Course registration delayed until late April

On March 18, the Office of the Registrar informed students via email that course registration for fall 2026 and winter 2027 would take place from late April to early May. Students are typically able to register for next year’s courses in March.

In a statement to The Gateway, University of Alberta media relations said that the U of A “is adjusting enrolment timelines this year in order to release a more complete class schedule. With a more complete schedule of available courses, students will have a better ability to plan their registration, enhancing the student experience.”

When asked why students were not informed of this change earlier, media relations said the U of A informed students as “quickly as possible.” They also said that the university is “putting plans in place to mitigate any negative impacts.”

The U of A Students’ Union Vice-president (academic) Katie Tamsett told The Gateway in an interview that the new timeline might have some benefits.

She said that the U of A typically allows students to register in courses earlier than other institutions, but that comes with challenges.

“Course information around who the instructor is, whether or not the course is [zero textbook cost] doesn’t come until much later, even sometimes a couple of days before the beginning of class, if not the day of class,” she said.

According to Tamsett, this can be a barrier to students who want to make informed decisions. Tamsett is hopeful that the delay in course registration this year will inform whether a later registration timeline can be beneficial for students.

She further hopes that more courses will be marked as zero textbook cost (ZTC) when registration opens so students can make informed decisions about textbooks and affordability.

With files from Kathryn Johnson