Continuing Studies FAQ'S

UMass Lowell Continuing Studies
FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)

1. What is ISIS?
2. How can I access my grades?
3. How do I register for a course?
4. How do I register for an online course?
5. How do I obtain Financial Aid?
6. What is the refund policy?
7. How can I get a copy of my transcripts?
8. I’m not a US citizen; can I still take classes?
9. I don’t live in MA; will I be charged a higher out-of-state tuition?
10. How do I transfer credits into a degree program?
11. Are Career Services available?
12. Do I have to enroll in a degree or certificate to take Continuing Studies classes?
13. What types of library resources does UMass Lowell have?
14. How do I get a student ID and parking sticker?
15. What are the hours of the Campus Security Safety Shuttle Service?
16. Can I email my request to drop or withdraw?
17. Who is eligible for tuition remission?
18. Can you fax me a course description?
19. What are certificate programs?
20. What services are available for learning and physically disabled students?
21. What do I do if I think my grade(s) for a course is incorrect?
22. May I have access to my student records?

1. What is ISIS?
Our Intercampus Student Information System (ISIS) enables students to access their academic courses and financial records, as well as register for courses, via the web. You will receive a User ID (UMS--------) and be able to create a password. For assistance with ISIS, students can contact the HELP Desk:

http://help.uml.edu
help@uml.edu
(978) 934-HELP (4357)

2. How can I access my grades?
Grade reports are no longer mailed to the students. Students must log onto the ISIS student information system to view their transcripts. University policy does not allow grades to be given over the phone. Students may request official transcripts using the ISIS system.

3. How do I register for a course?
Using the ISIS online registration system:

1. Click “Academics”
2. Click “Enroll in a Class”
3. Select the Term
4. Click “Add Classes”
5. Type the Class Number in the Class Nbr field. Please note, the class number is different from the course number that is listed in the brochure.
6. You can search for the class number by clicking the magnifying glass icon. Enter the first two digits of the course number (found in the brochure), into the subject area then enter the remaining three numbers of the course number into the catalog box and then hit search. You can also find the class number on the Continuing Studies website or at http://www.uml.edu/admin/registrar. Please check the semester course schedule and select the discipline that you are interested in.
7. Repeat Step 8 until all desired classes have been added.
8. Click the Submit button.

4. How do I register for an online course?
Please use the same ISIS process as outlined in Question #3. Be sure to provide your email address when you register. For more information on how to register, visit our Registration Information page. Before the semester begins go to the UMass Lowell online course website http://continuinged.uml.edu/online and complete the Get Your Username & Password process. Check the site periodically to determine availability of the Registration Confirmation process. It is usually available two weeks before the start of each semester. At this time, you will receive your username, password, and class URL. If your username/password does not work, please call (978) 934-2467.

5. How do I obtain Financial Aid?
Please refer to our Financial Aid information sheet, or call the Financial Aid Office at (978) 934-4220 for assistance. Ask them for information about TERI and PLATO loans for Continuing Studies students. Click here for the Financial Aid Office.

6. What is the refund policy?
Students withdrawing from any class must officially notify the Registrar's Office using the ISIS online registration system. To withdraw from a class follow the registration procedure outline in Question #3 and select “DROP”. Verbal messages to faculty or staff do not constitute official notification.

Please contact the University's Accounts Receivable Department at http://www.uml.edu/admin/ar or call (978) 934-3570 for the latest tuition refund information. For additional information on withdrawal deadlines and final ADD/DROP dates, visit our registration page http://continuinged.uml.edu/general/registration.htm

7. How can I get a copy of my transcripts?
Using the ISIS student information system students can view and print a copy of their transcripts. Students may use the ISIS system to request official transcripts, which will be mailed to the address(es) indicated. There is no charge for official transcripts.

8. I’m not a US citizen; can I still take classes?
Yes. Please read the note to International Students. For more information regarding international students and insurance, please contact Harriet Rocheleau at (978) 934-3584 or at Harriet_Rocheleau@uml.edu.

9. I don’t live in MA; will I be charged a higher out-of-state tuition?
Tuition is the same for Continuing Studies students whether you live in Massachusetts or out of the state.

10. How do I transfer credits into a degree program?
An official copy of your transcripts must be received at the Office of Undergraduate Admissions at the following address:

Office of Undergraduate Admissions
University of Massachusetts Lowell
883 Broadway Street, Room 110
Lowell, MA 01854-5104

This may be mailed directly from your previous college/university or you may deliver/mail your official transcripts in a sealed envelope. You should also make sure you have completed and submitted an application form into your program of choice. A program coordinator then evaluates and determines which credits will transfer. A letter of acceptance and a transfer evaluation worksheet will be sent to you.

Students who have earned credits outside the U.S. will want to contact the Center for Educational Documentation to have their credits evaluated for potential transfer credit (for more information on the process, click here). You can reach them at info@cedevaluations.com or by phone at 617-338-7171. Their web address is www.cedevaluations.com. Their mailing address is:

Center for Educational Documentation, Inc.
PO Box 231126
Boston, MA 02123-1126

11. Are Career Services available?
For students enrolled in a certificate or degree program, the Office of Career Services is available for advice and assistance. Please see their web page http://ocs.uml.edu.

12. Do I have to enroll in a degree or certificate to take Continuing Studies classes? A person does not have to be in a program to take courses.

13. What types of library resources does UMass Lowell have?
The University library system consists of an extensive Electronic Library as well as facilities at three locations: the O'Leary Library, Lydon Library, and the Center for Lowell History at the Mogan Center. Please link here for more information.

14. How do I get a student ID and parking sticker?
Non-matriculated students who register by phone or mail will receive their ID by return mail. Students matriculated in a degree or certificate program have been/or will be issued access cards. New parking stickers are required for all Continuing Studies students. The Parking Registration form is available at http://www.uml.edu/access-services This sticker entitles students to park after 5:30pm in a University parking lot except Cumnock Hall. Student and faculty cars will be towed and/or ticketed for violations. In addition, the Lowell Police will tow student and faculty cars if parked in "Residential Parking" areas. Please call the Student and Faculty Support Center at (978) 934-2474 for the location of parking lots available for use by Continuing Studies students who visit the campus during the day.

15. What are the hours of the Campus Security Safety Shuttle Service?
UMass Lowell's Campus Security Escort Service will escort students, faculty, and staff anywhere on campus. You may call (978) 934-2222 to ask for escort service at the following locations: Fox Hall Main Lobby, Sheehy/Concordia Link, Eames Hall Main Lobby, University Bus Stops, All Parking Lots (flash your lights and they will pick you up). For hours of operation, visit their website.

16. Can I email my request to drop or withdraw?
No. You must drop or withdraw from your courses using the Intercampus Student Information System (ISIS).

17. Who is eligible for tuition remission?

Veteran’s Information:
Veterans must be matriculated in an undergraduate degree or certificate program and have all appropriate paperwork on file in Enrollment Services/Continuing Studies, including a DD214, an Admission Application form, and Proof of Residency in order to receive VA benefits. Tuition waivers are available to veterans who are legal residents of Massachusetts for more than 12 consecutive months, and Proof of Residency must be updated annually. These waivers for legal Massachusetts residents (residency must be documented) cover 100% cost of tuition, are not retroactive, and do not cover registration fees and other fees. Veterans requesting benefits must check the appropriate line on the registration form. Veterans should use the mail-in or walk-in options when registering and should provide all necessary documentation (information not accepted by phone). For additional information, call Linda Morabito at (978) 934-2461.

Veterans' waivers are available for on-campus courses provided there is a sufficient number of tuition-paying students enrolled to bear the cost of instruction and provided there is space available. Due to the high cost of online and off-campus courses, there are no waivers available for these courses. Merit and Need-Based Assistance Grants for online courses may be available to veterans who are presently enrolled in degree and certificate programs and who are making satisfactory academic progress towards their degrees or certificates.

Senior Citizens:
Massachusetts residents who are Senior Citizens (60 years or older) may attend classes in Continuing Studies credit programs tuition-free provided that there are sufficient tuition-paying students enrolled to bear the cost of instruction and provided there is space available. Please note that waivers are not retroactive and do not cover registration fees and other fees. Proof of Massachusetts residency and birth date must be provided at the time of registration. However, due to the high cost of online courses, there are no waivers available for these courses. For additional information, call (978) 934-2588.

Third-Party Payment:
All students using company direct payments or military plans must include the appropriate authorizing letters with their registration. No retroactive tuition refund is awarded for late submission of eligibility form. Students receiving company reimbursement must prepay their own tuition.

18. Can you fax me a course description?
Yes, however, it is usually more convenient to access the course descriptions off the website http://continuinged.uml.edu/.

19. What are certificate programs?
Continuing Studies' certificate programs are short-term, credit programs of study that are designed to run at a student’s own pace. Students must apply to the certificate program, but, registration for the courses is on a semester-to-semester basis. There is no set cost for a particular certificate program, rather, costs are determined per credit per course each semester. Once a student has completed the necessary courses in a certificate he/she must fill out a certificate award petition. In about 4-6 weeks the certificate should be mailed to them. Students enrolled in a certificate program can receive financial aid; please call the Financial Aid Office at (978) 934-4220. Also, students enrolled in an undergraduate certificate program can transfer one course from another university into the certificate, if approved by the coordinator. In order to do this, a student must submit a petition form to Continuing Studies. Substitution of courses may be possible if approved by the certificate coordinator. The student must submit a petition form and get approval prior to taking the course.

20. What services are available for learning and physically disabled students?
The University and its programs and activities are becoming increasingly more accessible to academically qualified students who are physically or learning disabled. Although some architectural barriers still remain, disabled persons can traverse the campus with a minimum of difficulty. University libraries, the student unions, several residence halls, and more recently constructed classroom buildings are accessible to students in wheel chairs. Early registration, preferential scheduling, readers, notetakers, interpreters, alternative testing procedures, and special parking arrangements are some of the accommodations available to disabled students. For more information, contact Continuing Studies at (978) 934-2474, or link to http://www.uml.edu/student-services/disab/.

21. What do I do if I think my grade(s) for a course is incorrect?
Please refer to our Academic Policies either online or in the Continuing Studies Course Catalog for information on Complaints Arising from Grades and Grading Policy of the Faculty Member as well as Complaints Concerning Classroom Matters Exclusive of Grades and Grading Policy.

22. May I have access to my student records?
Students may access their records securely through the new Intercampus Student Information System (ISIS).

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA) grants any student currently in attendance, or to any former student, the right of access to inspect or review his or her educational files, records, or data. Students who wish to inspect their records must file a Right of Access Form with the office or department in which the desired record is kept. Right of Access Forms are available in the Office of Student Services or the Registrar's Office. Within 10 days of receipt of the Right of Access Form, the office or department will notify the student as to the date, time, and location that the desired record will be available for inspection.

For complete information on Right of Access to Student Records, see the Continuing Studies Course Catalog.