars: Immigration and visa compliance, Houston resources, events and programming.
Student Health Insurance: Insurance waivers or enrollment
Student Health Services: Outpatient medical care, immunizations, prescriptions, Health Data Form
Please note that GPS (Jennifer and Seiichi's office) does not have insights on the processes for other offices and generally cannot support you when working with these offices.
- Fulbright Community, Social and Cultural Events
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Reach out to Jennifer Hunter (jkh6@rice.edu) or our Fulbright Community Leader for support!