MTSU’s Office of Student Success and the university’s Scheduling Center want students to know: It’s time to register.

They also have a second message for students: Make it count. Federal financial aid rules dictate that scholarships, loans and grants could be reduced by enrolling in the wrong classes.

Registration is underway for the upcoming summer and fall 2018 academic terms at MTSU. Priority registration runs through Friday, April 13.

Students can access the MTSU Registration Guide at http://mtsu.edu/registration/registration-guide.php, then should contact and meet their advisers and obtain the classes they need.

Tyler Henson

Tyler Henson, assistant director in the scheduling center, recommends students make wise class choices and to attend those classes after the fall and spring semesters begin.

“Make good choices,” Henson said. “And make it count when you meet your academic adviser and plan your schedule for each semester. You’ll be glad you did. Not paying attention to this rule could affect full-time enrollment status.”

University officials emphasize that only courses required for degree completion can be used to determine a student’s aid eligibility for federal financial aid programs such as grants, work-study and loans.

Henson said there are three takeaways for students when they meet with advisers to map a class scheduling strategy:

• It’s essential to officially declare majors and minors.
• Financial aid awards are based on the assumption that undergraduate students are enrolled full time — 12 hours or more — and graduate students are enrolled half time in eligible coursework during the fall and spring semesters.
• Dropping or not attending classes can negatively affect students’ current and future aid eligibility.

Not selecting the right courses can also reduce or affect MTSU and state scholarships, including the Tennessee HOPE Scholarship, and financial aid packages, he added.

MTSU student veteran Ray Huntley, right, receives advice from College of Basic and Applied Sciences adviser Jennifer Danylo during the fall semester. (MTSU file photo by Eric Sutton)

Henson said priority registration for summer and fall is crucial for currently enrolled students because they can register before thousands of incoming freshmen and transfer students.

“Those who wait risk losing their seats as early as the Monday after priority registration, when the new students can register for summer courses,” he said, “so it’s in their best interest to register at their assigned time and not wait until August or even May to sign up for fall classes.”

Advisers have been working for the last six semesters to make students more aware of the importance of having a plan, mapping their degree progress and helping students stay on track, said Dr. Rick Sluder, vice provost for student success.

MTSU has more than 240 combined undergraduate and graduate programs.

— Randy Weiler (Randy.Weiler@mtsu.edu)

MTSU students like then-senior Josephine Campos, right, need to meet with their academic advisers, including College of Basic and Applied Sciences adviser Kristen Janson, who can help them make good class choices for the fall and spring semesters and keep financial aid. (MTSU file photo)