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Transfers and mid-year enrollees stuck with limited class,
scholarship options
By Megan Sonderegger
January 26, 2005 | Fewer scholarship options, limited
class options, late enrollment, frustration and delayed
credit transfers are a few of the problems mid-year
freshmen and transfer students face, said Jen Putnam,
USU's associate director of recruitment.
Putnam said the main cause for these problems is students
who wait until the November deadline to apply and are
unaware that registration takes place the following
week.
She said spring semester freshman and transfer students
aren't required to enroll in SOAR and have to contact
an adviser, enroll for classes and navigate the system
on their own.
"They just have no idea, it all comes to fast," Putnam
said.
Putnam said another problem is scholarship availability.
She said all students enrolling in the spring are required
to appeal for a scholarship.
Putnam said these scholarships are based on available
funding and the university is sometimes able to help
only a small handful of spring semester students, thus
limiting students' opportunities.
Putnam said many students are unaware of application
deadlines and the administration receives hundreds of
late applications.
She said although they receive some in the fall the
problem is considerably worse during the spring semester.
"Spring semester is a whole other can of worms," Putnam
said.
Academic adviser Michelle Bogdan said she agrees with
Putnam's concerns.
"Applying late limits them (students) in terms of courses,
and creates frustrations for them if they can't get
into the classes they want or need," Bogdan said.
She said many transfer students delay requesting their
credit transfers which can prevent them from registering
because of unfulfilled prerequisites.
"Because these (spring) students don't have to go to
SOAR some won't seek out an advisor until they have
an issue or problem," Bogdan said.
Putnam said she advises students who are planning on
registering during the spring semester to apply and
transfer their credits as soon as they are entertaining
the idea of coming to Utah State. She said students
need to make an appointment with their adviser as soon
as possible so they can get in a position to be treated
as a current student.
"Doing this will save yourself a lot of headaches in
the long run," Putnam said.
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