Sponsored Student Handbook

Arrival information

Planning your arrival

Class for the spring 2025 semester will begin on Tuesday, Jan. 21. However, new international students should arrive in time for International Student Welcome, which begins Monday, Jan. 13. We encourage you to arrive by Jan. 12 at the latest.

  • Pre-arrival resources: Review the arrival checklist below and gather necessary information before arriving at MU.
  • Flights: You will provide your flight itinerary details in the arrival and orientation form. If you have not yet purchased your flight, send a copy of your itinerary by email to musponsoredstudentprogram@missouri.edu once those details are available.
  • Delayed arrivals: Maintain close communication with our team about your arrival plans. If you anticipate a delay in your arrival to campus, notify us immediately so our team can work with your academic department to identify suitable solutions. If you can arrive in the U.S. within 30 days of your start date, we hope to identify solutions to accommodate you.

Questions to ask yourself as you prepare for arrival

You should have answers to the following questions before you arrive in Columbia.

  1. How am I getting from the airport to Columbia?
  2. Where will I sleep when I arrive in Columbia? (Review the housing page for options.)
  3. How will I purchase food when I arrive in Columbia? (E.g., Will I exchange currency at the airport? Do I have a bank card? Will I order food?)
  4. How will I use electronics I brought from my home country? (E.g., Laptop and phone chargers, hair dryers, etc. Research whether you will need a plug adapter or converter.)

The Sponsored Student Team is happy to answer any questions you may have related to your arrival. However, it is ultimately your responsibility to make sure you have an answer to these questions in time for your travel to Mizzou.

Review the arrival checklists for additional information.

Arrival assistance

Assistance will be provided to sponsored students arriving to the Columbia Regional Airport (COU) on Jan. 9–12. Arrival assistance includes:

  • Transportation between the Columbia airport and temporary or permanent housing.
  • Assistance with residence hall check-in for students living on campus.

To help us prepare for arrivals and orientation, you are required to complete the sponsored student arrival and orientation form by Monday, Dec. 23.

Complete the Sponsored Student Arrival and Orientation form

Getting to Columbia

Columbia is conveniently serviced by three airports. The St. Louis and Kansas City international airports are each approximately a two-hour drive from Columbia, and the Columbia Regional Airport is a 15-minute drive from campus and downtown Columbia. Depending on which airport you arrive at, you will need to make additional arrangements to travel to campus. Verify the cost of using any transportation service in advance.

  • St. Louis Lamber International Airport (STL): Reserve a seat on the MO-X shuttle, which can bring you directly to campus or your housing.
  • Kansas City International Airport (MCI): Use a shuttle service, local taxi or ride-hailing service (e.g., Uber or Lyft) to travel to the Kansas City Greyhound bus station, which offers routes to Columbia. From the Columbia Greyhound bus station, you can call a taxi, Uber or Lyft to take to you to campus or your housing.
  • Columbia Regional Airport (COU): You can request arrival assistance from the Sponsored Student Program. If you would like to arrange your own transportation, we recommend contacting a taxi or shuttle service in advance to see if you can reserve transportation. There may be taxis or shuttles located outside the airport as you exit baggage claim that operate on a first come, first served basis. If no taxis or shuttles are available upon your arrival, they can also be called to the airport. Additionally, ride-hailing services Uber and Lyft are both available in Columbia.

If you will be staying at a hotel that offers free shuttle services, refer to the hotel or airport transportation information for details on booking their shuttle service.

If you know in advance that you will not be able to schedule or call a taxi or shuttle upon your arrival, please request arrival assistance.