Frequently Asked Questions

Questions for Launching Unisant USA

Will your students need to have legal status in the US to register? If so, how will this be assured? If not, does this raise privacy/confidentiality issues for students?

Students will not need to have legal status in the US to register. Universidad will do everything possible to maintain the confidentiality of our students including relying on the Federal Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) that protects students’ confidentiality. Universidad Santander prioritizes accessibility because we believe everyone should have the right to better their lives.

Will students be eligible for federal student loans or have access to any other type of tuition financing?

Students will not be eligible for federal student loans or grants. However, Universidad Santander is constantly looking for opportunities for additional sources of loans and grants and will make these available to students as appropriate. Various scholarships are available directly from Universidad Santander USA. A payment plan is available to make this financially easier on students.

Is a high school diploma required for admission? What proofs are needed to establish the applicant has earned a high school diploma?

Bachelor’s degrees require a high school diploma for matriculation. Master’s degree requires a bachelor’s degree for matriculation. The doctorates degrees require a master’s degree. Applicants are required to present valid proofs of graduation.

How can potential students be assured of the quality of Universidad Santander programs? Who provides oversight of the institution's programs? What is the accreditation status of this university?

The university is approved by Secretaria Educacion Publica (Ministerio de Educación de Mexico), the recognized university licensing authority of the government of Mexico https://unisant.edu.mx/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/LIC-INFORMATICA.pdf

Universidad Santander is also an affiliate university of Alianza Para la Educacion Superior ALPES https://alpes.edu.mx/

Universidad Santander was founded in 2007 and has graduated over 20,000 students.
There has never been any issues with the quality of the schools education. It is listed with Consejo Nacional de Ciencia, Tecnología e Innovación Tecnológica CONACYT https://conacyt.mx/ and Registro Nacional de Ciencia, Tecnología y de Innovación Tecnología https://ctivitae.concytec.gob.pe/renacyt-ui/#/registro/investigadores

What are the credentials of the instructors at Universidad Santander US?

All of Universidad Santander’s instructors meet the requirements for their teaching level: Bachelor’s degrees are taught by instructors with Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees and doctorates; Master’s degrees are taught by instructors with Master’s degrees and doctorate’s; Doctorate’s are taught by instructors with Doctorate’s all levels.

If monolingual Spanish speaking students intend to remain in the US, should they be learning to speak English? Should they be encouraged to seek a higher education in Spanish?

English is an important part of our curriculum. Our goal is for our students to be able to function professionally in the US, if they desire to remain in the US. However, we realize that learning a foreign language is not easy or quick. We provide an option for those who want to progress academically and professionally while they learn English.

What role will Jim Enrique Tolbert play as chancellor of the university? Do you plan to hire any staff in the US? If so, where will the US affiliate be headquartered?

As Chancellor of Universidad Santander USA, it is Jim Enrique Tolbert’s honor to be the face of Universidad USA in the United States. His primary obligations are: to interact with Latino and Hispanic organizations throughout the US; manage any government or other oversight organizations; recruit staff as needed; and interact with the press and other news outlets.

Staffing in the US will be very limited as the personnel supporting Universidad USA are based in Mexico. If there are skills that are unique to the US (e.g., identifying scholarships, career services), they will be staff these in the US.

For now, there is no headquarters and the university operate as a virtual organization. This is an entity founded during the pandemic and operates very well under these conditions.

Can students in Mexico attend Universidad Santander USA? If so, will doing so facilitate their entry to the US? Can Mexican students attend Universidad Santander and claim a US student visa?

Yes, but there is no reason for a student in Mexico to attend Universidad Santander USA. There is no ground presence or in-person instruction in the US. A student in Mexico can attend Universidad Santander in-person or online in Mexico. This would not facilitate entry to the US nor could a student obtain a US student visa by registering with Universidad Santander.

Is the Universidad Santander an open admissions institution? Are Mexican colleges and universities "ranked" in any way that is analogous to schools in the US? If so, what is the standing of the Universidad Santander?

Universidad Santander is open admissions. Universidad Santander is ranked number one for Masters in Education Degree in the Area of Teaching and Research and Doctorate in Science of Education according to Asociación Nacional de Universidades e Instituciones de Educación Superior (ANUIES) as reported in https://datamexico.org/es/profile/institution/universidad-santander

Does the Universidad Santander also operate a secondary school program? Will this be available in the US.?

Universidad Santander offers the equivalent of a high school diploma online. This is also taught in Spanish. This is recognized in the United States as a high school diploma.

Does the Universidad Santander accept the transfer of credits from other institutions?

Yes

Does the U.S. Department of Education or do State Boards of Education have any role to play for students living and studying in the US but matriculating with an offshore institution?

No. None of these entities regulates this initiative. The school is regulated by the mexican goverment.

Is the tuition cost at Universidad Santander uniform across programs or are they individually priced?

Programs are priced differently between degree levels. Within degree levels, all programs are priced the same. The pricing will be the same in the United States. In Mexico, the tuition does differ by geography based on the economic profile of the community.

What is the cost of tuition?

The cost of tuition, prior to any scholarships is:

High school   $11,066USD
Bachelors      $18,450 USD
Masters         $17,350 USD
Doctorate      $28,586 USD

What is the worldwide enrollment of Universidad Santander? How many students do you expect to enroll in the US by year end 2022? Year end 2023?

Universidad Santander has an enrollment of approximately 6,000 of which 5,000 are in Mexico. We anticipate having a U.S. student enrollment at the end of 2022 of 500 and 3,000 at the end of 2023.