Volume 160, Issue 11- August 3, 2026
Commencement
Thursday, August 6th, Matherly 18, 6pm to 8pm.
Congratulations on making it to the end of the semester! We hope you learned more English, made some wonderful friends and had some fun this semester. You should all be very proud of yourselves, and we’d like to celebrate your accomplishments at our Commencement Ceremony on Thursday. At the ceremony, we will recognize our scholarship and award winners and reflect on this semester at the ELI.
Please invite your family and friends to join us for Commencement and help celebrate. All of your teachers and language assistants and ELI administration will be there too!
Talk to Daryl About your I-20
If you are studying at the ELI on an F-1 student visa with an I-20 from the ELI, you MUST talk to Daryl about the new F-1 immigration rules before the end of the semester. If you have not already spoken to him, you need to talk to him about the expiration date on your ELI I-20 before the end of the day on Friday, August 7th.
Last Day of ELI Classes
Thursday, August 6th, is the final day of ELI classes this Summer. Teachers will be submitting final grades and attendance reports on Wednesday, August 5th. If you are absent on Thursday, your absence will not be counted for immigration, class grades, or any petition you have submitted. There will be no LA hour of Listening/Speaking on Thursday, August 6th. However, all absences on August 3rd, August 4th, and August 5th still count!!! You should not miss class these days!
We know many ELI students are making preparations to leave Gainesville, so are very busy this last week. If you will not be attending class on Thursday, August 6th, please tell your teachers by Tuesday, August 4th. Your teachers need to know how many students to plan for.
Grades and Certificates
Students will receive their semester certificates and grade reports during the Commencement Ceremony on Thursday, August 6th. Grade reports will be available in myELI by Monday, August 10th.
Certificates can also be picked up in the ELI Main Office on Friday, August 7th between 9:30am and 3:30pm. The office will close at 3:30pm, so be sure to pick up your certificate packet before then.
If you would like a friend or family member to pick up your certificate for you, please stop by the ELI office by Wednesday, August 5th, to fill out a form so someone else can pick it up for you.
Notes from the Office
Reduced Hours:The ELI will have reduced office hours between August 10th and August 20th. The office will be open from 10am – 2pm M-F during these dates. Most teachers, LAs, and administrators will be out of the office during these dates. If you want to meet with someone from the ELI during the break weeks, be sure to email them first!
Christine’s Office Hours During the Break:
Friday 8/14: 9am – 12noon
Wednesday 8/19: 10am-2pm
Thursday 8/20: 10am-2pm
Friday 8/21: 9:30am-3:30pm
Email Christine at christinevoigt@ufl.edu if you need to speak with her outside of these hours.
Daryl’s Office Hours During the Break:
Monday 8/10: 10am-2pm
Wednesday 8/12: 10am-2pm
Friday 8/21: 9:30am-3:30pm
Email Daryl at studyenglish@eli.ufl.edu if you need to speak with him outside of these hours.
Travel Documents: If you are traveling during the break (for example, leaving the US and coming back), make sure your I-20 is signed. Also check the expiration date. You can make an appointment with Daryl to sign your I-20 or to renew your I-20 before it expires.
As a reminder, all people in the US on a visa should always have their I-94 with them. The I-94 is proof that you are a registered alien in the US and shows that you are here on a non-immigrant visa. You can access your I-94 at https://i94.cbp.dhs.gov/home. Contact Daryl if you cannot access your I-94.
Also, have access to copies of other important documents, like your I-20, visa, passport, letter from USCIS, or other government issued documents related to your status in the U.S.
Gatorlink: If you are not returning to the ELI in the Summer semester, you will not be able to access your ufl.edu email address, one.uf.edu, Canvas, or other Gatorlink service after August 25th. You will need to download any emails, assignments, or information that you want to keep..
Fall C 2026 Check-in: Returning students, remember, you must check in using myELI between August 17th and August 21st, 2026. Even if you completed the Returning Student Survey, you must check in online to save your space. All students must attend classes beginning on Monday, August 31st.
Fall Semester Dates:
Meet and Greet for Fall students is Friday, August 28th at 1pm in the Matherly Courtyard.
Fall C classes begin August 31st and end December 3rd.
Thanksgiving Break is November 21st to November 29th.
Returning students must check-in online between August 17th and August 21st.
Schedules for returning students will be available on Friday, August 28th
Tuition is due and students with government or university scholarships will need to provide a new financial guarantee by Wednesday, September 2nd.
Charges Due: Every ELI student should log in to ONE.uf.edu and look at the “Campus Finances (Bursar)” tile to see if you owe any fees to the university. For example, you may need to pay for services you received at the Student Health Care Center or printing in a library. If you have a scholarship, it will not pay these charges. You must also pay any outstanding non-UF charges or fines you may have, like court fees, speeding fines, or parking tickets.
Financial Guarantees for Fall: Students on government, company, or university scholarships need to request a new financial guarantee letter for the Fall semester, if you plan to return. If you need an enrollment letter or if you have any questions, please email us at fiscal@eli.ufl.edu.
Birthdays
| Students | Staff | ||
| Jiyoon Bae | August 2 | Megan Forbes | August 13 |
Leaving the ELI
If you are leaving the ELI, we hope you will share your experiences with your friends and family. Also, please keep your email updated with us. When the ELI travels internationally for conferences and events, we invite alumni to join us. If you are interested in acting as an ELI Ambassador to assist future Gators in your country apply to the ELI, please let Lia Brenneman know (lia@ufl.edu, MAT 220A). If you are interested in becoming an Educational Consultant for the ELI, ask Lia for details. You are the best source of information about the ELI and Gainesville for new students. We appreciate our alumni!
If you want to stay active with English study in your country, please contact our friends at EducationUSA (https://educationusa.state.gov/find-advising-center). They have centers all over the world where they advise students about studying in the USA. It is a great place for you to network, practice English, and help other students learn about your experience studying in Florida.
A Farewell from your ELI Weekly Editor, Jen Ramos:
Thank you for reading the ELI Weekly this semester!
As a language teacher, editor, and writer, words are some of my favorite things! However, I am not sure they can adequately express how much I have loved working at the ELI and the bittersweet feeling of leaving to try something new. Just as you had to leave what was known and comfortable to come study here in the U.S., I, too, am leaving the comfort of the ELI, which has been my professional home for over 20 years! And just as it has done for countless students, the ELI has given me so many enriching experiences and opportunities for growth and meaningful connection. Through the ELI, I traveled to exciting places in the U.S. and beyond. I even went to China and walked on the Great Wall! But the true magic of the ELI goes beyond its academic and professional opportunities; the people I have met here, the students and colleagues, demonstrate the depth of the human spirit and the power of true human connection, which extends beyond borders, language, culture. To the ELI and all its past and present students, faculty, and staff, I would like to humbly say thank you for the opportunity of a lifetime.