Step 1: Get parent/guardian permission

Around mid-semester each fall and spring, the Student Services Office (SSO) will send an email to all eligible students (i.e. students who will be juniors and seniors during the upcoming semester) and their parent(s)/guardian(s). This email will contain a link to a webform for a parent/guardian to fill out giving permission for their student to take classes at UIUC. This form must be filled out every semester, even if the student has taken UIUC classes in the past.

Step 2: Select UIUC classes

Consult the UIUC Course Explorer to choose a course. Important considerations when selecting UIUC courses:

  • Choose classes you are interested in. Don’t just do this to build a college resume. It’s not necessary!
  • Choose classes that fit your Uni schedule. See the Uni/UIUC Course Conflict Rules here.
  • Sometimes a class may not be approved by the university for various reasons. (For example, the class may be full, or it may not be offered to non-degree-seeking students—that’s you—this semester.) But you won’t know this upfront, so it can be a good idea to select more than one class to see what gets approved. You may choose up to six classes.

Step 3: Get your course request approved by Uni faculty

Upon receipt of parent/guardian permission, the Student Services Office will send an email to the student with information about how to select UIUC classes and a link to a webform for making that request.

All UIUC class requests must be approved by Uni faculty. They will be checking for things like:

  • Does the student meet the prerequisites?
  • Is the student in good standing at Uni?
  • Does the requested class duplicate any Uni classes?

Students will be given a deadline for submitting class requests for approval by Uni faculty. This deadline is generally in April (for fall classes) or November (for spring classes), and this DEADLINE FOR REQUESTING UNI APPROVAL OF UIUC CLASSES IS FIRM.

Alternatively, students can choose a class from Uni's list of pre-approved UIUC classes. These are classes that students may take any semester because they have already been vetted by Uni faculty. There is no deadline for requesting these classes; however, you DO need to tell the Students Services Offices which class(es) you want to register for so they can add you to the Official Registrants List shared with CITL. CITL will not let any Uni students register for classes if the student AND the class are not on that list.

Step 4: Register through CITL

After students’ requested courses are approved by Uni faculty (or after a student has notified the SSO which course(s) from the pre-Uni-approved list they’d like to register for), the SSO will add each student and their approved classes to the Official Registrants List, which is shared with CITL.

Importantly, a student MUST be on the Official Registrants List in order to request classes through CITL. If a student is NOT on the Official Registrants List, CITL will not approve their course registrations.

The SSO will then send an email to every student on the Official Registrants List with instructions on how to register through CITL. Some classes fill quickly, so it’s best to register for classes as soon as possible after the portal opens.

Step 5: Wait (hope) for UIUC approval

Not all course registrations will be approved by the university, even if they were approved by Uni. Course approvals can take several weeks depending on the department, so be patient. When your course registration is approved or denied, you will get an email from CITL. (This is different from and in addition to the email notifying you that your registration request was received.)

If you were approved for multiple classes and you’d like to drop the ones you don’t want, you can get a drop form through the Uni SSO. All UIUC class drops/withdrawals must go through the Uni SSO.

Step 6: Make adjustments to your Uni schedule as necessary

If you need to adjust your Uni schedule a bit to accommodate your UIUC classes, you must forward your class registration approval email from CITL to Ms. Lehman and your counselor, along with the class location and meeting time(s). Please keep in mind the Uni/UIUC Course Conflict Rules.

Step 7: Maintain good communication 

It is your responsibility to communicate with your instructors, both at Uni and UIUC, and to stay on top of your Uni classwork when scheduling conflicts arise (such as when Uni has alternative schedule days, or for UIUC final exams).

Any questions? Ask Ms. Lehman!