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Registration

ASK A QUESTION OR SUBMIT FEEDBACK ON THIS POLICY

Effective Date: Fall 2026
Last Reviewed: Spring 2026
Last Revised: Fall 2018
Next Review: Fall 2035

Policy Statement

Only students who have been formally admitted to Kent State University may register for coursework and pay the appropriate fees. An official registration is a record of a student’s schedule of classes maintained online in the university’s student information system, Banner. Students who are not officially registered for a course by published university deadlines should not attend classes and will not receive credit or a grade for the course. Students are responsible for their schedules and have the ultimate responsibility to confirm the accuracy frequently during the semester before posted deadline dates. Allowing a member of the university staff to make schedule changes does not relieve the student of his or her responsibilities.

Students register for courses online through FlashLine. Students must clear any registration holds before adjusting their class schedule. Refer to the Financial, Billing and Enrollment Center website for registration information, instructions, dates, deadlines and procedures. New freshmen and new transfer students register through the various campus advising and registration orientation programs.

All changes to a student's course schedule must be completed by published university deadlines. Students can find registration deadlines on their course schedule and in the Schedule of Classes in FlashLine.

Kent State University reserves the right to change the time of a course if it is deemed necessary, and it reserves the right to drop any course from the Schedule of Classes if there is insufficient student demand or if resources are unavailable to offer the course.

Late Registration Fee

Students who are not officially enrolled for any coursework (i.e., neither registered nor paid fees) as of the end of the seventh calendar day (11:59 p.m.) for the fall or spring semester will have a non-refundable late registration fee assessed for any initial registration processed. Visit Tuition and Fees website for information on students’ fees.

Add, Drop and Other Schedule Adjustments

Schedule adjustments are changes to a class schedule for students who have already enrolled in at least one course (1 credit hour or more) for that semester. During registration, students may make adjustments or requests in FlashLine by the following deadlines:

  • Deadline is the end (11:59 p.m.) of the seventh calendar day of the fall or spring semester (prorated deadline for summer or flexibly scheduled courses):
    • Adding a course or changing the section of a course*
  • Deadline is the end (11:59 p.m.) of the 14th calendar day of the fall or spring semester (prorated deadline for summer or flexibly scheduled courses):
    • Adding a course or changing the section of a course with instructor approval*
    • Dropping a course/section
    • Changing credit hours for a variable-credit-hour course
    • Changing from graded to pass/fail or audit status
    • Changing from pass/fail or audit to graded status

Students must submit the Registration Exception Form when requesting schedule adjustments after the university deadlines listed above. There are no processing fees for schedule adjustments, but tuition and fees assessment may be affected.

*

Students' ability to add a course (or change the section of a course) after the semester begins will depend on available seats in the course section and satisfying course prerequisites and other registration requirements.

Registration Cancellation

To receive a full refund of tuition, students who register and decide not to attend the university must cancel their registration as early as possible, and no later than the end (11:59 p.m.) of the seventh calendar day of the fall and spring semester (prorated deadline for summer or flexibly scheduled courses). This may be accomplished by the student dropping all courses in FlashLine during registration periods.

Any paid registration not canceled by the end (11:59 p.m.) of the seventh calendar day of the fall and spring semester (prorated deadline for summer or flexibly scheduled courses) is subject to the university's refund policy.

Any applicable refund is determined by the date the transaction is processed in the student information system.

Registration Limits

Undergraduate students are able to register each fall and spring for a maximum of 18 credit hours.

Graduate students are able to register each fall and spring for a maximum of 16 credit hours, with the exception of students in the Doctor of Podiatric Medicine degree who may be required to be registered for more.

For the summer term, undergraduate and graduate students have the following registration limits:

  • Maximum 6 credit hours in a single five-week summer session
  • Maximum 10 credit hours in an eight-week summer session
  • Maximum 10 credit hours in overlapping summer sessions
  • Maximum 12 credit hours for all summer sessions combined

Reason For Policy

This policy establishes clear, consistent procedures that support equitable student access, accurate academic records, and effective planning of instructional resources. It also helps ensure compliance with academic standards, financial requirements, and regulatory obligations while promoting an orderly start to each academic term.

Procedures

There are no procedures associated with this policy.

Forms/Instructions

There are no forms associated with this policy.

Additional Resources

Frequently Asked Questions

For FAQs on registration, please visit the Financial, Billing and Enrollment Center website.

Definitions

Bursar's Office: The university office where payments of tuition and fees are made.

Complete Term Withdrawal: Withdrawal from all courses.

Course Add or Drop: Adding or dropping a course from the student's class schedule.

Course Load: Total number of credit hours for which a student is registered during any semester.

Course Withdrawal: Process by which a student removes a course(s) from his/her schedule, subject to published deadlines. A mark of W will be recorded on the student's transcripts.

FlashLine: The web-based portal (entryway) for Kent State students, faculty, staff and alumni. For help with FlashLine, contact the university Helpdesk at 330-672-HELP or visit the FlashLine website.

Full-Time Student: An undergraduate student who is registered for 12 or more credit hours for the semester. A full-time graduate student is registered for 8 or more credit hours for the semester.

Late Registration: Initial class enrollment for a given term after the term has begun.

Part-Time Student: An undergraduate student who is registered for fewer than 12 credit hours for the semester. A part-time graduate student is registered for fewer than 8 credit hours for the semester.

Registration: Process of initial class enrollment for a given term.

Schedule Adjustment: A change to a class schedule for a student who has already enrolled in at least one course for the term.

Related Information

Revision History

Amended Fall 2026: Revised policy eliminates the non-payment fee for registrations not paid by the end (11:59 pm) of the 14th calendar day of the semester.

Amended Fall 2018: Revised policy aligns the registration deadlines with the revised university academic calendar.

Amended Fall 2015: Revised policy (a) reduces the amount of time students can add a course after the semester begins, from end of second week to end of first week; (b) extends the summer registration limit for graduate students; (c) clarifies that the late registration fee is non-refundable; and (d) notifies students that while there are no processing fees for adding, dropping or other scheduling adjustments within the deadline, those actions may affect their tuition and fees.