By Genevieve Presley, Katie Martinez and Kimberly Martinez
Staff Reporters
As the fall 2025 semester comes to an end, students can register for spring and summer classes until Jan. 16, 2026. However, English and Mass Media Adviser, Sarah Webb, said students should not wait until the January deadline to register.
Webb said students who sign up for classes closer to the first day of school, run the risk of classes being full. She also said financial aid could be affected. “They can have a hard time getting full-time hours, which they need to get the full Pell grant, or their scholarship/benefit money,” Webb said. “If they have not completed FAFSA, and made sure it’s completed and approved, at least two weeks prior to registration, they may not have a way to pay for classes and then be dropped for non-payment. After the payment deadline, students are expected to make payment or payment arrangements the same day they enroll in classes or they will be dropped.”
Mass Media major, Connor Ribble said he signed up for classes as soon as registration opened this semester. “Last year, I registered on the very last day of the deadline, and I barely got the classes I needed,” Ribble said. “The later you go in to register, the longer it takes because you can’t set up appointments, they only take walk-ins, so you have to wait for every other person before you to meet with an adviser.”
Connor said he hopes students don’t make the same mistakes he did, “Pick your classes, get greenlit and register as soon as you can,” he said. “Trust me, the online classes fill up faster than anything else at AC and that’s a luxury that’s too nice to let slip by you.”
While the registration catalog for the Washington Street Campus opened on Nov. 3, other AC campuses opened even earlier. Hereford Advising Associate, Yvette Saenz, said they opened in October. “Students came in for sessions, I showed them how to read the course catalog and also how to choose sections. After that, I followed up with their greenlight and they were set and ready for registration. The best thing a student can do is ask questions and take notes. For new students or students who change their major, I go over the two main sections of their degree plan to ensure they understand which classes compose their degree. Keeping a copy of their degree plan with them helps them along the way,” Saenz said.
Webb agreed with Saenz and offered some additional advice for students. “Check the calendar for holidays, deadlines and office hours,” Webb said. “Be familiar with your degree plan so you know what classes you need to sign up for. It helps if you’re familiar with the registration hub and are willing to self-register. This will save you a potentially very long wait. Don’t let the new system intimidate you. The advising department’s webpage has a link to learn more about the registration hub that has a short video and picture tutorial, and they are very helpful,” she said.
Ribble said that even though there can be some issues with the registration process, the Advising Department does everything they can in order to make it as user-friendly as possible. “The people that work at the Enrollment Center will always do what they can to make things easier for you, even when you don’t quite know what you’re doing,” Ribble said.
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