Waitlist Information

Timeline How-To Guides FAQ


What is a Course Waitlist?

Waitlists are an optional queue students can join, allowing them to wait for a seat to open in a course. If a department enables the waitlist option for a course and it is full, students will have the option to join the waitlist for that course. Course waitlists are prioritized by the order in which a student joins. If a student who is enrolled in the course drops the course, a seat will become available for the first student on the waitlist. Students who are on the waitlist for a course are encouraged to monitor their Sam Houston State University email account for a notification that a seat has opened for them.


Waitlist Timeline

Once registration opens for a semester, students will have 12 hours to register for a course once a seat becomes available. The waitlist will close for all eligible courses on the Thursday before the first class day of the upcoming semester. The following timeline describes the narrowing registration window as we move closer to the first class day of the upcoming semester.

This is an image of the waitlist registration window timeline. When registration opens, students have a 12 hour window to register for a course once a seat becomes available. Three days before the waitlist closes, students will have a 10 hour window. Two days before the waitlist closes, students will have a 6 hour window. One day before the waitlist closes, students will have a 3 hour window. on the Thursday before the first class day of the upcoming term, the waitlist will no longer be available. The registration window means the amount of time a student will have to register after receiving a waitlist notification.


Waitlist How-Tos

The following guides provide instructions on how to waitlist a course and check your position on the waitlist for Banner and Smart Plan users, respectively.

Banner: How To Waitlist and Check Position Smart Plan: Checking Waitlist Position


Waitlist FAQ

  • How long do I have to add a course once a seat has opened?

    Depending on how close it is to the semester starting, you will have somewhere between three and twelve hours to claim your seat. The email you receive notifying you a seat is available will inform you how long you have to register.

  • Am I registered in a course if I am on the waitlist?

    No: If you are on the waitlist for a course, you are not officially enrolled in it. Being on the waitlist means the course is at capacity, and you are only in line to register if an enrolled student drops from the course and opens a seat. Please note that waitlisted courses do not count toward enrollment hours for financial aid purposes. If you have questions regarding your financial aid and waitlisting, please contact the Financial Aid & Scholarships Office.

  • How do I know if I am on a waitlist?

    If you are on a course’s waitlist, the course status in your registration portal will show as “Waitlisted” or “Waitlist”. If you are on the Banner registration platform, this will appear next to the course’s name in the pane on the bottom right corner highlighted green. If you are on the Smart Plan registration platform, this will appear in the same box as the course’s name in yellow letters.

  • Why do some courses not have a waitlist?

    Offering a waitlist for a course is at the discretion of academic departments, and they may choose not to offer one for certain sections of their courses. Additionally, we are unable to offer waitlists for courses with linked sections (such as four-hour science courses, like BIOL 1436 or CHEM 1411). If the course you would like to add does not have a waitlist, consider enrolling in another section of the same course if available, or consider speaking with your academic advisor to see if there are other course options for you in the semester.

  • What happens if I miss my waitlist notification window?

    If you receive a waitlist notification and do not register for your seat by the timeframe provided, you will be automatically removed from the course’s waitlist, and the available seat will be offered to the next person on the waitlist. If you miss the opportunity to enroll in the course, but would still like to register for it, you will need to add yourself back to the course’s waitlist. To avoid missing a waitlist notification, please ensure you check your SHSU email frequently, as waitlist notifications will come at any time a student drops the course.

  • What email is a waitlist notification sent to?

    Waitlist notifications will be sent to your SHSU email.

  • When can I expect to receive a waitlist notification?

    You will receive a waitlist notification to your SHSU email if you are first on a course’s waitlist and a student drops from the course, opening a seat. The waitlist notification will inform you how long the open seat is reserved for you, and you will need to officially enroll in the course through your registration system to claim your seat.

  • What do I do if I receive the “Section Closed – Waitlist Available” error message when trying to register for a course?

    First, see if there is another section of the same course with open seats that will work with your schedule. If one exists, we recommend registering for it to guarantee your enrollment in the course. If no other section is available, adding yourself to the waitlist for the closed section will allow you to reserve a space in line for any openings in the course.

  • Will I be notified if a seat becomes available in the course in which I am waitlisted?

    Yes, you will receive an automated email notification that a seat has opened. Remember to take action by registering for the course within the timeframe provided in the email notification.

  • How will I know when a seat becomes avaliable?

    If you are first on the waitlist and an enrolled student drops from the course, you will receive an automated email notification to your SHSU email informing you that a seat is available. The email notification will indicate how long the seat is reserved for you. Upon receiving the email, you will need to enter your registration platform and officially enroll in the course within the time specified to claim your seat. If you do not enroll within the given timeframe, you will be removed from the course’s waitlist and the seat will become available to the next person on the waitlist.


For immediate assistance, please contact the Registrar's Office:

Phone: 936.294.1040

Email: registrar@shsu.edu