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Multicultural Student Services

FAQ

  • 1. My federal financial aid has not shown up yet; what should I do?

    Go to “My Financial Center” (Route Y > School > My Financial Center). Check in your “Account Summary” and “Message Center” to verify to see that you have fulfilled all the requirements and turned in all the necessary materials. If you have done everything but still cannot see your financial aid, you will need to contact a Financial Aid counselor in the Financial Aid Office. Please see the BYU Scholarship page.

    2. When does tuition need to be paid?

    Tuition is due one week (seven calendar days) before the first day of classes. Please see the Academic Calendar. If you do not pay by this time, your registration will be put on hold, and you may eventually be dropped from classes. If you are unable to pay by this deadline, you may apply for a BYU short-term loan online.

    3. How do I take out a student loan?

    You may apply for a BYU short-term loan online. If you need a longer period of time to repay the loan, seek information at your current bank. You may also contact the Financial Aid Office at BYU.

    4. How do I fill out the FAFSA?

    You can fill out the FAFSA at https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa. When you click “Get Started”, you will be taken through the document step-by-step. Be prepared with yours and/or your parents' most recent tax information.

    5. My account tells me a check was mailed, why is the University sending me a check?

    This means that you received more funding than was needed to match tuition costs. The money left over is mailed to your mailing address as listed under “Personal Information” (MyBYU > Communication > Personal Information). You can set up Direct Deposit into your checking or savings account by going to MyBYU > Work > Direct Deposit, and clicking on “Student Refund Direct Deposit”.

    6. I am getting married; should I fill out the FAFSA now or wait until after I am married?

    This decision depends on your personal situation. See the Marriage and Financial Aid page.

  • Some of these questions can also be answered through the BYU One Stop website - please see the Checklist page.

    1. What does a “credit” mean when I am registering for classes?

    A credit is generally considered a time equivalence of 1 hour of lecture time per week. Therefore, if a class is worth three credits, it normally will meet for three hours of lecture time during the week. This does not include time spent in lab or doing homework.

    2. Where can I find out information about Housing?

    Please see the websites for On-campus Housing or Off-campus Housing.

    3. What if I am living with my family? Can I cancel my housing agreement?

    Yes, please submit a waiver on the Off-Campus Housing website. If you decide to cancel an off-campus housing contract, you will be subject to whatever penalties are involved in that particular contract, such as being required to find a replacement and/or forfeiting your deposit.

    4. What are the meal plans? What if I want to alter my meal plan?

    Please see the options and rates on the BYU Dining website.

    5. What is my registration priority date? Where do I retrieve this information?

    Log on to my.byu.edu and click on "Register for Classes", then look at the top-right corner of the semester for which you are registering.

    6. How do I get a BYU ID card?

    Please go to the BYU ID Center at 1057 Wilkinson Student Center and see their website for more information.

    7. What is Freshman Mentoring?

    As part of your first-year experience, you will have the opportunity to participate in the First-Year Mentoring program. In order to be paired with an upper-classman mentor, sign up for a "Mentored Course" here. There are many more Mentored Courses in the Fall semester than in Winter semester. Students can register for up to two Mentored Courses but will only have one mentor. Once students are paired with a mentor, they will be assigned for one academic year (Fall and Winter semesters). Mentorship pairs are encouraged to meet once per month for any questions or concerns related to their college transition. Students who meet with their mentors will receive a free BYU student planner, devotional notebook, BYU Creamery coupon, and art card for 8-10 discounted BYU performing arts productions per semester.

    8. What if I have taken an AP test and a BYU Core requirement is waived?

    If you submitted AP test score(s) that are higher than 3, they should appear in two places:

    In MyBYU, click on MyMap, then the "Plan Courses" tab. Your AP classes will show up in the General Education requirement that they fulfill. In MyBYU on the left toolbar, under "Personal Information", click on "View Grades and Academic Progress".

    It’s important to consider what fields of study or careers interest you. You can meet with an advisor in the University Advisement Center (specifically for undecided majors) in 2500 WSC or visit their website. They have some interest/career assessment tests you can take to help you narrow down particular fields in which you may have interest or skills. BYU offers two 1-credit courses that may help undecided students: STDEV 115 Life Planning and Decision Making and STDEV 117 Career Exploration. In addition, you can meet with advisors in the MSS office for additional help and support.

    For more information, please see the AP/IB webpage.

    9. Is BYU Health Insurance required?

    Yes As a student, you are required to have health insurance. The BYU health insurance plan is the default option for all students, and your University Account will be charged (you can see this through My Financial Center). To use a private health insurance provider instead (i.e. your parents' health plan), fill out this online waiver.

    10. Where is my advisement center?

    You can find a list of advisement centers, their locations, and contact information here. Your major determines which College Advisement Center you should go.

    11. Where can I go to get a tutor?

    You can get a peer tutor through the Center for Service and Learning by going to the YServe website and clicking “Find a Tutor”.

    12. When is my registration deadline?

    You can register for classes from your priority date up until two weeks into the semester, or one week into the term - this is known as the Add/Drop Deadline. After this point, you can no longer add classes, and if you drop a class you receive a “W” on your transcript to signify that you withdrew. Please see this website for academic deadlines.

    13. How do I declare a major/minor?

    Freshmen can declare an intended major on their admission application. Once they arrive on campus, they must go to the appropriate College Advisement Center to declare it with an advisor. Students can also initiate the process by clicking on the "Change Major Request" link on the bottom left toolbar in MyMap. For a list of majors, please see this webpage.

    14. What if I do not know what major to pursue?

    It’s important to consider what fields of study or careers interest you. You can meet with an advisor in the University Advisement Center (specifically for undecided majors) in 2500 WSC. You can call them at 801-422-3826 (or 1-877-890-5519 if out of state) and visit their website. They have some interest/career assessment tests you can take to help you narrow down particular fields in which you may have interest or skills. BYU offers two 1-credit courses that may help undecided students: STDEV 115 Life Planning and Decision Making and STDEV 117 Career Exploration. In addition, you can meet with advisors in the MSS office for additional help and support.