UW Oshkosh welcomes special students and guests who wish to enroll in one or more classes without earning a college degree. Special students and guests apply to UW Oshkosh for varying reasons but most frequently to:

• Enroll in summer session classes;
• Take a course to keep a previously earned teaching license current;
• Earn college credits while still a high school student;
• Meet prerequisites prior to application for admission to a specific academic program;
• Audit a course as a senior citizen participating in the 60+ audit option or an individual pursuing a personal interest in a particular subject.

Special Student Status and Guidelines

Special students are nondegree seeking students. As such, they may register for classes on a term-by-term basis and may arrange to live in a UW Oshkosh residence hall by working with Residence Life.

As a special student, you are not eligible to participate in intercollegiate athletics and may not receive financial aid. You will pay the costs of attendance without the assistance of federal or state financial aid. The cost per credit for tuition at UW Oshkosh is available on the Student Accounts website.

Applying as a Special Student

The following steps apply to students who have completed a high school diploma or GED/HSED, including students attending college elsewhere who are applying as guests for either the fall, spring or summer term:

Apply to UW Oshkosh

• You will apply to UW Oshkosh using the online UW System application and select either “visitor/guest student at the undergraduate level” or “undergraduate courses for personal/professional enrichment” when applying.
• You do not pay the UW System application fee.
• You typically do not need to submit transcripts; however, depending on the course you are pursuing, you may need to provide documentation of completion of a high school diploma or GED/HSED, documentation of prior academic course work at a previous college or university or — in the case of high school specials — an official copy of an in-progress high school transcript.

After You Are Admitted

Students will receive an admissions decision letter approximately 10 days after your application is submitted.

You will be able to enroll in class without additional paperwork on the enrollment date assigned for special students, which is typically 2-3 weeks prior to the start of the semester you’re applying for. You may plan for your class registration by browsing classes on TitanWeb.

Campus Access

Special students are encouraged to obtain a Titan Card (student identification card) for access to library materials, computer labs and other campus resources. Titan cards are obtained at Titan Central in Reeve Memorial Union. Students must show proof of enrollment in classes and a photo I.D. (driver’s license, passport, etc.) to obtain a Titan Card.

Questions?

If you have questions regarding the special student admissions process, please contact us at (920) 424-3164.