Frequently Asked Questions

Registration FAQs

How do I Add / Drop a Class?

Adding and Dropping Classes in RamPortal

For directions, please visit the Ramportal Student Training website

The Course is Closed. Now what?

Once a course reaches the maximum enrollment, a department may create a waitlist for their course. Not all courses have waitlists.

Once you are on the waitlist, check your WCU email regularly as you will be notified via email if you receive a spot in the course and have a limited time to register.

How to Add to the Waitlist

I got a registration error when registering

There is a number of reasons you might receive an error when trying to register for a class, including:

Not meeting the prerequisites or co-requisites
A closed class section
Reserved Seats which you do not qualify for
A course at a different level (i.e undergraduate taking a graduate level course)
A section requiring department consent/permission
You are exceeding the number of credits permitted in a term.

Here are some tips to registering if you encounter and error and next steps.

Why Did My Classes Get Cancelled?

Several factors are considered before students are cancelled from their courses. One of the largest reasons is because tuition bills remain unpaid by the due date and the student does not communicate with the Bursar's Office.

Student who do not pay for their student account by their due date and do not connect with the Bursar's Office are at risk of having their course schedule cancelled.

Prior to cancellation, students receive several notices via their WCU email account indicating that they are at risk for cancellation. When cancelled, students are removed from all their courses for the semester.

Remember to activate your bursar account and pay your tuition bill in RamPortal. If you are experiencing financial hardship or have further questions about your bill, contact the Bursar's Office at 610-436-2552.

* Students SHOULD NOT depend on the cancellation process if their intention is not to attend courses for a semester because it can have negative academic record and financial consequences. Students should always DROP or WITHDRAW from courses if they will not be attending.

Course Withdrawal vs. Term Withdrawal...What's the Difference?

Term Withdrawal

A term withdrawal is the complete withdrawal from West Chester University for a specific term. Upon withdrawal, all ungraded courses will be given a grade of “W” for the indicated term.

NOTE: Term Withdrawal may affect your financial aid and if you have financial obligation to the University, your academic records may be unavailable until the issue is resolved.

Graduate Students who have received a Graduate Assistantship may have financial obligation to the University up to and including the full cost of tuition.

For more information about Term Withdrawal, please see the Undergraduate catalog or Graduate Catalog.

To withdraw from all courses for a given term, undergraduate and graduate students should complete a Term/University Withdrawal form through their RamPortal--see step-by-step instructions online.

University Withdrawal

Students who do not intend to continue at West Chester University may withdraw from the university. Students who elect to withdraw from the university would then need to apply for readmission if they wish to re-enroll in courses.

To complete a University withdrawal for students not intending to return to the institution, undergraduate and graduate students should complete a Term/University Withdrawal form through RamPortal--see step-by-step instructions online.

Full refunds for tuition and the general fee are available only through the eighth calendar day that the University is in session. After that, tuition and the general fee are refunded according to the refund schedule.

Course Withdrawal

A course withdrawal can be done for individual courses after the drop/add period has ended. Please see our Grade and Credit Types page for information on Withdrawal "W" grades.

I am seeking READMISSION, how do I enroll again?

Readmission applications are available for undergraduate students who were previously enrolled at West Chester University as degree candidates.

If you have been inactive or not registered for classes for three (3) consecutive semesters, you may need to seek Readmission.

Please visit the Readmission of Former Degree Candidates page on the Undergraduate Admissions site for more information. Graduate students should contact the Graduate School.

Scheduling FAQs

Waitlists

How Does the Waitlist Work?

Once a course reaches the maximum enrollment, eligible students who attempt to add the class will have the opportunity to enroll onto the waitlist if the department has created one.
If a seat becomes available, the next student on the waitlist will receive a waitlist offer. Student will have a designated amount of time to complete their registration from the waitlist before the seat expires and is offered to the next student.
- Students who encounter registration errors when enrolling from the waitlist, should reach out to the teaching department of the course.
- See Waitlist errors and resolutions
The last day a student can enroll onto a waitlist is the day prior to the start of the semester (or session the course is offered in - if the semester offers sessions).
The waitlist process will continue to run throughout the Add/Drop period of the semester (or session the course if offered int - if the semester offers sessions).
If the student is no longer interested in being enrolled into the course, the student needs to drop themselves from the waitlist.

Some Reasons Why A Student May Receive an Error when Enrolling from the Waitlist

The waitlisted course meeting pattern (dates/days/times) conflicts with another course on the student schedule.
Enrolling the student into the waitlisted course would cause the student to exceed the maximum allowable credits for the semester.
- Maximum allowable credits (without requesting an overload)
  - Full-Time Students = 18.00 (Fall/Spring)
  - Part-Time Students = 11.50 (Fall/Spring)
  - Full-Time / Part Time Students = 7.00 (Winter/Summer)
Students are already enrolled in another section of the same course.
Student missing required co-requisite or pre-requite course

Enrollment Overrides

Departments may grant students permission to enroll in restricted courses or where enrollment errors occur for the following reasons. Once the override has been issued, students will be able to proceed with registration as normal.

Override Reasons issues by Department:

Department Consent
Prerequisites/Co-Requisite Override
Closed Class
Time Conflict Override

Enrollment Start Date and Time

The Registrar's Office assigns enrollment start dates and times to all students.

In late-September, appointments are assigned for the upcoming Winter and Spring terms.
In early February appointments are assigned for the upcoming Summer and Fall terms.

Once enrollment start dates and times are assigned, they will be visible to students in RamPortal. While students are not required to meet with their advisor to schedule courses, they must meet with them prior to registration to discuss potential course options and to get the advisor task cleared from their account.

The enrollment start date and time listed indicates the first time students are eligible to enroll in courses for the semester indicated. Once that date and time is reached, students can continue to adjust their schedules until the Add/Drop deadline for the course. Enrollment start dates and times are based on student standing determined by the number of COMPLETED and TRANSFER CREDITS. Courses IN-PROGRESS are not taken into account in determining student standing.

Please consult the Undergraduate Catalog for further information on how student standing is defined.
For more information on the policy regarding Priority Registration, please visit the Policies webpage on the Deputy Provost website.

Registration