By Hayden Hackney
Staff writer
[email protected]
With summer rapidly approaching, the importance of enrolling in the upcoming semester rises.
Enrolling for the 2025 fall semester isn’t just about quickly claiming a spot in the classes, but also about gaining the financial aid and support for the semester that you deserve.
Enrolling in your classes early comes with a lot of benefits, such as ensuring a smooth academic experience, without the worry of missing out on classes you need because they’re full.
As well as this, the earlier you enroll, the better your chances of meeting with your advisor, as many advisors aren’t on campus during the summer.
“The main benefit for students is getting into classes they need before those classes fill up,” said D.J. Chastain, the Director of Advising and Career Development. “A lot of academic advisors aren’t around during the summer, so catching up with your advisor before the semester wraps up is super helpful.”
However, while getting into classes early is extremely beneficial, it is not the only thing that makes enrolling early important.
“From a financial aid perspective, students should complete their FAFSA for the 2025-2026 school year as soon as they can,” Chastain said.
He brings up a good point, as according to the Federal Student Aid website, the later you apply for your FAFSA, the lower your aid could be.
While completing the FAFSA early is important for gaining full support, some students still face challenges when it comes to the enrollment process itself.
“I know it is helpful to get in early, I just don’t really know how to,” said Trever Homewood, a freshman studying audio production.
Many students throughout campus are confused as to how the process of being enrolled goes, but the truth is, enrolling early is simple.
“Students need to contact their academic advisor and request an enrollment meeting before the end of the semester,” Chastain said. “If the student is unsure who their academic advisor is, they can log into Dragon Zone and go to their dashboard, and their advisor will be listed with the advisor’s email.”
By taking these simple steps, students can wash the stress of enrollment away and start their summer knowing they are prepared for the fall semester.
