Your Orientation Process

Frequently Asked Questions

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• How do I cancel or reschedule an orientation?

  Follow these step-by-step instructions to log in to your myUH self-service portal to manage your orientation schedule.

• How do I remove the orientation holds on my account?

  Incoming Freshman Students:

  1. Pre-Orientation
  2. New Student Orientation
  3. Freshman Orientation Advising

  The pre-orientation hold will be removed when you complete the Pre-Orientation Modules. If you are already registered for orientation, use the instructions to access and complete your Pre-Orientation Modules. Make sure you have pop-up blockers disabled:

  

  The New Student Orientation hold will be removed from a student’s account within 24 hours of completing the Self-Paced Online Orientation Modules through your AccessUH account.

  The New Student Orientation Advising hold will be removed at the discretion of your academic college. Specific advising information will be provided in the Pre-Orientation Modules and the academic college meeting of your orientation.

• What is the cost of orientation and how do I register?

  At the time of registration, orientation is $150 for incoming first year students. Payment for orientation is due before you can view and select an orientation date through your myUH portal. Use our step-by-step instructions to register for orientation.

• Do you offer a fee waiver for orientation?

  UH does not offer fee waivers for orientation, however, a fee deferment may be provided to students who demonstrate financial need prior to orientation. A fee deferment adds the $150 orientation fee to a student’s tuition and fee bill instead of requiring them to pay $150 prior to registering for orientation. To be eligible for a fee deferment, a student must meet BOTH of the following criteria. We reserve the right to deny a student’s request for a fee deferment without sufficient proof of need:

  1. You have an Estimated Family Contribution (EFC) of (EFC) of $0-$5846 according to your on-file FAFSA application or on your on-file TASFA application.
  2. You have an incoming PELL or TEXAS grant for the intended semester of enrollment.

  Payment is due by the tuition and fee bill deadline. Any student who attends orientation will be required to pay the orientation fee whether the fee was deferred or the student attended a previous orientation from another term. Additionally, the orientation fee payment is still required if the student does not enroll in the university after attending orientation. If payment is not made, a financial delinquency hold will be placed on the student’s account.

  "If you meet the criteria listed above, the system will recognize you as eligible and provide you the option to defer your fee as part of the registration process in your student account. Once you are registered for your orientation, please disregard the payment date on your account as it is deferred to the tuition and fee bill deadline."

• How do I change my major before attending orientation?

  Follow the steps below to change your major before attending New Student Orientation:

  1. Review the admissions requirements for the major you want to switch into:
     • Freshman Admissions Requirements
     • Freshman Majors with Additional Requirements
  2. Complete the Change of Major form two weeks prior to your orientation date.
  3. You will receive an email notification regarding the status of your major change before attending orientation.

• What happens to my in-person orientation if it cannot be conducted in person?

  In the event that an orientation session cannot be conducted in person, the session will occur on the same date in a virtual capacity.

• Where can I park?

  For Freshman Orientation, students and guests may park in the Zone E parking lot right off Wheeler St. Specific parking instructions will be sent to you one week before your orientation and again the day before your orientation.

• Why am I required to stay overnight? What if I live across the street and/or I’m not planning to live on campus?

  All students attending a 2-Day Freshman Orientation must spend the night at orientation. The overnight portion of the program has been specifically designed to give you a chance to become familiar with campus and meet your peers. Through various planned academic and social activities, you will experience a taste of college, and the overnight stay will ensure that you are on time for the second day's early start.

• Where do students stay overnight?

  All students attending a 2-Day Freshman Orientation are required to stay overnight and will spend the evening in the Cougar Village II Residence Hall. Linens are NOT provided, and you will need to bring your own blankets and toiletries from home. Two-Day Freshman Orientations are only hosted in the summer.

• What do I need to bring for my New Student Orientation overnight stay?

  We require you to bring the following items for an overnight stay:

  • Linens and towels for your overnight stay
    • The bed is a twin-sized bed so you will need twin-sized sheets, blanket, pillow, etc.
  • Toiletries
    • Soap
    • Deodorant
    • Shampoo
    • Conditioner
    • Hair Dryer
    • Toothbrush
    • Toothpaste
    • Medicine/medication
  • Clothes for your second day of orientation
  • Government-issued photo ID
    • This is only used to take your picture for your Cougar Card. We do not ask for your ID at orientation.
  • Final transcripts from your high school and/or former college(s) if you haven’t submitted them to UH already
  • Casual clothes, including comfortable, closed-toe walking shoes
  • Water bottle
  • Umbrella or raincoat
  • A jacket or sweater
    • The meeting rooms will be cold.

• What if I need special accommodations?

  Email orientation@uh.edu at least one week prior to your orientation date if you need assistance during your orientation.

• I was admitted as a freshman, but I’ll be a transfer student in the fall. Which orientation do I go to?

  Your orientation session is determined by the type of student you were admitted as for the semester you applied for. For example, if you were admitted as a freshman student for the fall semester, but now you have enough credits to be a transfer student, you will still be required to come to Freshman Orientation. We cannot change your orientation to another orientation session.

• Can my family or guests attend orientation and how do I add them?

  Yes! If you have family or guests who want to support you in your transition to UH, encourage them to register for Family & Guest Orientation. For first year orientation, each guest will pay a $60 fee. They can attend a live orientation session on the same dates as your orientation session. Some portions of orientation programming are planned for you and your guest to experience together while other sessions are just for you, and will separate you from your guest.

  > Learn more and register for Family & Guest Orientation

• Where do guests stay?

  We do not provide housing for Family and Guests, but there are neighboring hotels that we recommend! Check them out on our Family & Guest website.

• Can I bring my friend/sibling/family member with me to orientation?

  Parents and guardians are welcome at all orientations and, if attending, will follow a separate schedule of events. Because of the nature of the program, it is not appropriate for anyone except parents/guardians or spouses to attend as a guest. Friends or siblings are not allowed to accompany you. Guests under 18 will not be able to attend Family & Guest Orientation without a parent or guardian. The exception would be an older sibling who is acting in a guardian capacity; however, in this case, the sibling would attend the Family & Guest Orientation and would not be with you during any time parents and students are not ordinarily together.