Campus411 All-in-1 Enrollment Services

Next Steps for Undergraduate Direct Admits to Cleveland State

 

After Admission & Prior to Orientation

In the Applicant Portal (https://go.csuohio.edu/apply) you will complete four items in the following order after you have been admitted and received your Admission Acceptance Letter: 

1. Reply to Your Offer of Admission: Undergraduate New Incoming Freshmen and Transfer students are asked to answer "Yes or No" as to whether they intend to enroll/register at Cleveland State University.  This step will appear in their Applicant Portal after you are admitted to the University.  Once a student answers "Yes," they will then be provided with their next step to pay the Enrollment Fee which covers the cost and allows them to register for their Orientation.

2. Pay the Enrollment Deposit: The Enrollment Deposit is required of all domestic New Incoming Freshmen and is optional for Transfer students.  This is completed by logging back in to the Applicant Portal. The enrollment fee covers the cost of our Orientation programming.  Once the Enrollment Fee is paid, you will be provided the dates for our Orientations, and you may register online. International students do not pay the Enrollment Fee.

First Year Freshmen Enrollment Fee Screenshot

Example of applicant portal screen with next steps to pay Enrollment Deposit (University Orientation Fee)

3. Register for Orientation: All Freshmen are required to attend Orientation and you register online in the Applicant Portal.  Transfer students may attend the in-person or virtual Orientation program, but may choose to complete the free online Orientation via our Blackboard system.  If you have issues registering for Orientation online, you may also call the Admissions Welcome Center at 216.523.7416 to choose an Orientation date.  For the fall semester, Orientations are held beginning in May and go through August each academic year. For students beginning mid-year in the spring semester, Orientations are held in November through January prior to the start of spring semester. To learn more about our Orientation programming, please visit our Orientation website.  International Students attend their own Orientation offered by our Center for International Services and Programs and they are informed via email prior to arrival in the United States.

Transfer Orientation Checklist Item on Applicant PortalExample of applicant portal screen with next steps to sign-up for Transfer Orientation 

Once we know you are coming to Cleveland State University, we will also give you access to our online Student Portal called CampusNet, and you will receive a separate email communication providing you with your CSU ID# and instructions on creating your CampusNet account.

Sample email from CSU providing you with your CSU ID# and How to log in to CampusNet

Example of CSU Email Student will Receive

4. Take Your Math Placement Examination: All freshmen are required to complete Math Placement Testing prior to their Orientation date.  You will receive a communication and reminders via email. Certain freshmen may be exempt from placement testing if they have already successfully taken math courses as a College Credits Plus (CCP) student, scored high enough on the ACT or SAT exam, or have scored high enough on any AP or CLEP tests.  Transfer students normally do not have to take math placement tests, particularly if they are already transferring any previous math courses from their prior college or university.  Information about Placement Testing can be found here: Placement Testing.

5. Create a Budget and Learn about costs: Learn about the cost of coming to Cleveland State for Tuition, Fees, Room & Board, Books, and Parking--including our Tuition Guarantee Program (utilize the following websites to assist you):

 6. Apply for Scholarships: We encourage all students to apply, request, or receive funding from six different sectors where financial aid can be earned to pay for college costs:

 

Next Steps at Orientation

Attending Orientation is where you will complete additional processes and learn about all of the services available to your student when they study here.  

7. Meet with Your Academic Advisor and Register for Courses: Undergraduate Freshmen and Transfer Students are assigned an Academic Advisor in CampusNet, and students will be able to access this information by clicking on the Starfish link under their Student Tab.  First-time Freshmen will meet with an Academic Advisor during Orientation either in-person or virtually (via Zoom) to schedule your courses; Transfer students will schedule their academic advising appointment and may not necessarily meet with their Advisor at Orientation, as it is optional.   To learn more about how Advising works at Cleveland State, please visit our Academic Advising website.

8. Learn About Applying & Qualifying for Financial Aid*: All students should complete a FAFSA at FAFSA.gov, and then visit our University Scholarship website for navigation to all of our Scholarship resources.   At Orientation, you will learn more about the FAFSA and Financial Aid process as well as the costs of attending Cleveland State.  Please click on our link to learn more about how to Apply for Financial Aid.

9. Obtain Your Viking ID Card: At our in-person Orientation program you will visit the Viking ID Card office and have your picture taken to have your Viking ID card generated.  Students attending our Virtual Orientations will go through the Online process to obtain your card through our Virtual Viking ID Card office. You will not be able to obtain your Viking ID Card until you are registered for your courses and have a course schedule.

10. Learn about Residence Life & Apply for Housing*: If you wish to live on campus, at Orientation you will learn about Residence Life and can Apply for Housing online. Please visit our Residence Life & Housing website to learn more about the costs of living on campus and the amenities it provides.  Commuter students can learn more on our Vikes Commute website.

11. Learn about Academic & Student Success, Health & Well-Being, and Multicultural Engagement support centers: Orientation will provide you with a wealth of information about how to receive support at Cleveland State.  Below is a list of the resources you will obtain knowledge about:

Academic Success
Student Success
Health & Well Being
Multicultural Engagement Centers

* Steps #8 and #10 can be done simultaneously (you may apply for housing while also applying and waiting on your financial aid award from submitting the FAFSA form); however, many students and families wait until their financial aid is in order before enrolling and paying the deposit for housing.  This decision is an individual choice- please use your own discretion.

 

Next Steps After Orientation

Once you attend Orientation, you will then need to think about completing the following steps before the start of the semester and classes begin. 

12. Buy Your Textbooks: In CampusNet, you can View Class Schedule and then click the Shop Textbooks Icon in the top menu-- the Bookstore will then generate a list of textbooks that you can Buy or Rent.  Any textbook which you are charged on your student account and listed as an "Inclusive Access Textbook" fee does not need to be purchased separately.  For Inclusive Access Textbooks, you will be provided a code on the first day of class to access the online textbook and course material.

You may opt-out of online access textbook material via the Bookstore website. 

13. Purchase Your Parking Pass (Online Only): Parking Passes are available on the following dates beginning at 9:00am via the Parking & Transportation Services website:

  • August 1st for Fall semester
  • December 1st for Spring semester

14. Set Your Refund Preference, View Your Bill and/or Sign Up for a Budget Payment Plan: You can access your student account at any time in CampusNet by clicking on your Account Tab and then choose the View Account option under the tab. 

Fall Semester- Last Week of July

Spring Semester- Mid-December

Summer Semester- Mid-April

Make sure you familiarize yourself with our Bursar website, so you understand your Tuition & Fees, Pay Your Student Account, Set up your Refund Preference to Direct Deposit in CampusNet, and/or Sign up for a Budget Payment Plan.

15. Waive your Student Health Insurance: Students who are living in the resident hall or who are a declared health-related major are required by the state of Ohio to have health insurance and must show proof prior to each semester that you still have health insurance.  Because we have an employer-based health care system in the United States and students could lose healthcare at any given time, if you meet any of the aforementioned criteria you will be charged health insurance each semester and you must complete the online health insurance waiver to show proof that you do have insurance to get the insurance waived off your account. Every semester you must opt-out of the student charged health insurance. 

16. Apply for On-Campus Jobs: If you plan to work on campus, particularly if you were awarded Federal Work Study (FWS) on your financial aid award, you may apply for jobs through our online student employment job board called Handshake.

17. Becoming Involved on Campus: Campus life at Cleveland State is full of opportunities.  Visit our Center for Campus Engagement to learn about what clubs and organizations you can join while you are here.