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An excellent description of, and instructions for, the course registration process are available on the UVA Registrar's Web site. Information on the billing and payment process for tuition, fees, and other charges can be found on the Student Services Web site. You can find links to those sites at the bottom of this page, but first we'd like to pass along some useful information to make sure you don't suffer from registration blocks and other teeth-gnashing calamities.
Course Registration Tips
- Roughly six weeks before the end of the current semester (see the Academic Calendar), consult with your graduate program's Graduate Advisor to determine the correct courses for you to take in the next semester. Be aware while making this determination that most programs have a minimum required number of credits you must take each semester. You should also know that the automated course registration system allows a default maximum of 12 credits per semester; to take more you must complete a Course Action Form. Please contact your Graduate Program's Administrator for this form.
- Most graduate programs require that students maintain their status as full-time students throughout the entire calendar year. This includes registering for summer semester or summer session as it's often called. Be sure to consult with your grad adviser about this issue. If you don't register for summer session, various unpleasant things may happen: you may be taxed at a higher rate for the summer months, you may lose your recreational facility privileges, you may lose your access to Student Health services, international students may have visa issues, a demand for repaying student loans may occur. These events can happen when you don't register because you lose your status as a full-time student. The need to register for summer session and the consequences if you do not register will vary from student to student. Be sure to examine your particular situation and take the appropriate steps to safeguard your interests. Besides, if you're going to be in a lab doing research all summer, why not get credit for it? After all, we're paying the tuition and fees for you. The Summer Session Office web site has an on-line Intent-to-Register form you can use to get the ball rolling.
- Be sure to pre-register every semester. We strongly urge you to perform this step correctly and on time. While it is possible to register for courses without performing pre-registration, the process becomes more lengthy, more complex and eventually results in one or more trips to Carruthers Hall to clear things up. Save yourself the grief and pre-register!
- Avoid registration blocks by taking care of business. Such things as unpaid bills, library fines or parking tickets, and missing Health Insurance Certification, can generate "blocks" during the registration process. Running into a block at registration time can result in more unpleasantness such as time hassles and a late registration fee. You can find out what blocks are in the system under your name using ISIS.
- Register on time by using the Integrated Student Information System, fondly known as ISIS. Visit the Registrar's Office site for detailed instructions.
- Be sure to pay your bill before Final Registration. Bill payment is step two. If you get a bill from the University that does not read $0.00, there will almost certainly be a block which will prevent you for performing Final Registration. Information about paying your bill can be found on the Bursar's Web site. If your bill indicates that you still owe tuition or course-related fees, contact your biomedical sciences graduate program (BIMS) Administrator or immediately. Any other charges are your responsibility (dorm rents, unpaid fines, etc.). There is a form from the Bursar's Office which can help mitigate problems arising from a bill that has a balance above $0.00 (see Important Mailings below).
- Make sure your all of your addresses that are on file with the Registrar are correct and up to date. The Bursar's Office mails one bill per student, to the student only, at the address specified in University records. It is your responsibility to make sure that the bill gets to you. If you are a new student or if you are a current student and your address changes, you should notify the Registrar's Office and your BIMS Administrator right away.
- Important Mailings: The Registrar's Office mails out a pamphlet titled "Final Registration Fall (Year)" in August to all expected students. The Bursar's Office sends a mailing each semester along with the first bill. Both of those documents are important and helpful. HOLD ONTO THEM. Pay particular attention to the form, called the "Payment Delay Certification", at the end of the pamphlet which comes from the Bursar's Office. If your bill does not have a $0.00 balance because of unpaid tuition and course-related fees, fill out the form and send it to the address on the form itself immediately. This will signal the Bursar's Office that your unpaid tuition and fees will be paid by a University source (namely, your graduate program) and will enable you to complete final registration. If you lost or threw away the pamphlet from the Bursar's Office, you can access a generic version of the form on-line.
- Last but not least, be sure to read all the information on the Registrar's and Bursar's Web sites and understand how to use the ISIS on-line registration system.
You're probably thinking by now, "Whew! what a mess!" Actually, registration is pretty simple and works smoothly if you follow the instructions and take action on things for which you are responsible. Now, here are those web sites we promised you at the top of the page:
Helpful links:
Office of the University Registrar
University of Virginia Student Accounts Page
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