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Frequently Asked Questions

Individuals are considered a student of La Sierra University once they have registered for classes. This may be as part of a program of study or as a non-degree, visiting student.

Your username for My La Sierra is your first initial, the first three letters of your last name, and the last three numbers of your ID.

For example, the username for Eko Eagle with La Sierra ID number 1000000 would be "eeag000".

Your La Sierra email address is your first initial, the first three letters of your last name, and the last three numbers of your ID (i.e., your La Sierra username), followed by "@lasierra.edu".

For example, the email address for Eko Eagle with La Sierra ID number 1000000 would be "eeag000@lasierra.edu".

The password for your La Sierra email address is the same as for My La Sierra, and is created when you activate your La Sierra account. You can access your email directly at email.lasierra.edu.

If you forget your password, click on “Reset Password” and enter your La Sierra username. You will receive an email to your personal account with instructions to reset the password. If a personal email address is not saved to your account, or if you do not receive the reset instructions, please complete the IT Problem Solver request for further assistance.

Priority Registration opens for seniors, graduate students, and students registered with the Office of Accessibility Services on Week 4 of the preceding quarter. Regular Registration for all students begins on Week 5 of the preceding quarter. Registration closes on the first Friday of the quarter. These deadlines are different during the Summer Quarter because class timelines are often condensed. Please email if you have a question about a specific deadline.

Please bookmark the Academic Calendar on the La Sierra website to stay informed about current deadlines.

Undergraduate students should seek advising from the Office of Academic & Career Services (OACS), their departmental advisor, or their faculty mentor. Graduate students should seek advising from their departmental advisor. Advisors will help students develop a multi-term course schedule so that they can stay on track for a timely graduation.

Full-time status is a minimum of 12 units for undergraduate students and 6 units for graduate students. 

First, log into your My La Sierra account, then click on the Registration icon on the Student home page. Verify the term for which you want to make changes and then enter the course CRNs in the boxes at the bottom of the page. Click Submit Changes when you are done. Check the Course Schedule to find available CRNs and contact or your graduate department for advising.

You must complete the Confirmation of Registration after the initial registration each quarter, or your classes will be dropped at midnight. Click on the green Check or Confirm Registration button if you are not automatically taken to the confirmation process.

A registration hold is placed on a student’s account when there is an issue that needs to be resolved. Holds may be viewed under the Holds link in My La Sierra. Students should contact the department that issued the hold to find out how to settle the issue and clear the hold.

An override gives you permission to register for a restricted or closed class. Overrides are commonly used to override a pre-requisite error, to bypass an instructor or department restriction, or to grant entry into a full class, among other reasons. Course Instructors may approve overrides for class capacity, class standing, special approval, and/or time conflict. Department Chairs and Deans may approve overrides for student level, missing pre-requisite/co-requisite, and/or major restrictions, in addition to the items above. 

Overrides may be issued by the appropriate faculty or department online through My La Sierra, or by submitting a signed Course Override Form to the Records Office. Once an override is placed on your account, you have 48 hours (or until the close of registration, whichever comes first) to register for the class online through My La Sierra or with the Records Office.

You may have received this error because you haven't taken or didn't pass the required pre-requisite/co-requisite course(s) or placement exam(s) to qualify to take the current class. Pre-requisites are common for sequence classes and upper division classes. Whenever there is a lecture and lab combination, be sure to register for both at the same time. The minimum grade for all pre-requisite classes is “C.”

Please contact the or if you have questions about pre-requisite or co-requisite registration errors.

A level restriction occurs if you have attempted to register for a course that is numbered above your class standing. For example, freshman students may not register for 400-level courses and undergraduate students are generally not allowed to register for graduate-level classes without prior approval.

If you believe you have been approved to register for the course, please obtain a signed Course Override Form from the Department Chair or Dean of the School or College and send it to the .

You will receive the "Maximum Hours Reached" error if you have attempted to register for more than 18 units (or more than 13 units under provisional status) and you have not been approved for a unit overload. Please contact the Dean's Office of your school or college to petition for an overload. An example form provided by the College of Arts and Sciences is linked here.

Any enrollment above 18 units carries additional charges. It is highly recommended that you contact your Student Financial Services Counselor to make financial arrangements. 

This error means that your student status is inactive and can occur when you have been away from La Sierra for one term or more. Please contact the Admissions Office for instructions to reactivate your account at or (951) 785-2176.

If you are a visiting "Unspecified" student and are not in an academic program, you must work with the Records Office to complete a new Unspecified Student Registration Form each quarter. Please email if you have questions.

If a class is full, you must select a different section or contact the instructor to see if adding is a possibility. Some professors ask students to attend the class on the first day to request permission to add using the Course Override Form. Capacity overrides for Interdepartmental Theme courses in University Studies must be requested from the Division of General Education Dean's Office at universitystudies@lasierra.edu (includes SSCI, HUMN, RLGN, NSCI, and UNST courses).

Please fill out a Data Correction Form and submit it to the . Appropriate documentation (e.g., driver's license, Social Security card, marriage license, etc.) showing your name as you would like it to appear must be attached to process a name change.

To transfer credits, you should contact your former school and request that an official transcript be mailed to the address below. Official e-transcripts are also accepted at . Transcripts are only considered official if they are sent DIRECTLY from the institution to La Sierra. We cannot accept any hand-carried transcripts or those sent to a third party first.

Please see our Transcripts & Transfers page for more details.

La Sierra University

Office of Admissions
4500 Riverwalk Pkwy
Riverside, CA 92505


 

Before taking classes at a different college, you must fill out the Off-Campus Registration Form to make sure the courses are transferable to La Sierra and will count toward your degree requirements. Please do not register off campus before getting approval to do so. Once submitted, the Off-Campus Request takes 5-10 business days to process.

Keep in mind that seniors may transfer in a maximum of three classes with labs OR 12 units (whichever is more) within their last 56 units. Please contact your in the Records Office if you have questions about this limit.

You may order your official transcript online through the National Student Clearinghouse. The cost is $10 per regular transcript or $50 for expedited shipping (depending on service availability). Please see our Transcripts & Transfers page for more details.

Course Withdrawal

Drop courses

Students may withdraw from courses within the current quarter on or before the last day to withdraw as published in the academic calendar. Dropping courses after the Friday of the second week of the quarter will result in a “W” appearing on the academic record, including the official transcript. Students can withdraw courses through their online account or in person at Records Office. It is the student’s responsibility to officially drop the class if he or she stops attending. Students who do not attend classes and do not drop will receive ‘F’s and will be financially responsible for the courses.

It is important to note that dropping one or more courses may impact a student's financial aid. We strongly recommend that students consult with their Financial Counselor prior to dropping any courses.

Administrative and Medical Withdrawals

Students who cannot complete the quarter due to medical or significant extenuating circumstances may appeal for an Administrative Withdrawal. The Administrative/Medical Withdrawal Petition should be completed and sent to  to begin the request process. Administrative Withdrawal Petitions will be considered until five years after the term of enrollment, after which time no appeal is possible.

Withdrawals

Based on Federal Regulations, federal financial aid funds (grants and loans) are awarded under the assumption that a student will attend the institution for the entire period in which federal financial aid was awarded. When a student withdraws from all courses for any reason, including medical withdrawals, he/she may no longer be eligible for the full amount of federal funds that he/she was originally scheduled to receive. The return of these funds is based upon the premise that students earn their financial aid in proportion to the amount of time in which they are enrolled. A pro-rated schedule is used to determine the amount of federal student aid funds he/she will have earned at the time of the withdrawal. For example, a student who withdraws during the third week of classes has earned less of his/her financial aid than a student who withdraws in the seventh week. Once 60% of the quarter is completed, a student is considered to have earned all of his/her financial aid and will not be required to return funds disbursed to his/her student account. Federal law requires schools to calculate how much federal financial aid a student has earned if that student:
  • completely withdraws, or
  • stops attending before completing the quarter, or
  • does not complete all modules (for example, sequential classes offered in the summer term).
Based on this calculation, La Sierra University students who receive federal financial aid and do not complete their classes during a quarter could be responsible for repaying a portion of the aid they received. Students who do not begin attending any classes must repay all financial aid that paid onto their account for the term. We strongly encourage all students who are considering withdrawing from the institution to speak to their Financial Counselor first. Withdrawals can not only affect finances, but students could be affected academically as well. For instructions on how to withdraw or drop a course, please contact the Records Department.

Total withdrawal

A total withdrawal is the action of dropping all courses for the current quarter. Total withdrawals may be initiated at the Records Office or online and completed as follows:

  • Establishment of the Date of Withdrawal: The student may either request a Total Withdrawal form, which is date-stamped by the Records Office, or he/she may go online to withdraw. The date on the Total Withdrawal form, or the date the student withdraws online, is used to determine the withdrawal date and the percentage of financial aid earned and the amount (if any) of tuition refunds. If the student leaves without notifying the University, then the last recorded date of attendance by the student, as documented by the institution, will be used to determine the date of withdrawal. The refund will be calculated based on this date. If the student began attendance but there is no specific record of the last day of attendance, the refund will be calculated at 50 percent in accordance with federal regulations. If a student receives all “F's” for a term, it is assumed that the student completely withdrew (unofficial withdrawal), unless the student can provide appropriate evidence of completing any of the classes attended.
  • Tuition: There is no charge for withdrawing during the first week of each quarter (except during summer* term). There is a minimum charge of 10 percent of the billed tuition for withdrawal during the second week of school regardless of whether or not a student attended classes. A minimum charge of 35% of the billed tuition is charged for withdrawals occurring during the third week of school. Thereafter, an additional 15 percent of the billed tuition is charged per week, up through the 7th week of the term. After the 7th week the student is charged 100% of tuition costs. See below for Summer term withdrawal penalties.
  • Fees: The general fee is prorated on the same schedule as tuition. Course material and lab fees are only refunded if the office of Student Financial Services receives written authorization from the academic department.
  • Board: The charge for meals will be prorated on a daily basis, calculated on the daily minimum to date or actual use, whichever is higher.
  • Room: The charge for room is governed by the Residential License Agreement. (See Section IV of the agreement).
  • Damage Deposit: Refund will be made to the student’s account when the residence hall dean returns the signed residence hall release to the Bursar’s office. The amount refunded will reflect any deductions made for damages or cleaning.
  • Illness: Special consideration will be given for tuition refunds in the case of accident or prolonged illness, if certified by an appropriate health professional. All requests should be submitted to the Financial Exceptions Committee via the student's Financial Counselor.

Financial Aid: When a student totally withdraws from the institution after beginning attendance, his/her institutional and state financial aid is prorated in the same manner as tuition, as stated under item two above. Federal financial aid is prorated based on a calculation prescribed in federal regulation which is slightly different from that used for institutional aid. The calculation determines the amount of federal aid the student earned while enrolled. The amount earned is calculated by multiplying the total financial aid for the term by the percentage of the term completed. The unearned federal aid (total financial aid less earned financial aid) must be returned within 45 days of determining that the student has withdrawn to the student financial aid programs in the order prescribed by law and regulation:

  • Unsubsidized/Direct Loan
  • Subsidized/Direct Loan
  • Direct PLUS Loan
  • Pell Grant
  • Federal SEOG
  • Federal TEACH Grant
  • Iraq/Afghanistan Service Grant
  • Other Title IV Programs

If any portion of the unearned financial aid was paid directly to the student (rather than applied to institutional charges), the student is responsible for returning these funds in the order listed above. The student (or parent, in the case of a Federal Parent PLUS Loan) must return the unearned funds for which he/she is responsible, to loan programs in accordance with the terms of the loan, and to grant programs as an overpayment, as per federal regulations.

The University does billing and collection of repayments, but a student who fails to repay will be referred to the U.S. Department of Education for collection (unless overpayment is a result of school error) and will no longer be eligible for further federal financial aid funds.

If the federal financial aid calculation indicates that the student has earned federal funds that have not yet been disbursed to the student’s account, then the university will disburse any grant funds within 45 days of determining that the student has withdrawn, and will notify the student of any loan funds that are available to be disbursed, giving the student 14 days in which to accept the loan funds.  If the student accepts the loan funds, these will be applied first to the student’s account, and any resulting credit balance will be released to the student no later than 14 days from the date the funds are posted to the student’s account.

Any credit balance that exists on the student’s account after the required federal calculation has been made, and all funds either returned, or post-withdrawal payments posted, will be released to the student within 14 days.

 

*Summer term withdrawal penalties are issued differently than during regular quarters because the summer is made up of many sessions with different durations. Withdrawal penalties in the summer are issued from the very first day of the summer session, regardless of whether or not the class has yet met. For example, all summer sessions begin on Mondays and end on Fridays. If the first class does not meet until Tuesday of that week, a withdrawal on the first day of the session would result in a withdrawal penalty. For this reason, it is extremely important that a student meet with their SFS Counselor before withdrawing from a class, so that the student can make a fully informed decision about withdrawing.

 

Administrative Withdrawals

Students who cannot complete the quarter due to medical or significant extenuating circumstances may appeal for an Administrative Withdrawal. The initial request and student statement may be sent to . Administrative Withdrawal Appeals will be considered until five years after the term of enrollment, after which time no appeal is possible.

Contact the Records Office

La Sierra University
4500 Riverwalk Parkway 
Riverside, CA 92505 
Emailregistrar@lasierra.edu
Phone: (951) 785-2006
Fax: (951) 785-2447

Office Location

Administration Building Room #122

Office Hours

Monday-Thursday:
8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Friday:
8:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

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