---
title: "Check a private school's position to enroll an F-1 student"
url: "https://ailawframework.com/practice/education-law/assemble-the-evidence-for-a-non-government-school-registration/united-states"
type: "task_jurisdiction_version"
site: "AI Law Framework"
id: "A59-PU20261022-7-US"
practice_area: "Education Law"
tier: "yellow"
lawyer_review: "required"
jurisdictions: ["US"]
last_reviewed: "2026-10-22"
---

# Check a private school's position to enroll an F-1 student

> From the school file, list the grades offered, whether the file shows SEVP certification, and the hours a week the school sets for normal progress.…

Canonical page: https://ailawframework.com/practice/education-law/assemble-the-evidence-for-a-non-government-school-registration/united-states  
Last reviewed: 2026-10-22

Site index for agents: https://ailawframework.com/llms.txt

## Key facts

| Fact | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Practice area | [Education Law](https://ailawframework.com/practice/education-law.md) |
| Human involvement | Yellow: Lawyer and AI draft together |
| How AI is used | From the school file, list the grades offered, whether the file shows SEVP certification, and the hours a week the school sets for normal progress. Do not decide that the school may issue a Form I-20, and do not write a certification petition. |
| What the lawyer must review | You decide whether the school can enroll the student. Study in the States, kindergarten to grade 12, last updated 27 April 2026, says a private elementary or secondary school in grades K-12 may apply for SEVP certification to enroll F-1 students. Grades before kindergarten are not eligible. Federal regulations place no limit on how long an F-1 student may attend a private SEVP-certified K-12 school, and the student pays the school's tuition. A public secondary school in grades 9 to 12 may apply. Public elementary and middle schools are not eligible, and a public school cannot enroll an F-1 student in kindergarten through grade 8. The page says federal regulations limit F-1 students to an aggregate of one year of study at a public secondary level, and that an F-1 student at a public high school must pay the full, unsubsidized per capita cost of attendance. The full-course page, last updated 6 February 2024, says an F-1 student at a private academic school or a public high school in grades 9 to 12 must meet the minimum hours a week the school determines are necessary for normal progress toward graduation. Certification itself, and any later change to the Form I-17, is a separate filing. |
| Written for | United States |
| Applies to | [Assemble the evidence for a non-government school registration](https://ailawframework.com/practice/education-law/assemble-the-evidence-for-a-non-government-school-registration.md) |

## Checking plan

- What the AI does: From the school file, list the grades offered, whether the file shows SEVP certification, and the hours a week the school sets for normal progress. Do not decide that the school may issue a Form I-20, and do not write a certification petition.
- Basis: Checked against the linked sources on 22 October 2026. Confirm the current instrument before reliance.

## Notes

- A State license for a private school is a different instrument. These pages address SEVP certification for F-1 enrollment.
- The one-year aggregate limit on the K-12 page is stated for study at a public secondary level, not for a private school.
- The certification petition is written by the lawyer.

## Sources

- [Kindergarten to Grade 12 Schools, Study in the States, last updated 27 April 2026](https://studyinthestates.dhs.gov/schools/get-started/kindergarten-to-grade-12-schools) (checked 2026-10-22)
- [Full Course of Study, Study in the States, last updated 6 February 2024](https://studyinthestates.dhs.gov/students/study/full-course-of-study) (checked 2026-10-22)

*Practice guidance for planning and review. Confirm current primary sources and the requirements of the actual matter. This is general information, not legal advice.*