AN INSTRUCTOR REPORTS A C152 STUDENT PILOT LANDED OFF ARPT WITH A ROUGH RUNNING ENG CAUSED BY FUEL STARVATION. PILOT WAS UNAWARE OF FUEL STATE.

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I AM CHIEF FLT INSTRUCTOR AT AN INTL FLT SCHOOL RPTING AN INCIDENT CONCERNING A RENTER WITH A FOREIGN COMMERCIAL PLT'S LICENSE AND A PROVISIONAL FAA PVT PLT'S LICENSE. HE WAS FLYING FOR THE PURPOSE OF TIME BUILDING. HE RPTED A ROUGH-RUNNING ENG TO APCH CTL; AFTER WHICH THE ENG STOPPED RUNNING NEAR A PVT GRASS STRIP. HE MADE A SAFE LNDG IN A LARGE FIELD APPROX 1/2 MI SW. WHEN I ARRIVED ON SITE; THE AIRPLANE WAS SITTING NEAR THE NORTHERNMOST TREE LINE WITH NO VISIBLE DAMAGE. THE PLT WAS SAFE AND WITHOUT INJURY. THE FIELD ITSELF WAS BUMPY AND ROUGH; BUT SUITABLE ENOUGH FOR A SOFT FIELD LNDG. THE ACFT'S GND ROLL APPEARED TO BE ABOUT 1/2 MI LONG; JUDGING FROM THE TRACKS. THE PLT CLAIMED HE WAS AWARE THE ACFT WAS LOW ON FUEL; BUT BELIEVED HE COULD MAKE IT TO ZZZ SAFELY. VISUAL INSPECTION OF THE FUEL QUANTITY REVEALED THE L TANK'S FUEL QUANTITY TO BE VERY LOW (POSSIBLY UNUSABLE); WITH THE R TANK COMPLETELY DRY. UPON TURNING ON THE MASTER SWITCH; THE FUEL INDICATORS ON BOARD READ 'EMPTY' ON BOTH SIDES. OUR FLT DEPT ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT THE FSDO NUMEROUS TIMES THROUGHOUT THE DAY; BUT WERE UNABLE TO SPEAK WITH ANYONE UNTIL SOME TIME LATER. OUR FSDO CONTACT INFORMED US THAT THEY WERE INVOLVED IN A MEETING AND WERE UNAVAILABLE UNTIL THAT TIME. THE STUDENT BRIEFLY EXPLAINED THIS MORNING'S EVENTS TO ME AT THE SITE. WE CANNOT SAY WITH CERTAINTY WHAT CAUSED THE ENG FAILURE WITHOUT A PROPER INSPECTION; BUT WITHOUT ANY VISIBLE LEAKS OR OTHER ACFT DAMAGE; PLT ERROR IS THE PRESUMED CAUSE FOR FUEL STARVATION AND SUBSEQUENT ENG FAILURE.