Student Records & Registration

Class Add and Drop Request Process

Continuing Student Registration

Access to registration during Continuing Student Registration and Add/Drop is primarily in the Student Center via the Portal. During Continuing Student Registration students are assigned an appointment time period for registration. Students are notified by Office of the Registrar when enrollment appointments are established for an upcoming term. See Important Dates & Deadlines and the Academic Calendar for additional information on upcoming timelines.

Appointments: Enrollment appointments are assigned according to class level at the time appointments are established, typically three weeks before Continuing Student Registration begins. Class level (e.g. postbaccalaureate, senior, junior, sophomore, or freshman) is determined by adding units in which a student is currently enrolled to the total completed units earned prior to the beginning of the current semester. Students that receive priority registration opportunities include students with disabilities, students participating in NCAA athletic teams, honors students, foster youth, and others as determined by University policy.

Enrollment Limits:

  • Effective Fall 2019, all students during priority registration may enroll in up to 18 units during the appointment period.

Drops and Withdrawals: All changes to enrollment are primarily processed in the Student Center via the Portal. If you are unable to attend, review Withdrawals. The last day to drop for a full financial credit is the day before classes begin for the semester, see Important Dates & Deadlines.

Remember: Always log off your Portal account when finished to protect your personal information.

Also see Considerations during Continuing Student Registration and Add/Drop below.

Add/Drop

No appointment is necessary to enroll during Add/Drop if you are considered a continuing student or were granted an enrollment appointment during Continuing Student Registration. Check your Student Center via the Portal to ensure that you have no holds that will prevent registration.

Enrollment Limits:

  • Undergraduate students may enroll in up to 21 units. Students wishing to add more than 21 units must fill out the Undergraduate Petition to Enroll in More than 21 Units (PDF). Petitions can only be turned in once Add/Drop has begun.
  • Postbaccalaureate students may enroll in up to 21 units, except Graduate students may enroll in up to 18 units. Students wishing to add above their limits must petition with the Graduate Studies Office.

Drops and Withdrawals: Check your Student Center to ensure that all requested changes are reflected accurately. Drop individual classes in the Student Center via the Portal. After Add/Drop, a Class Drop Request (PDF) is required to drop a class. If you wish to drop all your classes for the semester as of the first day of the term, see Withdrawals.

Remember: Always log off your Portal account when finished to protect your personal information.

Considerations during Priority Registration and Add/Drop

Prerequisites and Corequisites: When adding classes, review the course description and enrollment requirements in the Student Center to determine if your request meets the prerequisite or corequisite requirements of the course. Prerequisites must be met prior to registration, corequisites must be included in the same request in order to satisfy the requirement.

Swap: You may swap an enrolled class for another class in the Student Center via the Portal. You will only be dropped from the enrolled section if space is available in the other class. If a waitlist is available for the class you prefer, you will only be dropped from the enrolled section when successfully enrolled from the waitlist.

Waitlisting: Students may waitlist for up to 10 units each semester in addition to Enrollment Limits (above). Waitlists are available for most classes. The last day to the waitlist for a class is the Thursday of the first week of classes. Once waitlisting ends, available seats may be enrolled in through the Student Center, or using a Class Add/Update Request (PDF) if the class requires department or instructor approval. For additional information, see Waitlisting.

Class Schedule: View your Schedule of Classes for each term in the Student Center in the Portal. The View My Schedule option viewed as a List to see class information and waitlist position information or Weekly Schedule View to see class information in a weekly time grid.

Permission: Some courses, such as independent study, internship, thesis, special projects, and other courses so designated by the department may require the consent of the instructor or the department to enroll. Review the enrollment requirements in the Student Center via the Portal to determine their procedure for approving your request. You may need to complete a Class Add/Update Request (PDF), make contact with the instructor or department, or be given special permission to enroll through the Portal. View instructions on the Class Schedule, in the Student Center via the Portal, or contact the instructor or department for additional information.

Credit/No Credit: To change your grading option (e.g., “A, B, C, D, F” to “Credit/No Credit”) in an elective class not taken for major, minor, or General Education requirements, complete Credit/No Credit (PDF)

Audit: Regularly admitted students may audit courses on a space-available basis with faculty permission using the Class Add/Update Request (PDF) by selecting the Add for Audit option. For more information see Auditing.

Repeating a course: Undergraduate students may repeat a maximum of 28 units. Students may be prevented from enrolling in cases such as:

  • A student may be prevented from reenrolling in a course if the earlier attempt resulted in a grade of C or better.
  • A student may be prevented from enrolling in a course that they have attempted 3 previous times and failed to receive a grade of C or better.
  • A student may be prevented from enrolling in a course that would result in them being in excess of 28 units.

Incompletes: If you have a grade of Incomplete in a class, you may not re-enroll in the course. Coordinate with your instructor or department that granted the grade of Incomplete to determine the requirements to receive a grade for the class.

Drops and Withdrawals: Check your Student Center via the Portal to ensure that all requested changes are reflected accurately. Drop individual classes in the Student Center via the Portal. After Add/Drop Period, a Class Drop Request (PDF) is required to drop a class. If you wish to drop all your classes for the semester, see Withdrawals.

Considerations after Add/Drop

4th week (Spring 2024 only)

After the third week of the semester, changes to enrollment for the term require a Class Add/Update Request (PDF) or Class Drop Request (PDF). Obtain faculty signature through the fourth week of the semester and submit completed forms to Office of the Registrar, SSC 110.

After the 4th week

After the fourth week of the semester, changes to enrollment for the term require a Class Add/Update Request (PDF) or Class Drop Request (PDF) with a serious and compelling reason (see the University Catalog(opens in new window)) as well as the instructor, department chair, and dean signatures. Obtain required signatures and submit completed forms to the Office of the Registrar, SSC 110 within ten working days of the final required signature date or they will not be accepted. Any change submitted after the fifth week of the semester is assessed a $10 late fee, which can be paid.

If changes to your enrollment result in a change in tuition and/or fees, go to Student Financial Services, SSC 230. Failure to pay required fees may result in disenrollment from the requested class(es).

Last 3 weeks

For approved drops and withdrawals during the last three weeks of the semester, instructors have the option of assigning a grade to any class that has been dropped.


Disclaimer: The CSU makes every effort to keep student costs to a minimum. Fees listed in published schedules or student accounts may need to be increased when public funding is inadequate. Therefore, CSU must reserve the right, even after fees are initially charged or initial fee payments are made, to increase or modify any listed fees. All listed fees, other than mandatory systemwide fees, are subject to change without notice, until the date when instruction for a particular semester or quarter has begun. All CSU listed fees should be regarded as estimates that are subject to change upon approval by the Board of Trustees, the Chancellor, or the Presidents, as appropriate. Changes in mandatory systemwide fees will be made in accordance with the requirements of the Working Families Student Fee Transparency and Accountability Act (Sections 66028 - 66028.6 of the Education Code).

For an estimated moderate standard of living budget, please refer to the Chico State Cost of Attendance.