NATCHITOCHES – Students preparing to begin or return to college completed enrollment steps, met with university staff and connected with campus resources during Registration Rally at Northwestern State University’s CENLA campus July 28. While the event served students from a variety of academic programs and backgrounds, many nontraditional students took advantage of the one-stop enrollment opportunity.
The event, held from 9 a.m. to noon, brought together representatives from Financial Aid, the Registrar’s Office, Student Accounting and Cashiering, Admissions, academic colleges and other university departments to answer questions and guide students through the enrollment process. By hosting Registration Rally in Alexandria, NSU provided students across central Louisiana with an opportunity to complete enrollment closer to home before classes begin.
Vanner Erikson, director of Enrollment, said Registration Rally helps students complete every step of the enrollment process in one visit.
“Registration Rally is a fantastic event for students of all types,” Erikson said. “We will help you through every process that you need, and that begins with simply applying and goes all the way through registration, finishing, of course, with an ID.”
Erikson said the event gives students confidence that they are ready to begin the semester.
“I think today’s event gives them the finality of, ‘Hey, you’re ready to roll,'” Erikson said. “I think that’s what’s cool. There are so many smiles when they walk out the door knowing that in three or four weeks, they’re going to be starting classes with us.”
Erikson said NSU’s satellite campuses serve many College of Nursing and School of Allied Health students, along with nontraditional students and those pursuing accelerated programs.
“Our satellite campuses are unique,” Erikson said. “We see a lot of our College of Nursing and School of Allied Health participants here, but you also see a lot of nontraditional students, which I love. I think there’s really no point in time that is not a good time to start school.”
Ebony Casey of Pineville attended Registration Rally as she prepares to return to college through an accelerated nursing program while raising her son.
“I joined the military my first summer to pay for college, and my plan was to do nursing,” Casey said. “I started nursing, but I got pregnant with my son during nursing school, so I didn’t finish the program. Life happened, parenting happened, and I just kind of steered away from it. I finally decided, ‘I’m going to go back to school full time,’ and I realized they had accelerated programs. It’s right here in Alexandria, it’s local, and they have everything I need.”
Casey said Registration Rally allowed her to complete multiple enrollment steps in one visit instead of trying to navigate the process on her own.
“I just haven’t had the time to get up here and make sure my stuff was in order,” Casey said. “I got an email about Registration Rally, and I thought, ‘Man, that’s perfect.’ You can do everything in one place. Financial aid, admissions, everything, and get it knocked out. You can just be complete and walk away feeling accomplished. It’s helped me see it through, things that I’ve been putting off that I should have already done and not leave until it’s finished.”
Erikson said students at NSU’s Alexandria, Shreveport and Leesville campuses have access to accelerated programs and other pathways designed to help them complete their education and enter or return to the workforce.
“There’s also a lot of students on our Alexandria, Shreveport and Leesville campuses that are doing some accelerated programs, fast tracks or unique ways to get back enrolled so that they can contribute to the workforce,” Erikson said. “I think it’s really important. There’s such a big role that our satellite campuses serve in who we are as Northwestern.”
Registration Rally is open to new and returning students and provides an opportunity to complete multiple enrollment steps during one visit before the semester begins.
Registration for the fall semester will continue through Aug. 16. Late registration, during which additional fees apply, will continue through Aug. 25. Information about registration is available at vic.nsula.edu.