ACC is expected to decide in June whether to eliminate late registration. Previously only first-time-in-college students were prohibited from registering after the first class day.

Under the proposed change, registered students still could add classes during the add/drop period, and non-registered students wishing to register for a class after it has begun could seek written permission from the department chair or an instructional assistant dean.

The proposal is based on studies showing a connection between late registration and lower grades, lower completion rates, and lower reenrollment the following term. Researchers found that students who register after the first meeting of a class reduce their chance of succeeding before they even start.

Registration before classes begin is one of 13 practices highlighted in the report A Matter of Degrees: Promising Practices for Community College Student Success (pdf) published by the Center for Community College Student Engagement at the University of Texas at Austin. ACC is one of several colleges nationwide that recently have ended or may end late registration.