Registration

University Undergraduate Advising Handbook

REGISTRATION

One registration system registers all students at all locations for credit courses offered through resident instruction, Continuing Education, and World Campus delivery systems.

Course registration information is available to advisers in real time on eLion using the Course Availability module. It is also available to authorized advisers on ISIS screen ARIRC (for a listing of availability by section) and ARUAC (for more detailed registration information including the six-digit number required for registration).

The registration process begins with course selection and is completed when a student takes action on his/her tuition bill (eBill) for that semester. Regardless of the amount due, action is required in order to complete the registration process.

Students may also schedule courses at multiple Penn State campuses in the same semester/session (see Multiple-Campus Registration). To schedule more than 19 credits, students must add the overload credits during the drop/add period.

If you have questions about the registration process, contact the Registrar's office at your campus.

Student Action
Scheduled and Registered Status
Registration Confirmation
Late Registration
Tuition and Fees
Process
Retroactive Registration

STUDENT ACTION

Determine your first day to register by checking page 1 of your degree audit or consulting the Registration Timetable.

Prior to your first day to register, prepare to meet with an academic adviser by reading Considerations When Planning a Schedule.
In consultation with an academic adviser, select courses for the upcoming semester/session.
Use the Schedule of Courses to select the sections you prefer. Use the appropriate registration worksheet (fall/spring semester or summer session) as a day planner.
On or after your first day to register, use Registration and Drop/Add Instructions and Registration Tips.
After scheduling, use Student Schedule on eLion to verify your course selections and to determine if any of your courses are part-semester. If so, see Part-Semester Courses for relevant information, dates, and deadlines. For full-semester courses, check the Academic Calendar.
Once your eBill is prepared, an e-mail message will be sent to your official University e-mail account notifying you that your eBill is available to view and/or pay via eLion. An e-mail will also be sent to Parents/Others to whom you have granted access to your Bills Tuition/Other. Please see the Tuition Bill Instructions on the Office of the Bursar Web site for detailed instructions on completing your registration.

SCHEDULED AND REGISTERED STATUS

To complete registration, a student must take the following steps:

Schedule courses
Take action on his/her tuition bill (eBill) before the due date, even if the balance is zero

Students who do not take action on their tuition bills have not completed their registration and may experience several consequences of incomplete registration.

REGISTRATION CONFIRMATION

To verify a student's status, authorized advisers may use ISIS screen ARURD (see a guide to codes displayed in the STATUS column).

LATE REGISTRATION

The late registration period begins on the first day of the late drop period and ends on the last day of classes in a semester/session. When a student is late registering for part-semester courses (or any combination of full- and part-semester courses), his/her late registration period is determined by his/her course with the earliest-starting late drop period.

The late registration policy does not apply to students who have scheduled any courses (and retained at least one) prior to the late registration period. That is, students who schedule prior to or during the drop/add period are not late registering.

A student considering a late registration should consult with an academic adviser to discuss the implications of this decision.

Tuition and Fees

The late registration fee is $250.00. Tuition, all fees, and any prior balance must be paid before a late registration can be processed.

Process

Students processing registrations after the drop/add period must obtain the signature(s) of the instructor for each course the student is scheduling. If one of these courses is full or departmentally controlled, then both instructor and departmental approval is required.

A student who is late registering may schedule a course as an audit.

RETROACTIVE REGISTRATION

A student who has not completed his/her registration on or before the last day of classes for a semester or session may only complete his/her registration by following the instructions provided by the Registrar's office. The deadline for submitting a request for retroactive registration is the end of the ninth month following the end of the semester or session for which the student seeks registration.

Requests for retroactive registration are reviewed by representatives from the offices of the Bursar and Registrar. Appeals of the decision are reviewed by the University Faculty Senate Subcommittee on Academic Standards.

When a request for a retroactive registration is approved, all courses previously scheduled for the semester or session will be recorded. The courses a student scheduled can be viewed on ISIS screen ARIRS. No courses from this list may be dropped; courses not listed may not be added. The Registrar's office will request the student's final grades from course instructors. (If the grade cannot be obtained from an instructor, the instructor's department head will provide the grade.)

This process cannot be used to retroactively late add a course. To late add a course after the end of a semester or session, the student must submit a petition to the University Faculty Senate.

The University may make changes in policies, procedures, educational offerings, and requirements at any time. Please consult a Penn State academic adviser for more detailed information.

This page is part of the University Undergraduate Advising Handbook, which is maintained by the Division of Undergraduate Studies, DUS@psu.edu.

Reviewed: July 2009
Last Update: October 2008