To Do List – Undergraduate

• Activate Your ePass

This log-in and password combination gives you access to on-campus computers, wireless network, your Google account, Sakai and many other on-campus network accesses. Go to this page and follow the instructions. You will be asked to enter your PLU student ID number.

• Check PLU Email Account (Google mail)

As soon as you activate your ePass, you can log into your new PLU email account here. Please check your PLU email account at least twice a week before arriving to PLU. You may set all emails that come to your PLU email account to be forwarded to your personal email account. Just go to the “Settings” and the “Forwarding and POP/IMAP” tab. We will go over detailed features of Google account during Orientation.

• Open Banner account.

Once you start using your PLU email account, your next task is to open a Banner account. Banner is essentially a university database. Access to Banner will allow you to do many things online. Please carefully follow this instruction to open your account. We will go over detailed features of Banner during Orientation.

• Sign Payment Agreement Online

Once your Banner account has been opened, now it’s time for you to sign the Online Payment Agreement. Go to Student Financial Services tab and then click on Payment Contract link.

• Accept your Financial Aid Award

Log into Banner. Go to the Financial Aid Services tab, and click on Award link.

• Complete the Meningococcal Release Acknowledgement
  

Before you can register for classes as a new student, you must read and acknowledge the risks of meningitis, or meningococcal disease (a Washington state legal requirement). In your Banner account, go to the Personal Information tab and click on Notifications and Preferences link.

• Take Math Placement Exam

All new degree seeking undergraduate students should take the math placement exam online before arriving at PLU. Please read the instructions carefully.

If you are a non-degree seeking undergraduate student, you do not need to take this Math Placement Test unless you would like to be enrolled in a class that is Math or requires Math as a pre-requisite.

• Complete the Educational Modules

The online educational modules review important policies and skills for new students. This module is mandatory and required for all new students to PLU. Instructions on how to complete the module will be sent to your PLU e-mail address about one month prior to the due date. Failure to complete the module will result in a hold being placed on your student account.  If you have any questions, please contact Students Rights and Responsibilities (srr@plu.edu).

The deadline to complete this module is: August 31 for Fall and January 31 for Spring

• South & Harstad Hall Residents

If you are 21 or older, you may have alcohol in your South or Harstad Hall residence under certain guidelines. Please be sure to read the South Hall Alcohol Policy and Harstad Hall Alcohol Policy pages and follow the instructions.

We absolutely recommend for new students to live on campus, at least for the first year. However, if you’d like to live off campus, you must meet this residency requirement.

If you have not applied for on-campus housing when you paid your deposit online, please fill out the Housing Application Form as soon as possible. The deadline is: August 1 for Fall and January 11 for Spring.

Confirmation of the receipt of your residence hall application will be sent from the Office of Residential Life to your PLU email account in approximately 10 days.

Building and roommate confirmation will be sent from the Office of Residential Life to your PLU email account in mid-August for Fall semester and mid-January for Spring semester. Start communicating with your roommate(s) as soon as you get contact info!

Do you have a plan for bed linens for your residence hall room? If not, start planning ahead by visiting the Linens/Bedding page. If you’d like to borrow bed linens for your first few nights from ISS, please request a package using this form. If you purchased bed linens online and would like ISS to hold your package, please fill out this form. The deadline for both forms is: August 1 for Fall and January 15 for Spring.

• Immunization Form & Record of Vaccinations
  

Immunization Verification Form along with any record of immunizations is required to attend classes and activities at PLU. Please send all documents to the Health Center online via Etrieve, via mail: PLU Health Center, 12180 Park Ave S, Tacoma, WA  98447, or via fax: 253-536-5042 The deadline for submission is: August 1 for Fall and January 15 for Spring.

• PLU International Student Health Insurance

All international students will be enrolled in PLU’s International Student Health Insurance plan. To learn more about the cost and coverage, please visit International Student Health Insurance page on the Risk Services website. The deadline to submit a waiver request is the first day of the semester.

• Special Dietary Needs

If you have a special dietary needs (such as gluten free, vegetarian, vegan, kosher and more), please let ISS know in advance. We will try our best to accommodate you when we eat together.

• Stay Healthy

Get dental and optical check-ups before departure! Please do NOT take any immunization shots before arrival. PLU cannot accept result of PPD or X-ray taken outside of the U.S.

• Final Official Secondary & Post-Secondary School Transcripts and Evidence of Completion

After receiving all of your secondary or post-secondary grades, please mail transcript(s) to PLU. If the completion date is not on your post-secondary school transcript, please also submit evidence of secondary school completion (diploma).

To be considered official, transcript and diploma needs to be sent directly from your institution to PLU in a sealed envelope with a date and an original signature or a school seal.

Mail documents to Pacific Lutheran University, Attn: Registrar’s Office, Tacoma, WA 98447

The deadline for submission is August 25 for Fall semester and January 25 for Spring semester.

• View the Online Class Schedule

View the Online Class Schedule to explore class offerings.

• Register for Classes

After you pay advanced tuition deposit to PLU, you will receive a special email from Office of Admission to get in touch with Academic Advising Office. Academic Advising staff will assist you with your course selection. If you are Non-degree seeking students, please speak to your home institutions’ advisors regarding class registration.

• Books

When you have your class schedule ready, visit the PLU bookstore webpage to find books for your classes. Here are some types of books available to purchase from the bookstore and how they may be priced.

• Brand new book (full price, price varies).
• Used book (limited supplies, prices are normally 30-50% off from new books)
• E-book (this option may not be available, price varies)
• Rent a book (this option may not be available; price is 50% off from new book).

When you purchase your books online from the bookstore, select an option to pick up books when you arrive to campus.

• Tuition Payment

Payments are due at following dates for the following semesters/ terms:

• Fall – August 25th
• J-Term – December 25th
• Spring – January 25th
• Summer – First day of summer classes

To pay by credit card or check online, log into your Banner>Student Services>Student Account>Make a Payment.

MasterCard, American Express, Visa or Discover are accepted but 2.5% charge will apply. In order to use check option, you will need an American Bank Account.

The easiest way to pay is to use a secure wire transfer. PLU works with a company called Flywire. There is no fee associated to this transaction and you can pay using any currency.

• New Student Orientation

New Student Orientation (NSO) is 8-9 days long in Fall and 2-3 days long in Spring. The first part of NSO is specially designed for international students. For the rest of NSO, you will attend programs as a first-year student, a transfer student, a graduate student, or a non-degree seeking student along with American students.

Here is the schedule for the International Student section of NSO.

Please be sure to be on campus and attend all required events!

• Buy ticket to the U.S.

Look at the Remarks section of your I-20 for mandatory orientation date and make sure you will be on campus at 8:30AM on that date, ready to attend orientation sessions. If you plan to live on campus, the move-in date is usually one or two days before New Student Orientation begins.

Note that F-1 students and J-1 students are not permitted to enter the U.S. more than 30 days before their program start date. This date is normally the on-campus move-in date. Look at the Program of Study section of your I-20 or item 3 on DS-2019 to find your program start date.

The nearest airport to PLU is Seattle Tacoma International Airport (SEA), located approximately 45 minutes by driving.

• Arrange Airport Pickup

PLU operated airport pick-up is available on move-in day. Please read the Airport Pick-up page for more information.

• Send arrival information

If you have on-campus housing, please let us know when you are arriving to campus by submitting this online form. We can meet you at the Campus Safety office and help you move-in.  The deadline for submission is: August 1 for Fall and January 15 for Spring.

• Sign Up for Global Campus Connection (GCC)

GCC is a program in which new International Students and current PLU students are matched for a mutually beneficial learning experience. To learn more about the program, please visit the GCC website. The deadline for submission is: August 1 for Fall and January 15 for Spring.

• Get Connected on Social Media!

We have a special Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Blogger Accounts. Please check them out!

• Reach out to us

Chat, email or call us! If you are already in the area, please do not hesitate to stop by!