Semester Start Requirements

Semester start requirements are mandatory and must be satisfied prior to enrollment. In order to be considered officially enrolled in classes at the start of each semester, all university semester start requirements must be satisfied. Students who fail to fulfill these requirements will have holds placed on their accounts and be prohibited from entering classes or changing their schedules. In addition, students may not be able to select their housing assignments.

Prior to each semester’s posted deadline for the semester start requirements, all students must complete (or confirm completion of) the following requirements. Deadlines are set forth in the Academic Calendar and included in many email communications.

All students must

  1. Participate in course registration.
  2. Contact Student Financial Services to review their invoices and payment arrangements.
    1. Invoices are mailed beginning in May (for the fall semester) and November (for the spring semester).
    2. Students are encouraged to contact Student Financial Services to streamline the process of completing the semester start requirements
  3. Meet the Payment Deadline Requirement.

If applicable, students must also

  1. Satisfy the financial aid requirements.
  2. Satisfy high school requirements and receive a high school diploma (all new undergraduate students), bachelor's requirements (all new graduate students) or master’s requirements (all new postgraduate students) by submitting final, official documentation.
  3. Satisfy the health services requirement (all new students).
  4. Satisfy the international student services requirement.

Payment Deadline Requirement

A payment deadline has been established for each semester. Prior to this deadline, all students must establish (or confirm) an appropriate and approved payment plan with Student Financial Services. Failure to satisfy this requirement may result in immediate and permanent deletion of the student’s schedule, and a financial hold will be placed on the student’s account. In this instance, students will be permitted to register only when holds no longer exist on their record. Students who have not registered by a semester’s deadline for completing semester start requirements will be required to complete their payment arrangements, as well as satisfy all other hold(s) if applicable, before being able to register for courses. Students who subsequently satisfy their payment arrangements shall have no guarantee that they will be able to re-register for the same course(s) and/or section(s) from which they were dropped.

Students who fail to make payment in full by the prescribed deadlines may be assessed a late payment charge of 1.5% per month on any unpaid balance. Accounts that are more than 90 days past due may be referred to an agency and/or attorney for collection. The student is then responsible for all fees and costs due to or incurred by the university, as well as all fees and costs incurred by the agency and/or attorney, including attorney's fees and costs.

Financial planning representatives are available in Student Financial Services to help students and families satisfy the payment deadline requirement (see Financial Services for contact information). One, or a combination, of the following options constitutes an appropriate payment plan:

  • Pay the entire annual balance due to Johnson & Wales University.
  • Make a semester payment in full to Johnson & Wales University.
  • Pay the enrollment fee and first installment to Nelnet Campus Commerce, the university’s monthly payment plan company.
  • Apply for and receive approval for a loan that covers the entire annual balance due to Johnson & Wales University.
  • Submit company authorization for tuition reimbursement.

Financial Aid Requirement

To receive financial aid, students must first complete the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) with the U.S. Department of Education as soon as possible after October 1; the completed FAFSA must then be on file with Student Financial Services. If selected for verification, all requested documentation must be received in Student Financial Services by the posted semester’s deadline for completing semester start requirements. Failure to satisfy this requirement will result in the placement of holds on the student’s account and will prohibit the student from entering class or changing their schedule.

International Student Services Office Requirement

Johnson & Wales University, in accordance with federal regulations, requires that all international students maintain current and complete documentation with the International Student Services Office. Students should contact the office directly to verify that their records are complete. Failure to satisfy this requirement will result in the placement of an international student hold on the student’s account. If this hold is not cleared by the end of the add/drop period, the student’s schedule will be immediately deleted and the student will be considered withdrawn from the term; as a result, the student's immigration status will be compromised.

Health Services Requirement

Prior to the first semester of enrollment, the university requires all new, full-time undergraduate and graduate students, part-time undergraduate students in a health science program, and all culinary students to submit proof of a complete physical exam conducted within the past year, including documented proof of the following: 

Vaccination Requirements  

  • One or two doses of COVID-19 vaccine, in accordance with the number of doses recommended by the manufacturer (booster strongly recommended)
  • Two (2) doses of MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccine (or titers if applicable)
  • Two (2) or three (3) dose series of hepatitis B vaccine (or titers if applicable)
  • Two (2) doses chicken pox vaccine (or titers if applicable) or proof of physician-diagnosed disease
  • One (1) Tdap dose within the past 10 years (except Charlotte Campus, see below)
  • One (1) dose of meningitis vaccine. If you received your first meningitis vaccine prior to age 16, a booster is required. A waiver of the meningitis vaccine requirement is available for students 22 years of age and older (please contact Health Services for further information).
  • A negative tuberculosis test or chest x-ray within the last year is required for entering students who are from highly endemic countries and have been residents of the United States for less than five years. A list of countries where tuberculosis is highly endemic is available upon request from Health Services.

Charlotte Campus Only

  • Any student who is under the age of 18 upon enrollment must also submit proof of the polio vaccine series.
  • Three (3) doses of tetanus-diphtheria vaccine (including at least one Tdap dose within the past 10 years)

Recommended, But Not Required

  • Students should check with their primary care provider as to whether the meningitis type B vaccine is appropriate for them.

  • Hepatitis A vaccine

Failure to satisfy this requirement will result in the placement of a Health Services Hold on the students' account and will prohibit students from entering class or changing their schedule. Visit Health Requirements for additional information and required forms.