First Year Programs

Policies, Changes, & Cancellations

The University of Washington requires all first-year (freshman, international, and transfer) undergraduate, degree-seeking students enrolling on the Seattle campus for the first time to attend a full Advising & Orientation session. The A&O requirement must be completed for a student to be eligible to register for classes. Students who do not complete all aspects of the A&O session will have a registration hold placed on their student account for the following quarter and will be required to attend another session. Parents, friends, or family members may not participate in place of the student.

Students have the opportunity to reserve a session date before the quarter begins. Students should choose an A&O session date that does not conflict with events.

If you have a registration hold on your account because you did not attend A&O, please do the following: 

  1. Contact First Year programs to schedule your Advising & Orientation session. 
  2. Once your session is scheduled your registration hold will be removed. 
  3. Attend your A&O session. 

Review additional program information about required content 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. 

Being absent from your A&O session will cause you to miss essential advising and course registration information. If you miss more than 30 minutes of your scheduled A&O and do not check in with your Orientation Leader during your first A&O connection group, you will be required to reschedule your A&O reservation in its entirety. Please make sure to communicate with your Orientation Leader or the FYP office by text (206-207-5564) or email (fyp@uw.edu). This includes arriving late, leaving early, and missing part of your A&O during the day. 

The New Student Enrollment & Orientation Fee (NSEOF) funds various academic support services including Advising & Orientation, Center for Learning and Undergraduate Enrichment (CLUE), and other transitional services.

As a new undergraduate student at the University of Washington Seattle campus, you confirm your intent to enroll in a degree program by paying the fee. The NSEOF is neither refundable nor transferable to another quarter or another student. If you want to appeal this policy, please complete the appropriate form on the FYP NSEOF page.

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 & 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 following locations, including the UW Book Store. 
  3. The card will expire - see the date on the card, 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 following locations, including the UW Book Store. 
    2. The card will expire - see the date on the card, 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 the "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 a direct deposit, or if you have a local address, you can request a check from Student Fiscal Services at sfshelp@uw.edu.  

 

 

Minimum Notification

To change or cancel your session date without incurring fees, you must make any changes at least one week prior to the first day of your session.