US University OPT Fee List
Many US universities' international student offices charge students who apply for post-completion OPT a fee of their own, on top of the USCIS filing fee. The name varies by school; common ones are OPT Administrative Fee, Post-Completion Services Fee, and OPT SEVIS Maintenance Fee.
Among the 25 schools in the table below, post-completion OPT fees range from $85 to $423. Most schools charge more for the STEM OPT extension; see the US University STEM OPT Fee List.
This is a school fee, not the USCIS filing fee
The fees in this table are paid to the school. They are separate from the I-765 filing fee paid to USCIS ($470 online, $520 on paper), and you usually pay both.
Why schools charge
The federal regulation for F-1 students (8 CFR 214.2(f)) mentions only the USCIS filing fee and the SEVIS fee. It says nothing about school OPT fees, so each school decides whether to charge and how much.
Schools charge because the regulation gives them a duty that continues after graduation: once a school recommends OPT, it must maintain the student's SEVIS record for the entire OPT period. 8 CFR 214.2(f)(11)(ii):
When a DSO recommends a student for OPT, the school assumes the added responsibility for maintaining the SEVIS record of that student for the entire period of authorized OPT, consistent with paragraph (f)(12) of this section.
Schools that state what the fee covers all describe maintaining SEVIS records, processing reports, and continued advising. None of the schools in the table says the fee pays for verifying employers; for why that matters, see OPT 出事，谁收钱、谁背锅 (in Chinese).
School Fee Overview
Amounts are in US dollars, checked against each school's official website in October 2026.
| School | State | Fee name | Post-completion OPT | Refunds | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arizona State University (ASU) | AZ | OPT Case Management Payment | 200 | Not stated | OPT |
| University of Arizona | AZ | OPT Case Management Fee | 150 | Only if the school finds you ineligible; none after filing with USCIS | OPT, Refunds |
| UC Berkeley | CA | Post-Completion Services Fee | 250 | Not stated | OPT |
| UCLA | CA | Dashew Center Visa Services Fee | 423 | Non-refundable | Fee schedule |
| UC San Diego | CA | Administrative Processing Fee | 250 | Only if the school finds you ineligible | OPT |
| UC Irvine | CA | Post-Completion Administrative Fee | 100 | Only if the school finds you ineligible | Fee FAQ |
| San José State University (SJSU) | CA | Administrative Post-Completion OPT / STEM OPT fee | 150 | Not stated | OPT |
| Stanford University | CA | Bechtel I-20 processing fee | Charged; amount not listed | Not stated | OPT |
| Georgia Tech | GA | Practical Training Fee | 35 per authorization | Refundable if the internship can't be completed for reasons outside your control | Fee page |
| University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) | IL | OPT Management Fee | 100 | Not stated | OPT |
| Illinois Institute of Technology | IL | OPT / STEM OPT Administrative Fee | 100 | Not stated | OPT |
| Northeastern University | MA | OGS Post-Graduation Administrative Fee | 200 | Not stated | OPT |
| Boston University | MA | processing fee | 100 | Not stated | OPT |
| MIT | MA | MIT Administrative Fee | 150 (only for OPT longer than 100 days) | Not stated | OPT |
| University of Minnesota Twin Cities | MN | — | No fee (stated on the website) | — | Notice |
| Columbia University | NY | OPT Administration Fee | 340 | Not stated | OPT |
| Cornell University | NY | OPT service fee | 225 | Non-refundable | OPT |
| New York University (NYU) | NY | Maintenance of Status Fee | 125 | Not stated | OPT payment page |
| Pace University | NY | ISS OPT Administrative Fee | 125 | Non-refundable once the school issues the I-20 | OPT |
| University of Pennsylvania (Penn) | PA | Penn Internal Processing Fee | 305 | Not stated | OPT |
| Southern Methodist University (SMU) | TX | OPT SEVIS Maintenance Fee | 102 | Not stated | OPT checklist |
| Texas A&M University | TX | International Student Post Enrollment Maintenance Fee | 200 | Not stated | OPT, Catalog |
| University of Texas at Austin | TX | Optional Practical Training Administrative Fee | 150 | Not stated | Fees |
| University of Texas at Dallas | TX | Practical Training Fee | 150 | Not stated | OPT |
| University of Washington (Seattle) | WA | Post-Completion Training Fee | 85 | Only if the school finds you ineligible, minus $5 | Fee page |
Notes on the table:
- Pre-completion OPT: Cornell, Stanford and SMU state that they don't charge for it; Minnesota states that it doesn't charge for the first 12-month OPT application.
- UT Dallas contradicts itself: its international office page says 150, while its 2026 catalog says 100 per practical training application.
- Other fees: USC charges a separate non-refundable $100 for Cap-Gap extensions (see the USC fee page), and Georgia Tech charges its $35 for every CPT and OPT authorization.
Schools Whose Websites Don't Mention a School Fee
Purdue University, Ohio State University, Michigan State University, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Duke University, Carnegie Mellon University, Rutgers University, Stevens Institute of Technology, Syracuse University, University of Utah, Santa Clara University, University of Colorado Boulder.
Their OPT and STEM OPT pages list only the USCIS filing fee. USC, the University of Florida, Indiana University Bloomington and Oregon State University list only a STEM OPT fee, and their post-completion OPT pages mention no school fee; see the STEM OPT fee list. That doesn't mean they never charge; check your school's notices before applying.
Before You Pay
- Schools collect the fee before issuing the OPT I-20. UIUC states that it processes the new I-20 only after payment; ASU, SMU and Cornell require you to upload the payment receipt with your request.
- Fees are rarely refunded. Usually the only refund case is when the school finds you ineligible. The University of Arizona states that there is no refund after the application is filed with USCIS, or if USCIS denies or delays the I-765.
- The fee pays for record-keeping and advising. After charging, the school maintains your SEVIS record and processes reports; it does not verify your employer for you.
Adding a School
If your school isn't listed, add a row in the same format: take the fee name, amount and refund rule from the school's official website, and link the official page in the "Source" column. For a school that needs a longer explanation, create a separate page named after the school in this folder. STEM OPT fees go in the STEM OPT fee list.