If they have not done so already, your student will soon meet with his or her academic advisor to plan their classes for the fall semester. But did you know that your student has the option of taking classes over summer?
There can be a variety of reasons for taking summer classes. If your student is not taking at least 15 hours each fall and spring semester, summer is a great time to catch up on some of those hours to stay on track for graduation in four years. Whatever the reason, it is best for your student to plan ahead and be aware of HCU’s policies.
“Be strategic with when you take your summer classes. It’s easiest to find core courses during the summer than classes that are major-specific. Take summer classes during your freshman and sophomore year so that you can dedicate your junior summer to internships and job development.” – Lindsey Moreno, HCU graduate
The HCU summer and fall class schedules are available online to view, so students can already see what will be offered. Keep in mind that the May fast term actually counts toward spring enrollment, not summer. Students are able to register for summer classes at the same time that they register for fall, as listed below:
- April 4th, 12:00am-April 5th, 6:00pm: Pre-priority populations (Athletes, Honors, Veterans, TRIO)
- April 7th, 10:00pm: Seniors (96 hours completed)
- April 8th, 10:00pm: Juniors (64 hours completed)
- April 9th, 10:00pm: Sophomores (32 hours completed)
- April 10th, 10:00pm: Freshmen (fewer than 32 hours completed)
Keep in mind that if your student uses federal financial aid to pay for summer classes at HCU, it will be taken from their total award amount for the coming academic year. University scholarships cannot be applied to summer courses. The Financial Aid office can answer any specific questions your student may have about paying for summer classes.
Students who are interested in taking summer classes away from HCU, such as at a local community college, may do so as long as they have completed no more than 64 credit hours. One important thing to remember is that courses MUST be pre-approved for transfer. Remind your student to meet with their academic advisor to fill out the Request for Prior Approval of Transfer Credit form before enrolling in summer classes through another institution. After the class is complete, your student will need to send an official transcript with a posted grade for the class to HCU in order to receive the course credit.
Whether or not your student plans to take summer courses, it’s a good idea to meet with their academic advisor before their designated registration date so that they may register for classes on time. This will give them their best chance of getting their preferred schedule.
This post was written by HCU’s Department of Student Success.