Everything You Need to Know: graduation applications due Nov. 15

Lisa Curtis, retention specialist for Project Strive / TRiO, walked students through the steps needed to apply for graduation Tuesday evening in the Gold Room.

Students interested in applying for graduation for May 2015 were reminded that their application must be submitted by Nov. 15 to the Records Office in Crites.

You can begin the graduation application process by visiting the following URL: http://www.csc.edu/registrar/graduation.csc

Step 1: Determine which catalog you fall under.  This is important because the Records Office will not accept your application without the appropriate page numbers listed from the catalog you belong to.

Step 2: Check for any holds on your account by logging in to MyCSC and clicking on the student dashboard. You will immediately notice a red banner if there is a hold on your account (in my case, it’s an unpaid parking ticket.)  You can also click on the To Do List under personal information to find out more.

Step 3: Make sure you meet the academic requirements to graduate.  If you enrolled under the old General Studies catalog prior to 2012, you need a 2.0 GPA in order to graduate (2.5 if you are an Education major.)  If you enrolled after 2013 you fall under the new Essential Studies catalog, the GPA requirement for education majors is 2.75.

You also need to have your enrollment for Spring 2015 completed prior to submitting your application.  Speak with your adviser or the START office if you are unsure what classes you need or if you have any questions.

Step 4: This step contains two parts; first, complete the online application at http://www.csc.edu/registrar/forms/graduation/index.csc. Next, print off a paper copy of the graduation application form and collect signatures from the Business Office and the Financial Aid Office (both are in Crites). There is a $20 fee (payable to the Business Office) in order to process the application.

Step 5: Before the Financial aid office will sign off on your application, you will have to do an exit loan counseling at http://www.NSLDS.ED.gov/NLDS_SA. If you forgot your pin number you can request a new one at http://www.PIN.ED.GOV. Even if you did not take out student loans while attending CSC, you will still need to stop in to the Financial Aid Office and collect the necessary signature.

Some final things for you to consider are purchasing a cap and gown (usually about $40 from the Eagle Pride Book Store), and attending the scheduled graduation practice.

If you need further assistance filling out your application, contact Curtis at  [email protected] , 308-432-6033, or stop in to her office, Gold Room 103