FAQ

As of April 6, 2023, the CSU has revised the COVID-19 vaccination requirement. The revised policy strongly recommends vaccines as a safety measure to help prevent serious illness, but no longer requires the vaccine to enroll. You may review the revised policy here. More information about COVID precautions and other health information can be found on the Cal State LA Health Watch page.

Yes. Academic advising is required for course registration, and your first opportunity to meet with an advisor will be during in-person Orientation. Students who attend in-person Orientation have access to enroll in classes before students who do not attend Orientation.

Yes. Keep in mind that while the campus may not be completely new to you, there are some things that may have changed since you were last enrolled, including resource information, office locations, and the quarter-to-semester conversion. Additionally, depending on when you were last a student, there may be specific guidelines you need to follow on your path to timely graduation.

Provisionally admitted students who have cleared the Enrollment Confirmation Deposit (ECD) will receive an email with instructions on how to sign up for one of the First Flight Orientation sessions. These emails will be delivered to both your personal and Cal State LA student email accounts. You may also access the Orientation reservation site from your Student Portal, under the "Orientation Reservations" icon.

The Priority Sign-Up date for Orientation varies based on your admit term:

• For winter 2025 admits: December 2, 2025
• For fall 2025 admits: June 2, 2025

Orientation dates are first come, first served, and once dates are filled, it is not guaranteed that new dates will be opened. We encourage students to follow all steps and instructions to complete their reservations as soon as possible.

You will not be able to sign up for Orientation before you receive the invitation email. If you recently paid your ECD, it takes approximately 3 to 4 business days to import your information into the Orientation reservation system. If it has been over a week, and you are still receiving the same message, please email us and include your CIN, and we will help troubleshoot the issue.

You will only receive an email invitation for First Flight Orientation if you are required to attend. Post-baccalaureate/second degree, graduate, and Downtown LA campus students are not required to participate in First Flight Orientation.

• If you've cleared the ECD, and you still haven't received an email regarding Orientation, you may want to check to be sure your ECD payment has been posted to your bank account. If it has not, then it may not have been credited to your student account yet.
• If it has, please check your SPAM or JUNK folders in your email, as it is possible that the email was sent, but was misdirected.
• Lastly, if you have cleared your ECD requirement and the email is not in your junk/spam folders, you can also check your Student Portal for the link to the Orientation Reservation system.

Please also be sure you are checking your Cal State LA student email account. If none of these solutions work, please contact our office with your name and CIN so we can help troubleshoot.

The Orientation Fee is determined by the type of program you are participating in.

• 1-Day Orientation = $110
  • Primarily for Transfer/Returning students
• 2-Day Orientation = $150
  • First-time Freshmen students are expected to attend the 2-Day orientation program
• Guests are $46 per guest (max 2 guests)

PLEASE NOTE that there are options for payment deferment, not payment waivers. The deferment will allow you to pay a deposit of $50 and postpone the balance of your Orientation payment until after Financial Aid disbursements have begun. This will allow you to utilize Financial Aid funds to directly pay the Orientation Fee, should you choose/if you are able to do so. Unfortunately, we do not offer a fee waiver, and you will be responsible for paying the Orientation Fee in full (as well as any guest fees). You will find instructions in the Orientation reservation system on how to select the deferment option. Please contact our office if you have any additional questions.

The online Orientation reservation system accepts credit/debit card and e-check payments only. Online credit/debit card payments will be assessed a service charge, while online e-check payments will not. If you would like to pay with cash or money order, you can do so on campus by visiting the One-Stop Financial Services office on the second floor of the Student Services Building. You will need to show proof of Orientation date reservation at the time of cash payment. One-Stop accepts cash payments only; personal checks will not be accepted. Credit/debit card payments are only accepted online.

Orientation Fee refunds are not automatic and must be requested in writing prior to the posted deadline. To be eligible, you must meet the following criteria:

• You must submit the Orientation Fee Refund Request Form no later than Friday, September 5, 2025
• You must not have already participated in First Flight Orientation

If you are rescinded or choose to withdraw your application after you participate in First Flight Orientation, you will unfortunately not be eligible for a refund.

Refunds are paid by check and are mailed to the address on file for you. Refund processing and mailing can take 14-21 business days.

No, Financial Aid does not automatically cover either of these costs. However, as described above, if you choose to use the Orientation Fee Deferment option, you can postpone the payment of the Orientation Fee until Financial Aid payments have been disbursed. You may then choose to use your refund to cover this costs.

One Card (student ID) costs cannot be deferred or postponed, and must be paid in full prior to collecting your ID.

You will learn about the specific courses you should be taking during your Orientation session (in-person Orientation) or during a separate group advisement session with your college's academic and/or department advisors (Remote Orientation). You may also view available classes and learn more about the course enrollment process on the GET website.

New Student Advising and Registration will take place in a small group setting during in-person Orientation. Be sure to complete the Pre-Orientation, and bring any questions about classes you have with you to your group advising session in order to get the most out of your appointment. Once the semester begins, you will have the ability to schedule one-on-one appointments with your assigned advisors if you would like additional assistance.

Freshmen: you will have the ability to change your major by contacting Admissions prior to Orientation (deadlines apply), or on the day of your in-person Orientation. An academic advisor will need to assist you with making the official change.

Transfers/Returners: You will not be able to change your major before you participate in Orientation. This means you will need to attend the Orientation session that corresponds to the major you selected when you applied to Cal State LA. Please note that transfer students are expected to pursue the major into which they were accepted, and will not be permitted to change their major prior to their first enrolled semester.

Parents and family supporters are invited to attend First Flight Orientation with with their freshman student. Supporter Orientation will take place at the same time as Freshman Orientation, on the same dates. For transfer students, there will be limited availability for guests during the scheduled in-person sessions.

There is a fee for guests to attend Orientation. Freshman students are permitted up to two (2) guests, but please know that available guest seats are first come, first served, and once capacity is reached, families will have to select a different open date. Transfer students are permitted one (1) guest only, please. Guests who arrive at Orientation without a completed registration will not be permitted to participate, so please be sure to confirm your registration prior to arriving on campus.

For new freshmen, First Flight Orientation is a 2-day program. Students are encouraged, but not required, to spend the night on campus in University Housing. There is no additional cost to stay overnight. Overnight accommodations are available for students only; parents, siblings, and other friends/guests will not be accommodated. 

Students who choose not to stay overnight will be responsible for returning to campus for the second day of the program. Some meals are included; see more details in the Orientation reservation system.

Transfer and returning students will have a 1-day Orientation experience. The day begins at approx. 8 am, and students are expected to participate for the entire day. Please see more details in the Orientation reservation system, and direct any additional questions to our office.