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While many banks offer services to open accounts online, international scholars often don't fit neatly into their categories. As such, it's best to visit a branch in person to open an account.

You may want to open an account as soon as you arrive in Minnesota. You will need to have the following documents with you:

• Passport (or any other state-issued document, such as a driver’s license or State ID card)
• Student ID
• Any other immigration documents (I-94 and I-20/DS-2019)
• Social Security Card (this is not required for you to open a bank account, but it is required for online banking)
• A Good Standing Letter (this is not required, but it may be helpful to validate that you are a current ��Ʒ�鶹 student in good standing)
• A permanent mailing address

When you open a checking account, your bank will provide you with checks. Paying with checks is a convenient method of payment. Some businesses accept checks for payment with a valid ID. Supermarkets usually require a Minnesota State ID to validate checks. Here are some tips to keep in mind when dealing with checks:

• Keep track of the checks you write. Sometimes checks are not deposited immediately and it may not show up in your account balance.
• Your bank may charge you overdraft fees if you do not have sufficient funds in your account to make payments.
• When depositing checks issued to you, you will be required to endorse the checks by signing at the back of the check. Do not endorse the checks until you are depositing it into your account, to avoid the risk of a stolen check being cashed by someone else.

Learn how to write a check at .

In the event that you are making a check card transaction, withdrawing money from the ATM, or someone is depositing a check you wrote to them while your account has insufficient funds, the bank will honor the transaction but charge you a fee for that transaction. The average overdraft protection fee is $35 per transaction. If you opt not to participate in the overdraft protection fee program, the bank will simply reject any transaction or bounce checks if your account does not have sufficient funds. It is advisable that you do not participate in this program to avoid being charged large amounts in fees.

ATMs

• Speedway Gas Station (next to Anderson Center, 756 N Snelling Avenue. Bank affiliation: Wells Fargo)
• Holiday Stationstore (next to Gingko's Cafe, 600 Snelling Avenue. Bank affiliation: US Bank)

Banks

Associate Bank
202 Snelling Avenue North, Saint Paul, MN 55104
651-646-8681

Bremer Bank
423 Snelling Avenue North, Saint Paul, MN 55104
651-659-0465

US Bank
1071 Grand Avenue, Saint Paul, MN 55105
651-229-6123

Wells Fargo Bank
1827 Grand Avenue, Saint Paul, MN 55105
651-205-5480

If you want a cell phone in the US, you must contact any one of many wireless companies in the area. Most companies require a Social Security Number (SSN) if you want to be billed for your service. They may also try to encourage you to sign a two year contract and offer you a discount on the price of the phone when you do so. However, there are options for obtaining cell phone service without an SSN, such as “pay-as-you-go” plans and prepaid phones. When opening a cell phone account, you will need identification, such as a passport.

Providers

AT&T
2724 Lincoln Drive, Roseville, MN 55113
651-347-6082

T-Mobile
1360 University Avenue West, Saint Paul, MN 55104
651-646-2000

Verizon
474 ��Ʒ�鶹 Avenue North, Saint Paul, MN 55104
800-880-1077

Most books are rented from the ��Ʒ�鶹 Bookstore (all undergraduate students must rent their books through the ��Ʒ�鶹 Bookstore and are auto-enrolled in the book rental program). 

If you need a book that is not part of the rental program or you'd like to own a copy, here are some sources:

Online Stores

Websites to rent textbooks

Other ways to get textbooks

• Check them out from the ��Ʒ�鶹 Library or order them through “Interlibrary Loan”—ask at the library reference desk
• Check them out from the or
• Check campus bulletin boards for other students selling their books
• Ask other students who studied at ��Ʒ�鶹 last year
• Buy them from the

��Ʒ�鶹 is located close to many major shopping centers. With the excellent public transportation system, you can get to many of these places with ease. Below are several shopping locations that might be of interest to you. Be sure to cross check with or for more accurate directions. If you have further questions, feel free to contact the GEC.

Rosedale Center
Available at Rosedale: Macy’s, Herberger’s, JC Penney, a variety of wireless services outlets (AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint), a variety of clothing outlets, restaurants and a 14-screen AMC theater.
1595 Highway 36 W #10, Roseville, MN 55113
651-633-0872

HarMar Mall
Available at HarMar: Marshall’s, Barnes & Noble, CubFoods, Dress Barn, Famous Footwear, and others.
2100 Snelling Ave North, Roseville, Minnesota 55113
651-631-0340

Mall of America
Available at MoA: The MoA has more than 520 stores, several food courts, a large variety of restaurants, an indoor amusement park and Aquarium plus tons of other entertainment options.
2131 Lindau Lane, Bloomington, MN 55425
952-883-8800

Grand Avenue
Available on Grand Avenue: A variety of specialty stores, apparel stores and award-winning restaurants.

Midway Shopping Center
Available at Midway: Target, Walmart, CubFoods, multiple restaurants, wireless services, banks and many others.

Global grocery stores close to ��Ʒ�鶹

Dragon Star Oriental Foods
633 Minnehaha Ave W, Saint Paul, MN 55104
651-488-2567

Shuang Hur Market
651-251-2196
654 University Avenue W, Saint Paul, MN 55145

Kim’s Oriental Market
689 Snelling Ave, Saint Paul, MN 55104
651-646-0428

El Burrito Mercado
175 Cesar Chavez St, St Paul, MN 55107
651-227-2192

There are plenty of options to eat out in every neighborhood in the Twin Cities. Hungry ��Ʒ�鶹 students can find cuisines from all over the world in all price ranges.

 or  are helpful resources to find your new favorite restaurant, cafe, or pub. Each of them lets you search in many different ways, filtering results by neighborhood, style, price range, visitor ratings, and many more. You may also find detailed information on a business's hours, location, or special happy hours offers with great discounts on food and drinks.  

Some of the places to grab a bite closest to campus are located in Saint Paul’s Midway neighborhood between the Anderson Center and University Avenue along Snelling Avenue. Here are some ideas within one mile of ��Ʒ�鶹’s campus: 

Black Sea
Turkish restaurant
737 Snelling Ave. N., Saint Paul
651-917-8832

Mirror of Korea
Korean restaurant
761 Snelling Ave. N., Saint Paul
651-647-9004

On's Kitchen
Thai restaurant
1613 University Ave. W., Saint Paul
651-330-9664

Peking Garden
Chinese restaurant
394 University Ave. W., Saint Paul
651-644-0888

Sole Café
Korean restaurant
684 Snelling Ave N., Saint Paul
651-644-2068

Other great areas for food, drinks, and more are Rosedale Shopping Center (four miles north of campus), and many areas in or near both downtown Saint Paul and downtown Minneapolis. 

Visit the  website for bus and light rail transit in the Minneapolis/Saint Paul area. You can get an application for a discounted Metro Transit bus pass at the Anderson Center Welcome Desk. It is $175 per semester for an unlimited ride pass. You must show your ��Ʒ�鶹 ID to get the discounted price.

The most common way to pay for the bus fare is to use cash. As you get on the bus, put cash in the fare box next to the driver. Fare boxes accept dollar bills, coins or tokens, but change is not available. For information on other ways to pay for the bus, please see .

is a helpful resource. Select "get directions" and you can determine your means of transportation (by car, public transport, bike or foot) and find your optimal route and schedule to your destination. It is also a good idea to double check the route and schedules by visiting the website. Bus schedules on weekends may differ from weekdays; please make sure your results are accurate and up-to-date.

Bus fares vary depending on your time of travel. During rush hour times (approximately 6 to 9 a.m. and 3 to 6.30 p.m.) prices are higher than at other times. Check  to see anticipated bus fares.

On the bus, there is a yellow cord near the seat along the window. You should pull the cord to notify the driver you'd like to get off before your stop.

You are allowed to take strollers, non-motorized bicycles, wheelchairs/walkers and suitcases with you on the bus. However, you are not allowed to consume food, drinks (unless it is covered), or alcohol when riding a bus.

Buses are considered public spaces and are not private. Please be mindful of your words and conversations with others.

There may be other rules you are required obey which may be different from your home country. Be sure to read the before your travel.

Travel tips

• Be sure to get to the stop five minutes early and always check the sign above the windshield of the bus for the route number to make sure it’s yours.
• You can talk to a transit expert by calling 612-373-3333 (TTY 612-341-0140) before you travel.
• Unlike in other countries, the back door of local buses in Minnesota doesn’t open automatically when the bus stops; you need to push the back door to get off the bus.
• Make sure you have the exact amount of cash for your fare if you don’t use Go-To Card, Metro pass, U-Pass or Go-To College Pass, etc.
• In most cases, fares include a two and a half-hour free transfer. However, there are exemptions to this rule (e.g., transfers are not available with Downtown Zone fares). If your bus fare does include unlimited two and a half-our free transfer, it should be printed on your bus ticket. If in doubt, ask the bus driver for help and information.

Read these tips for renting a car or find information about  on-campus car rental. For information about obtaining a driver's license, see the website. If you have a valid driver’s license, you can opt for short-term car rental.

The rental has a car available on the Saint Paul campus and is a good option if you are interested in renting a car for several hours. You will need an annual membership to rent with them. Visit their website to find out more details on rental policies and cost. The Hour Car location on campus is located on Simpson Street and Hewitt Avenue.

Hour Cars are only available for daily rental. If you are interested in renting a car for several days, you may want to do so through car rental agencies. Agencies vary in cost of rental and may charge extra fees if you are under the age of 25, if you do not have an American driver’s license or if you desire to pay using a debit card instead of credit card. Be sure to find out about these fees when renting a car.

There are several nationwide car rental agencies. The closest one to ��Ʒ�鶹's Saint Paul campus is . For more information on renting a car, visit

In order to apply for a driver’s license, you need to present a combination of one primary and one secondary form of identification. Please see .

Test Requirements

Knowledge (Written) Test: Knowledge (written) tests are available on a walk-in basis at a during certain hours. You must show proper identification when you are ready to take the test. The knowledge (written) test contains multiple choice and true or false questions that show how well you know and understand Minnesota traffic laws and road signs. Only one test is allowed per day. Some stations offer a computerized test which is available in English or several other languages (Hmong, Vietnamese, Somali, Spanish and Russian).

Skills (Road) Test: The skills (road) test consists of a demonstration of your vehicle's safety equipment, your vehicle control skills and a driving performance test. You are tested on your ability to drive a motor vehicle safely under normal traffic conditions. You may not have anyone in the car during the test other than the driver examiner. We recommend that you make an appointment for a skills (road) test. This can be done or by calling (651) 284-1234.

Documents

• ​

For more information, please visit the  website.

We recommend downloading GardaWorld App before you travel to view detailed reports on the destination country, including COVID-19 updates. You will also receive real-time alerts on critical events worldwide.

After downloading the app, use your ��Ʒ�鶹 email address and the following corporate contract number (16812020) to create an account.