Force Registration
Students may request force registration for an open course with enrollment restrictions by completing a Force Registration Request. Students are encouraged to contact the department offering the course for additional information on how force registration requests are handled.
Acceptable Criteria for Force Registration
Students may need department approval to be registered in a course that fulfills a minor requirement.
- Student may be waiting for transfer credits to be processed.
- Student may have been approved to use an alternative course (proof should be attached such as transcript or advisor email)
Some classes (internships, research, language courses) need department approval. Students should contact the department first, then submit their request with the required documents.
Student may have already taken the course twice and require department approval to try again. Some courses (like foreign languages or high-demand classes) have different rules. Students can review the UB Repeat Policy and see which courses are controlled.
Before submitting a request
- Waitlist: If the class has a waitlist, a student must join that instead of requesting force registration.
- Restrictions: If a course is open but restricted (like needing a pre-requisite or permission), students can submit a request.
- Open courses only: Force registration only applies to open classes, not full ones.
Online Force Registration Process
Students submit all force registration requests via the online Force Registration Request portal.
When can students access the Force Registration Request portal?
The system opens for students on their assigned enrollment date during the enrollment period.
Students can submit force registration requests through the end of the second week of classes, which aligns with the departmental drop/add period.
Impact on Billing, Financial Aid and Student Status
- Adds after the end of the student drop/add period may result in additional tuition and fees (for example, from part-time to full-time).
- These adds cannot be considered for financial aid unless there was an error by the university.
- If you add a student to a class during the departmental drop/add period, they may incur a bill that will not be eligible for financial aid.
- Students whose financial aid has already been disbursed based on a full-time award who then drop to part-time status may be charged by the university because they received funds for which they are now ineligible.
- Inaccurate enrollment reporting to the National Student Clearinghouse may result in enrolled students receiving inaccurate repayment notices for their student loans.
International Students May Be Particularly Impacted by Inaccuracies at the Add/Drop deadline.
- If a student is under-enrolled after the last day to add-drop, they will receive a series of warnings from International Student Services (ISS) with a deadline for resolution.
- If they remain under-enrolled after the deadline, ISS must terminate their SEVIS record. They will no longer have a valid U.S. visa status, which may lead to serious consequences, including deportation.
- Students should contact ISS directly if they have specific questions regarding their visa status.
> Contact International Student Services (ISS)
How to Decrease the Need for Late Registration
Finalize Schedules As Soon As Possible
- Departments should finalize their schedules as soon as possible.
- Limited changes should be made to the class schedule once it is published, and registration has begun.
- Changes should be made only in exceptional circumstances after the first day of classes.
Finalize Student Registration As Soon As Possible
- Departments that force register students should finalize student registration as soon as possible each semester, no later than the departmental drop/add deadline on the second Friday of classes (for fall and spring semesters).
Remind Students About Deadlines and Graduation
- Departments and advisors should remind students about important registration deadlines and encourage them to register early to avoid last-minute problems or closed courses.
- The Office of the Registrar posts announcements to MyUB and university sites. However, communications directly from departments have a higher impact than the general communications sent from central offices.
- For students who have applied for graduation, remind them to ensure that their graduation date is accurate. Students who have applied for graduation cannot register after their expected graduation date.
Resolve Holds
- Departments and advisors should work with students to resolve outstanding holds that prevent registration as quickly as possible.