Fall 2024 First-Year and Transfer Student Checklist

Visit campus to see all that Western and the Gunnison communities have to offer.

 Fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for 2024-25 here. Western’s school code is 001372.

• Priority deadline for Fall 2024 is March 1, 2024

Apply for and Check the Status of Your Financial Aid and Scholarships

You can apply for Western’s scholarships using the Scholarship Application. To access the Scholarship Application, you will need to log in using your Western Email, please complete step 2 in this checklist to access your Western email.

Check the status of your financial aid and scholarships and accept/decline student loan offers through your Western Navigator. Financial Aid awards will be available beginning:

• March 18, 2024

Colorado residents

The College Opportunity Fund (COF) provides a stipend to eligible Colorado residents attending a Colorado public or participating private institution. Students wishing to use COF toward the cost of undergraduate, in-state tuition must:

• Register for the College Opportunity Fund at cof.college-assist.org
• Authorize Western to access the funds on your behalf via your Western Student Account (coming in November).

Visit Western’s Financial Aid page for additional resources.

You can register for housing seven days after you have paid both your $200 Enrollment Deposit and your $250 Housing Deposit through your applicant portal (If this presents a barrier, let us know!).

• Once both deposits are paid and processed (this usually takes seven days), go to your Western Navigator and click on Register for On-Campus Housing, or visit housing.western.edu and log in using your Western email address (see step 2 if you have not yet accessed your email). At housing.western.edu, you’ll fill out your personal profile, including your housing and roommate preferences, and begin matching with potential roommates. If you know who you want to live with, you can choose your roommate by searching for them.
• More information about Western’s two-year live-on policy can be found here.
  • Transfer students, if you’d like to file an appeal to Western’s two-year, on-campus housing requirement, click here.
• For questions on the housing process, contact the Residence Life office at 970.943.2101 or reslife@western.edu.

New students to Western are required to complete a pre-registration survey to begin the class registration process. The pre-registration survey opens on May 1, 2024. More information about class registration will be provided soon. * For questions on class registration, contact the Registration & Advising Services at 970.943.7056 or reg_advise@western.edu. The $200 enrollment deposit must be made before completing the pre-registration survey. See step 1 for instructions on how to make your deposit.

First-year students:

Submit your official, final high school transcript. To be considered valid, your transcript must come directly from the high school you attended (digitally or by mail) and clearly show the date you graduated with an official signature from the school.

Arrange to have any AP, IB, CLEP, or college-level credit sent to the Admissions Office. College-level courses must be sent via official transcript directly from the college or university.

Transfer Students:

You must send your final, official college transcript(s) to the Admissions Office so a final transfer credit evaluation can be completed.

If you had less than 24 credit hours* completed at the time you applied, you must request your official high school transcript be sent to Western. To be considered valid, your transcript must come directly from the high school you attended (digitally or by mail) and clearly show the date you graduated with an official signature from the school.

*Dual enrollment, concurrent enrollment, and AP/IB credits taken during high school are not counted in this total.

If you have questions about your final transcripts, contact the Admissions Office at 970.943.2119 or admissions@western.edu.

Western requires that all incoming students take student wellness education courses before arriving on campus. The courses focus on alcohol education, sexual assault prevention, mental well-being & diversity, inclusion, and belonging.  You will receive an email in your Western email account at the following times with a link to complete the course.

• Fall 2024 admits: Emails will be sent in July 2024

For questions, contact the Office of LEAD and Orientation at 970.943.2469 or orientation@western.edu

The Mountaineer Card is your official University ID. Fall 2024 students can receive IDs from their EPIC Mentor during New Student Orientation by uploading their photo after registration. Otherwise, you will need to schedule a time to visit the Mountaineer Card office to have your picture taken and card printed. Upload your photo here.

TimelyCare is a free virtual health and well-being platform for Western students! You can access care 24/7, 365 days at no cost. Just download the TimelyCare app on your mobile device or log in at timelycare.com/western using your Western email and password. Not only do you have access to high-quality mental health professionals who are trained to care for college students, but you also have access to a wide range of self-care content, including a peer community, yoga and meditation videos, healthy recipes, and self-care journeys.

• New Student Orientation is required for all new students to Western. This program consists of important information about Western and the Gunnison community. You can sign up for New Student Orientation in your Western Navigator.
  • First-year Orientation: Aug. 21-24 & University Day, Aug. 25
  • Transfer & Non-Traditional Student Orientation: Aug. 23

For questions about Orientation, contact the Office of LEAD and Orientation at 970.943.2469 or orientation@western.edu.

• Colorado law requires all students to show proof of immunity against measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR). At a minimum, students must have completed the first MMR immunization before classes begin. Medical and religious exemptions are allowed. Students who plan to reside in on-campus housing may also want to consider receiving the meningococcal vaccine. If you live on campus, proof of meningococcal vaccine or waiver is required.
• For students beginning classes in Fall 2024, immunizations will be submitted via the new Workday student portal starting in May.

For questions about these documents, contact the Office of Student Affairs at 970.943.2232 or student.vps@western.edu.

Western Colorado University
Taylor Hall 301
1 Western Way
Gunnison, CO 81231

Sign up for the Books-To-Go Program or pick up all your books during your first week of classes at Western’s Bookstore located in the University Center.

For questions on textbooks, contact the Bookstore at 970.943.2156 or bookstore@western.edu.

You will receive a paper billing statement by mail.

Adding or dropping classes, or changing housing or meal plans may affect your account balance. Check your current account balance and/or set up a payment plan by contacting the Cashier’s Office at 970.943.3003 or cashier@western.edu.

Incoming students will be able to move into their residence hall on:

• First-year student move-in: Wed, Aug 21, 2024
• Transfer student move-in: Fri, Aug 23, 2024

For questions on moving to campus, contact the Residence Life office at 970.943.2101 or reslife@western.edu.