Registrar

Visiting Students

Welcome to SIUE!

SIUE is a great place to take a class as an undergraduate visiting student. If you are looking to take a class or two to transfer back to your home institution, or just want a course to fulfill a personal interest, we hope that your educational experience at SIUE will be an enjoyable and enriching one for you. To get started as a visiting student, please review the following:

Admission Application

The Visiting Student category includes anyone who has at least a high school diploma or equivalent and wishes to enroll in undergraduate courses for credit, but is not interested in pursuing a baccalaureate degree at SIUE. The only document required is a completed application. However, you may be required to present evidence of prerequisite completion at the time of registration.

Although applications from visiting students will normally be accepted until the Friday before classes begin, we recommend that you apply early so that you will have a better selection of classes. No applications will be accepted once classes begin. Visit the apply website to complete your application. The $40 non-refundable application fee can be paid online when you submit your application. Application fee waivers are available. Please submit your online application at least ten working days prior to the application deadline to allow sufficient time for receipt and processing.

You may also bring your completed application to the Service Center in Rendleman Hall, room 1309, and pay the application fee to the Office of the Bursar at the same time. Applications submitted in person can usually be processed the same day they are submitted.

If you applied online, you can check your application status in CougarNet. You will use the same login ID and PIN you created when you applied for admission. If you've forgotten your ID or PIN, or submitted a paper application, please call the Office of Admissions at 618-650-3705 for assistance. Once you have been admitted, you will receive a letter of acceptance in the mail. Generally, admission letters will be sent within five working days after your application is received and processed.

Registration Restrictions

Admission to SIUE is valid only for the term indicated on your acceptance letter. If you are unable to attend this term and wish to be considered for a future term, please submit a new application. You may do this for two consecutive terms before an additional application fee will be required.

Enrollment in graduate-level courses numbered 500 and above is not permitted. If you are interested in taking graduate-level courses at SIUE, you will need to apply to the Graduate School.

Credit earned as a visiting student is not applicable toward a graduate degree at SIUE.

Please note that visiting students are not eligible to receive financial aid. However, if a visiting student is currently pursuing a degree at another postsecondary institution, the student may be eligible for VA benefits or student employment. Students wishing to apply for student employment or to receive VA benefits need to submit appropriate documentation confirming their degree-seeking status at a parent institution. Check with your home institution to see if you are eligible to receive aid through a consortium agreement. Please contact the Office of Financial Aid at 618-650‑3880 if you have questions regarding financial aid or student employment.

If you wish to pursue an undergraduate degree program at SIUE in the future, you will need to apply for admission to the University as a degree-seeking student. To be reclassified, you must satisfy the appropriate admission requirements. Please refer to the Office of Admissions website for admission eligibility requirements.

Class Registration

Once you have been admitted, you are eligible to register for classes.

You may enroll in any undergraduate course for which you have satisfied appropriate prerequisites. However, you may be required to present evidence of prerequisite completion. Course descriptions and the corresponding prerequisites are listed in the course descriptions section of CougarNet.

Visiting students who intend to take business courses at SIUE to transfer back to their home institution must complete the School of Business Visiting Student Request Form, have their advisor or program director's consent and process the completed form through the Service Center in Rendleman Hall, room 1309. Business courses are those with the following prefixes: ACCT, CMIS, ECON, FIN, GBA, MGMT, MS, MKTG and PROD. This is a School of Business requirement for all courses numbered 300 and above.

Consult with your advisor or program director at your home institution to determine which SIUE courses will best fit your needs. Unfortunately, we cannot tell you which courses will transfer back to your home institution. Course descriptions and the class schedule are available from the links in CougarNet. It is your responsibility to be sure that you are taking the appropriate course(es) and that you have the required prerequisites.

To register for classes, use the registration link in CougarNet. You will need to know your University ID number and your CougarNet PIN. For first time users, your PIN is your birthdate in this format: MMDDYY.

If you have problems registering online or questions about registering as a visiting student, contact the Visiting Student Advisor in the Service Center, Rendleman Hall room 1309 or by phone at 618-650‑2080.

Now that you have registered for classes, you are on your way to being a student at SIUE. Our goal is to help you have a successful experience. Since every college and university seems to have their own way of doing things, we want to help you with some useful information about the policies and procedures at SIUE. Here are some of the things that you will need to know and do before classes begin and before the end of the term:

• Access CougarNet
  • If you have not already done so, you can print a copy of your class schedule by logging into CougarNet. CougarNet is also used to access your account balance, your final grades and your SIUE unofficial transcript. You will have access to CougarNet even after you leave SIUE, so be sure to remember your SIUE Student ID Number and your CougarNet PIN.
• Verify that your registration is correct. Look over your class schedule to be sure that you are registered for the course(s) you requested. You may want to check with your advisor at your home institution, if applicable, to be sure that the SIUE course your requested will meet your needs. It is your responsibility to be sure that you are taking the appropriate course(es) and that you have the required prerequisites. You can verify prerequisites by viewing the course descriptions on the Registrar's website. 

If you are waitlisted for a course, please be aware that being on a waitlist does not guarantee eventual registration in the class. It is only a list of the students who wanted to register for the class after it is closed. If your class has an automatic waitlist, you will be automatically registered in the class when an opening occurs. This can happen at any time after you registered through the Wednesday before classes begin. If you are not automatically enrolled prior to the first day of the class, you may go to the first class meeting and ask if the instructor will give you a Class Permit Card (also called a "closed class card"). If the instructor does give a permit card to you, be sure to bring it to the Service Center, 1309 Rendleman Hall, by the end of the second week so that you can be registered for the class.

Tuition and Fees

All tuition, fees and housing charges for each term are due on or before the first day of classes for that term. The initial billing date for the summer term is mid-April; the date for the fall semester is mid-July and for spring is mid-November. A minimum payment of 25 % of the total charges (in addition to payment in full of unpaid previous term charges) is required for financial clearance. Payment must be received by the published date to prevent possible cancellation of your classes. The table below summarizes the payment due date for each term. If you registered after the first payment due date, payment must be made by the first day of classes.

SIUE does not mail bills to enrolled students. Instead, you are notified via email (e-billed) to your SIUE email that your billing statement has been updated and is available to view on CougarNet. Also through CougarNet, you can authorize parents, guardians and other third parties to receive the email notification directing them to a website where they can view your billing activity and make a payment.

Payments can be made by cash, check or money order in the Office of the Bursar, located in Rendleman Hall, room 1101, or at the Satellite Cashier in the Service Center, Rendleman Hall, room 1309. The Bursar is open 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Friday, and the Satellite Cashier observes the same hours as the Service Center. Payments may also be put in the night deposit slot outside the Bursar’s Office, or mailed to the Office of the Bursar. To pay online by Visa, MasterCard, or Discover, or for other billing and payment information, visit the Bursar’s website. 

Please note that visiting students are not eligible to receive financial aid. However, if you are currently pursuing a degree at another postsecondary institution, you may be eligible for VA benefits or student employment. If you wish to apply for student employment or to receive VA benefits, you will need to submit appropriate documentation confirming your degree-seeking status at a parent institution. Staff in the Service Center can refer you to the appropriate office for assistance.

Cougar Card

You will need to have your Cougar Card picture taken at the Cougar Card counter in the Service Center, which is located on the first floor of Rendleman Hall in room 1309. During fall and spring semesters, the Service Center is normally open 8 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday and Thursday, and 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday. During summer term, the Service Center is open until 6 p.m. on Mondays and closes at 4:30 p.m. the remaining four days of the week. Additional extended evening hours are offered at the beginning of each term. Please bring a government-issued picture ID with you.

Carry your Cougar Card with you at all times since you will need to present it for identification purposes when you are on campus. Your card is also used for access to various facilities and services. If you establish a declining balance debit plan, your Cougar Card can also be used for purchases at various campus locations including all dining facilities, the Cougar Store and Union Station, as well as for printing and copying in campus computer labs. 

Proof of Immunization

Illinois state law requires that all new, transfer, or reentering college and university students provide proof that they have had certain immunizations. To prevent problems with registration or cancellation of classes and a $25 fine, the completed immunization form must be submitted to Health Service by the first day of the first term of attendance. A hold will also be placed on your record. Further information about the immunization requirement is available from Health Service, room 0222 Student Success Center, 618-650‑2842.

e-ID

If you have not done so already, you must create your SIUE e-ID (email) account as soon as the term begins. 

An e-ID (short for electronic identification) and its corresponding password is your means of identifying yourself to the various services available at SIUE. If you apply for an e-ID using the e-ID creation and maintenance webpages and meet all the criteria, you will be assigned an e-ID and password.

An e-ID will give you access to many services provided by SIUE.

• Email
• Access to the internet from a home computer
• Blackboard courses

Remember that your SIUE email account will be used for all official communication from SIUE, including e-bill notification. You will retain email services for 30 days after the end of the term unless you continue as an enrolled student.

Textbooks 

SIUE is fortunate to have a Textbook Rental Program for undergraduate students. Stop by Textbook Service to pick up your books beginning the Monday of the week before classes begin. Textbook Service is located at 200 University Park Drive, just west of the campus core and adjacent to parking lot #P4. Be sure to bring your Cougar Card with you.

One of the fees that all undergraduate students at SIUE pay is a textbook rental fee that saves you the cost of purchasing your required textbooks. Since books are rented, they must be returned at the end of the term or your account will be billed for the replacement cost. Additional information about the textbook rental, including office hours of operation, is available on the Textbook Service website or by calling 618-650-3020. 

Parking Permits

If you plan to drive to campus and park your vehicle, you will need to purchase a parking permit from Parking Services, located on the first floor of the Rendleman Hall, room 1113.

Permit prices vary, depending on where you park. Parking Services is open Monday-Friday 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. To purchase a permit online or for additional information about parking at SIUE, visit the Parking Services website or contact Parking Services at 618-650‑3680. Campus maps are also available.

Class Attendance 

Before the first day of classes, be sure to check your class schedule on CougarNet to verify the day, time and date that your classes begin and the location where your class will be held. Attendance at the first class meeting is particularly important. In addition to missing important information from the instructor, your seat may be given away to someone waiting to enroll in the class if you are a no show. Although faculty may drop you for non-attendance, they are not required to do so and can assign a failing grade if you do not drop a class that you are not attending.

Student Responsibility

Upon registration, students accept the responsibility for attending classes and completing coursework. It is also your responsibility to be aware of the courses for which you are registered or waitlisted and, if you do not intend to complete a class, to withdraw from the class in writing by the appropriate deadline.

Important Dates and Deadlines

It is also your responsibility to know the important dates and deadlines for the term. These dates are available as a link from the Course Status and Schedule Menu in CougarNet. You can also find these dates in the Academic Calendar of the Schedule of Classes on the Registrar website. 

Class Schedule Changes

Should your plans change and you decide not to take or to complete your classes at SIUE, you will need to officially drop your classes at the Service Center, which is located in Rendleman Hall, room 1309, by the appropriate deadline. Failure to officially drop your classes may result in a punitive grade. If you need to add a class or change sections, you must do so by the deadline, which is usually the end of the second week for full term classes and can be as early as the first day for short-term workshops. You may incur additional charges if your request to add a class or change sections occurs after the deadline. Deadline information is available on the Registrar website.

Student Assistance

Every university has a slightly different way of doing things, so it's best not to assume that the policy or procedure at your college/school will be the same at SIUE. Be sure to ask for help when you need it.

• Having problems in class?
  • Talk to your instructor.
• Have a question about deadlines or need assistance with CougarNet?
  • Contact the Service Center.
• Unsure about what to do or where to go?
  • Call or stop by the Service Center where one of the staff members will be happy to help you. We do not recommend that you ask another student however, since you may not be given the accurate information you need.

Transcripts

You can request a copy of your SIUE transcript for your own records or for submission to your home institution. This can be done at anytime during the term or after the term is completed. The transcript request form and instructions are available online, or you can stop by the Service Center and pick up a form. Transcripts are $5/each. Requests submitted without your signature cannot be processed. Be sure to mark that you want your transcript sent after grades are posted if you are submitting the form prior to the end of the term. Transcripts will not be issued to students who have an outstanding balance due to the University. Please allow three to five working days for the processing of your request.

Final Grades

Your final grades will be posted on CougarNet approximately five working days after the end of the term. SIUE does not mail grades to students. If you need a formal grade report for enrollment certification or tuition reimbursement purposes, complete the Request for Copy of Final Grades Report. To transfer credit back to your home institution, you will need to request a transcript rather than a copy of your final grades.

Visit us Again

As soon as you decide to register for a future term, contact the Visiting Student Advisor in the Service Center for assistance. If you return within three terms you do not have to reapply for admission. Please note that students in visiting status may not accumulate more than 30 semester hours at SIUE. If you have accumulated 30 semester hours of credit and wish to continue enrollment at SIUE, you must apply to the University as a degree-seeking student and satisfy appropriate criteria. Continued enrollment will not be permitted until you satisfy admission criteria or appeal to the Director of Admissions.