10 Must-Dos for Fall 2025 Semester

Dear undergraduate, graduate, and professional school students,

We’re excited to begin a new year within our amazing learning community. Here are a few steps to take to help your semester start smoothly:

1. Complete your CalCentral tasks.
   Log into the CalCentral student portal to complete all outstanding tasks and resolve any holds.
2. Prep for Financial Aid disbursement on August 18.
   To receive your financial aid disbursement on time, complete your tasks in CalCentral as soon as possible and make sure you are enrolled in a minimum of 6 units. Use the Calculate a Balance Worksheet to determine if you’ll receive a refund or have a balance due after financial aid is applied.
3. Set up direct deposit.
   Get your scholarship, fellowship, or other disbursements faster with direct deposit into the U.S. bank of your choice. Need a paper refund check? Checks are mailed to your local address, so be sure it’s up to date in CalCentral. To update your local address, click on your name in the top right corner and select “Profile.” From Profile, go to the “Contact Information” section and click the “Edit Profile” button.
4. Give delegate access to parents/guardians or spouse/partner.
   Decide if you want to give your parents/guardians or spouse/partner delegate access to certain parts of your student account. Make sure they have their code phrase to view your financial information in CalCentral, pay bills, or to be able to speak to Cal Student Central.
5. Find a work-study job.
   Work-study offered within an academic year must be earned between July 1 and the last day of spring semester in May. For students with work-study, you can find a job by searching the Student Work-Study Management System (WSMS) portal.

   For all campus positions you can search Handshake, Career Engagement’s recruiting platform.

6. Officially register by September 12.
   To become officially registered, make certain you have met the following requirements:
   1. enrolled in at least one class;
   2. paid 20 percent of tuition and fees (even if it’s not yet due) by September 12 and;
   3. have no holds against your registration.

      As a reminder, the Cancel for Non-Payment (CNP) policy will remain suspended for the 2025–26 academic year. You will not be canceled for non-payment. If you do not intend to attend the semester, you must submit the withdrawal eForm available on CalCentral.

7. Verify enrollment by September 26.
   Check bCourses (or your bMail if your class is not on bCourses) during the first few weeks of the semester for prompts to “verify participation” in each of your courses by completing a reading assignment on Academic Integrity. This process is crucial to ensuring your eligibility for financial aid and is mandatory for all students, regardless of their financial aid status.
8. Find help on standby for you.
   Need to speak with someone about financial aid, billing and payments, enrollment, or transcripts? Cal Student Central offers online, phone, and in-person advising.

   For technology-related issues, please contact Student Tech Support.

9. Plan your fall events.
   Check the Office of the Registrar Calendar page for important enrollment/holiday/dates.

   You also can see calendar postings in Discord and event announcements in the monthly Berkeley Life Roundup emails. (Students are automatically added to the Roundup list.)

10. Get access to key campus services.
    1. Cal 1 Card
       1. New students – Pick up your Cal 1 Card; this is your campus ID card allowing access to buildings, meal plans, and university services.
       2. Continuing students – You do not need a new Cal 1 Card; to replace a lost card, visit the Cal 1 Card Office (212 Sproul Hall).
    2. Student Clipper Card with new BayPass
       1. Eligible new students – In addition to the Cal 1 Card, you will also receive a clipper card preloaded with your BayPass! This upgrade extends your options to all 24 Clipper service agencies and comes pre-activated, so you can start using it immediately.
       2. Eligible continuing students – You do not need a new Clipper Card. Tap your existing card on a Clipper Reader on any AC Transit bus; the BayPass will automatically load. To replace a lost clipper card, visit the Parking and Transportation Office (location and office hours).
    3. Sign your RecWell Activity Waiver to ensure access to gyms, pools, group exercise classes, and more. Go to CalCentral, then “Notifications,” select “RecWell Waiver,” and hit “Accept.” Failure to sign the waiver will restrict your access to facilities and programs. 

Have a wonderful semester and Go Bears!

Sincerely,

Stephen C. Sutton (he/him/his)
Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs

 

This message was sent to all undergraduate and graduate students.