2020 Summer/Fall Orientation FAQ

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What do I do if I misplaced or never received my Orientation packet?

First Time Freshman orientation packets were delivered to the Post Office on February 14, 2020 for those freshmen beginning in Summer/Fall 2020. Students admitted on or after February 14 should receive their packet within two weeks of their acceptance to the university. Once you receive your packet, follow the instructions inside to register for Orientation. If you were admitted for Summer/Fall 2020 before February 14 and you do not receive your packet by March 1, please contact our office at orientation@louisiana.edu.

Transfer student orientation registration is not yet available. Orientation packets will be emailed to Transfer students in late April 2020.

Is there a waiting list for sessions?

We do not have a waiting list for sessions. If a session is full, students should register for their next choice session. You can log into ULink and check Orientation availability at any time. Your Orientation fee will be transferred to the new session.

Is the Orientation fee refundable?

Should you decide to not attend the University, we must receive written notice via email to cancel your Orientation reservation. Please send your cancellation notice to orientation@louisiana.edu. A full refund, less a $10 processing fee, will be granted if we receive email notice no later than 10 business days (two full weeks) before your scheduled orientation date. NO REFUNDS will be granted after this time.

Why is there an orientation fee if Orientation is online?

UPDATED 7/1/2020

The University has recently announced a change to the start date of the Fall 2020 semester. Due to this date change and because we are still unable to host large events on campus, Freshman Week & Transfer Student Information Sessions will now be a combination of on-campus and virtual sessions. At this time, we are still planning to offer small, in-person campus tours on these dates. A tour schedule will be posted on the Freshman Week website linked below.

Because we are no longer able to provide meals and host our intended in-person orientation events during Freshman Week, the Office of Orientation will be issuing a partial refund of the orientation fee. Freshman students who have already paid the $125 freshman orientation fee will be refunded $90. Transfer and Adult students who have already paid the $60 transfer and adult orientation fee will be refunded $25. Continue reading for a description of what the orientation fee covers.

We have to manually issue refunds back to student’s individual accounts. This process will take time as there are over 2,700 refunds to be issued. To be fair, we will issue these partial refunds in the order received, starting with those who paid their orientation fee in February and continuing to those who paid the full fee at the end of June. Our goal is to have all students refunded by Monday, August 17. Once the refund is issued, it can take up to 2 weeks for the refund to appear on the credit card statement. We are unable to change the credit card account that the refund is issued to – it must go back to the original credit card.

Beginning on July 1, students who register for orientation will now pay $35 for their summer 2020 orientation experience. This fee includes the online orientation as well as all printed materials, a Ragin' Cajun spirit t-shirt, lanyard, pen and bag (to be given out at the beginning of the Fall semester - more information to come on the distribution of these items).

 

Can I transfer my Orientation fee between semesters?

Students who register and pay for one semester's orientation, but then decide to update to another semester will be able to transfer their orientation fee to that new semester. Please note that this transfer of payment between semesters must be done manually through our office. Our system will require you to pay if you attempt to register an orientation in a NEW semester, therefore you must contact our office to be manually added into the new orientation and have your fee transferred to the new semester.

 

IMPORTANT: If you receive the partial refund for your summer 2020 orientation and you choose to update to a future semester that will be held in-person and will require the full orientation fee, then you will be required to pay the remaining balance of that fee. 

I am taking the National AP test. Will I earn college credit at UL Lafayette?

Our online Course Catalog lists AP exams and the scores needed to earn college credit here at UL Lafayette. Click this link to be directed to the Credit by Other Means section of our Course Catalog.  Official score reports must be sent to the Office of Admissions for students to earn AP credit.

When can I take an Advance Credit Exam?

View the current exam schedule (and necessary qualifications) on our website. Dates are subject to change pending COVID-19 guidance from University officials.

 

Students who earn credit from an exam can adjust their schedule and should reach out to the Academic Success Center at 337-482-6818 for assistance.

 

When will I schedule my classes?

All students will virtually meet with an academic advisor in their academic area during the week of their scheduled orientation. After meeting with an advisor (and completing online orientation), students will be able to schedule their classes online.

How can I change my major?

Please email your major change to major@louisiana.edu. Please read these important instructions:

Students should make sure their major is correct on the first day of Orientation since academic advising and course placement are based heavily on a student's major selection.

Can my parents come to academic advising with me?

While we value the input of parents in coaching students through their academic career, we kindly ask parents to not participate in the virtual academic advising sessions. Our academic advising staff is trained to answer all of your questions regarding course registration and placement. Parents will be able to learn more about Academic Advising in one of their online orientation presentations.

Do I have to attend Orientation?

All new students, regardless of classification, are required to attend and complete both the online component (over the summer) AND the in-person component (in August) to fulfill their Orientation requirement.

Are accommodations available?

UL Lafayette will seek to accommodate all persons with disabilities for our Orientation programs.  If you have a disability that may require accommodations, please notify the Office of Orientation at orientation@louisiana.edu two weeks prior to your Orientation session.