All first-year students—including freshmen, international, and transfer students—who are starting a degree program at the University of Washington in Seattle must attend a full Advising & Orientation (A&O) session. You must complete this requirement to register for classes.

If you do not complete all parts of your A&O session, a registration hold will be placed on your student account for the next quarter. You will need to attend another session to have the hold removed. Please note that parents, friends, or family members cannot attend A&O in your place.

You can choose your A&O session date before the quarter begins. Make sure to pick a date that does not conflict with other plans.

If you have a registration hold because you missed A&O, follow these steps:

1. Contact First Year Programs by text at 206-207-5564 or by email at fyp@uw.edu.
2. Your registration hold will be lifted once you attend and complete your A&O session.
3. Attend your A&O session.

Review the required program information for first-year students.

Please make all changes at least ten (10) business days before your A&O session. 

If you decide to change the A&O session that you originally selected, please return to the A&O registration system to make the necessary changes. 

If you miss your A&O session, you will miss important information about advising and registering for classes.

If you are more than 30 minutes late, make sure to directly message your Orientation Leader over Zoom, text, or email. If you do not check in with your Orientation Leader during your first A&O community group, you will need to reschedule your entire A&O session.

Please make sure to stay in contact with your Orientation Leader or the First Year Programs (FYP) office. You can contact First Year Programs by text at 206-207-5564 or by email at fyp@uw.edu.

This policy applies if you arrive late, leave early, or miss any part of your A&O session.

The New Student Enrollment & Orientation Fee (NSEOF) helps pay for important student services like Advising & Orientation, the Center for Learning and Undergraduate Enrichment (CLUE), and other programs that support your transition to college.

By paying this fee, you confirm that you plan to enroll in a degree program at the University of Washington in Seattle.

Please note:
The NSEOF is not refundable and cannot be transferred to another quarter or another student.
If you would like to request an exception to this policy, please fill out the NSEOF appeal form.

Thank you for supporting first-year students! 

All programming events and sponsorship opportunities should align with First Year Programs' mission and guiding philosophies (see below). First Year Programs will often consult with campus departments and units to ensure messaging aligns with current on-campus efforts. 

Please understand the following:  

1. Dawg Daze events will not be approved without being affiliated with a UW department or a registered student organization. 
2. If you want to advertise a business or group, we invite you to visit our sponsorship website for additional opportunities.  
3. Request for event promotion and sponsorship will be considered in the context of supporting students in making connections with UW departments and units.

Mission and guiding philosophy

First Year Programs fosters a successful undergraduate student experience through strategic programming that focuses on positive academic transitions and the development of learning communities. Through partnerships with faculty, staff, alumni, and student leaders our programs create the space for students to define how they will engage, learn, and thrive at the University of Washington.

Our work is guided by the following methods:

• Intentionality: We use current assessment, research, and best practices to make decisions.
• Collaboration: We develop transparent and collaborative relationships with campus and community partners.
• Diversity and inclusion: We understand that all students have unique stories, and we support their individual learning paths.

Thank you for being an amazing student leader and mentoring first-year students as they transition to our Husky community. We are proud to acknowledge our peer educators a certificate of achievement. 

 Process 

1. You will receive a pre-loaded Husky Card with a set dollar amount noted on the card 
2. You can use the card at the many locations at the UW, including the UW Book Store. 
3. The card will expire, so please ensure that you use the funds before the expiration date.

Congratulations on winning a prize or an award. We are grateful to our sponsors, who provide funding to support student success and several of our prizes. 

Prize pick-up: Please come to First Year Programs office, Mary Gates Hall 120, to claim your prize.  

Awards: 

1. Textbook award: You will receive a pre-loaded Husky Card with a set dollar amount if you receive a textbook award. 
   1. You can use the card at the many locations at the UW, including the UW Book Store. 
   2. The card will expire, so please ensure that you use the funds before the expiration date.
2. Student account distribution: If you have received an email notification about an award disbursed to your student account, please note the following: 
   1. We will check with financial aid to ensure you can receive the funds on your account.  
   2. We have applied the award to your student account in the student database. 
   3. You can see the award by going to your my.uw.edu account. Navigate to "Accounts" and then the "Tuition and fees" section
   4. Choose "Tuition statement" 
   5. You will then see the award — it will have FYP in the description. If you don't see it, please let us know. 
   6. To receive your award, you will have to set up direct deposit, or if you have a local address, you can request a check from Student Fiscal Services at sfshelp@uw.edu.