FAQ

As students at Cal State LA and per CSU policy, all Orientation participants will be expected to be fully vaccinated and boosted for COVID-19 or to have an approved exemption with a recent negative COVID test. More information about COVID precautions and requirements can be found on the Cal State LA Health Watch page. 

Yes. Golden Eagle Orientation and Academic Advisement are mandatory for all new freshmen and transfer students and returning students.

Yes. If you were required to reapply to the University, then you will be required to participate in Orientation. 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.

Conditionally 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 Golden Eagle Orientation sessions. These emails will be sent out on or around October 24th, and 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 this spring 2023 is Friday, December 2, 2022. Please try to complete your reservation by this time to ensure that you do not miss out on any important communications. However, if you are not able to complete your reservation by this time, you will continue to have access to the reservation system and can complete the reservation process when you are able to do so.

You will not be able to sign up for Orientation before October 24th, or before you receive the invitation email, whichever comes last. If you recently paid your ECD, it takes approximately 3 to 4 business days to import your information to 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 Golden Eagle Orientation if you are required to attend. Post-Baccalaureate, graduate, and Downtown LA campus students, as well as freshmen participating in the Summer Bridge or Early Entrance Programs, are not required to participate in Golden Eagle 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. The In-Person Orientation Fee is $70, and the Remote Orientation Fee is $35. For those students planning to sign up for the in-person program, you will have two options for completing your payment:

• Pay the $70 fee in one installment at the time you select your Orientation date
• Pay the $70 fee in two installments of $35 each; the first installment will be due at the time you select your Orientation date, and the second installment will be due after the start of the semester
• There is NOT an installment option for the Remote Orientation; the full $35 will be required to complete your reservation

If you need any assistance with the Orientation Fee, you can complete the Orientation Fee Deferment Request Form. If you have additional questions or concerns, please contact our office. 

The online Orientation Reservation System accepts credit/debit card payments only. If you would like to pay with cash or money order, you can do so by visiting the One Stop Financial Services office on the second floor of the Student Services Building. You will need to show your proof of Orientation date reservation at the time of cash payment. You may also pay online with a check without paying a service fee.

Orientation Fee refunds 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 Request Form no later than Friday, January 27, 2023
• You must not have already participated in Golden Eagle Orientation

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

Refunds are not automatic; they 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 cover the Orientation Fee or the Golden Eagle One Card (school ID) fee.

You will learn about the specific courses you should be taking during your group advisement session with your college's academic and/or department advisors. 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 and in a virtual environment. You will receive an invitation to this session in your Cal State LA email. 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. After your New Student Advising and Registration session, advisors will be available to assist you in making changes to your schedule.

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.  But when you attend New Student Advising and Registration, an advisor will be able to help you change your major if you are a first-time freshman student. Note that transfer students are expected to pursue the major into which they were accepted.

Guests will be permitted to participate in Golden Eagle Family Orientation sessions only. Family Orientation dates are posted in the Orientation Date sections on this website. The COVID precautions and restrictions mentioned above would apply to guests as well.

Parents and family support members interested in learning more about your new college journey can be invited to participate our in Parent and Family Support Member Portal. If you would like your parent or family support member to have access, please provide their contact information while you are completing your Orientation reservation.

Golden Eagle Orientation will begin at 8:30 am and will last approximately 6 hours.

You will also need to meet with your academic advisor in a small group to receive information about which classes to select and how to register for the fall semester; this will take between 60-90 minutes.

These meetings will take place on different days, so be sure to keep the different confirmation emails separate on your calendar.