Graduate Registration Policy and Procedures

As soon as an application for admission has been approved, students are notified and asked to contact their graduate program office to make an initial appointment with a graduate advisor. All degree-seeking graduate students are required to consult with an academic advisor before registering for classes. As soon as the advisement appointment is completed, a student may register online. Students must be in compliance with the State of Illinois immunization requirements. Refer to Health Services website for additional information. Prior to registering online, the student must accept the responsibility for the programmatic consequences of the registration and agrees to be bound by all relevant university regulations. Students-at-large may register with the Office of the Registrar.

Student I.D. Cards

Students are issued an Aurora University photo identification card after registration. The card is valid while enrolled as a student at Aurora University. The I.D. card is required for the use of university facilities and services and for free or reduced-price admission to paid events on campus. There is a fee for replacement of lost or damaged I.D. cards. AU Online students may print verification from Self-Service.

Billing/Registration Policy

Students who have unpaid balances from prior terms that are not covered by duly approved and current installment payment plans with the university, by duly approved and current deferred payment plans, or by duly approved corporate billing agreements, or who have failed to meet any other statutory or university requirement for registration will be designated as being on hold status. No student on hold status will be registered for any class until the hold status is removed by the appropriate university authority. Students who have resolved their hold status will be registered and admitted to classes only during the time period permitted under the university regulations concerning late registration. No grades will be recorded for students who are not duly registered. In the event that a student duly registered for a class is subsequently placed on hold status, the student will not be able to enroll in subsequent terms until the hold is removed, which could result in the student's registration for future terms being cancelled.

Payment of Tuition and Fees

Tuition and fees are assessed in accordance with approved policies. Please refer to the Financial Responsibility Agreement signed/accepted at the time of registration for specific payment information. Students who have been approved to participate in a university-approved installment or deferred payment plan must adhere to the terms of these plans in order to remain eligible for participation. Details of these plans are available on the Student Accounts Office website. Official transcripts are issued to students in good financial standing, unless required by law.

Refunds

During the regular semester, a 100% refund of tuition is provided through the first week of the semester, 90% during the second week, and 50% during the third week; no refund is issued thereafter. Refunds for Summer Session classes and for classes that do not meet in accordance with the regular semester calendar are provided in accordance with refund schedules provided by the Student Accounts Office. Specific information is provided on the Financial Responsibility Agreement signed/accepted at the time of registration. Refunds are, in all cases, governed by the actual date of submitting a drop notice, via Self-Service or in writing, or a Request for a Withdrawal/Academic Leave of Absence.

Graduate Late Registration

The normal registration period ends with the closing of the Office of the Registrar on the last university business day preceding the first day of the term or the first day of a class that officially begins at some point other than the beginning of a term. Students may late register only during the first 10% of the term and before the class has met for 10% of the published contact time. Specific deadlines are published in the schedule of classes or may be obtained on the Office of the Registrar's webpage. It is the responsibility of a late-registering student to make up missed class work, and students are permitted to late register only with the understanding that their grades may be affected by work that cannot be made up.

Adding and Dropping Courses

Changing Courses

Once a student has registered for courses, he/she may make changes to his/her schedule up through the add/drop period, online via Self-Service. If the student is unable to make the changes in Self-Service, the student should complete a Registration Form with the appropriate changes and, after signing the form, turn it in to their student success/academic advisor or the Office of the Registrar. The Registration Forms are available from any advisor, in the Office of the Registrar, and online. Registration Forms for changes requested by the student must be initiated by the student.

Courses may be added only before and during the official late registration period. No course may be dropped after the end of the 10th week of classes in a 16-week semester or the sixth week in an eight-week term or module. For courses scheduled outside of the regular semesters, see the Academic Calendar for Add/Drop/Withdrawal deadlines. Once a student has registered for courses, he/she can change the grading system from letter grade to Credit/No Credit or vice-versa in writing with the Office of the Registrar prior to the second week of the term.

It is the responsibility of the student to make certain that any schedule changes are completed by the specific deadlines for late registration, change of grading system, or withdrawal from courses. Aurora University reserves the right to administratively drop/withdraw those students who are not actively attending or pursuing course objectives as established by their instructors, who are enrolled in courses not consistent with placement testing and/or course prerequisites, who fail to pay their tuition and fees, or who receive sanctions resulting in dismissal from course(s) or the university. Changes initiated by the university are handled administratively by student success/academic advisors, the Office of Academic Affairs, or the University Registrar as appropriate.

Grades for Dropped Courses

Courses dropped with 100% refund do not appear on the student’s permanent academic record. A grade of “W’ (withdrawal) will be recorded on the student’s permanent academic record for courses dropped during the remainder of the available partial refund period noted on the academic and/or registrar calendar. Consult the Academic and/or Registrar Calendar for specifics.

For courses scheduled outside of the regular semesters (i.e., Summer), the Office of the Registrar will calculate late registration and withdrawal deadlines and provide this information on the Office of the Registrar's website.

Graduate Credit Load

Full-time status for graduate study is 6 to 17 semester hours in any term. Graduate students may not take more than 17 semester hours per term.

Waiting List

Once a course has been closed, a student is encouraged to select and register for an alternative course. If a student wishes to be placed on the waiting list for the original course, the student can choose to waitlist the course in Self-Service or with the assistance of a student success/academic advisor. Students are admitted from the waiting list on the basis of need as determined by the Office of the Registrar in consultation with program chairs/directors and other academic officials when appropriate. The waiting list does not operate on a first-come, first-served basis, nor do instructors have influence on the decision. The Office of the Registrar makes determinations prior to the start of the term. Students authorized to add the class are contacted by email when they have permission to register for the course. It is the responsibility of the student to register for the course during the 24-hour window of authorization. Failure to register within the allotted timeframe results in forfeiture of the seat in the course. Aurora University reserves the right to register students actively on a waitlist into the corresponding course. It is the responsibility of the student to remove himself/herself via Self-Service or with the assistance of a student success/academic advisor, from any waiting list for which he/she no longer wishes to be considered.

Auditor Status

Aurora University has an auditor (AU) status for those individuals who do not wish to earn college credit for either an undergraduate or graduate course. Auditing privileges may include full participation in class sessions, with the exception that instructors are not required to evaluate and grade an auditor’s performance in a course. Instructors may determine the character of participation and requirements of auditors. The tuition fee for auditing has been established at 50% of the regular tuition rate. Any additional class fees will be at the expense of the auditor.

Auditors must register for classes on a standby basis, with the understanding that students registering for credit have priority in the class. A decision as to whether auditors may enter classes will be made prior to the beginning of the first class session. Audited courses will be posted on a student’s permanent academic record as an audit (AU). No academic credit will be granted for audited classes at any time. Auditors may not participate in clinical experiences, field placements, and practica courses.

Full-Time and Part-Time Enrollment

Students may enroll either full- or part-time at Aurora University; in some graduate programs, a student must declare his/her intention in order to be placed in the correct sequence of courses to complete the program on a full- or part-time basis. Full-time undergraduate enrollment is defined as a minimum of 12 credit hours per semester (24 credit hours per academic year). Full-time graduate enrollment is defined as a minimum of six credit hours per semester (12 credit hours per academic year).

Visitors

An individual who wishes to visit a class session may not do so without the prior approval of the university.