Frequently asked questions
Find answers to common questions about ASU’s flexible pathways to college, designed to make higher education accessible and convenient for all learners.
About
ASU Earned Admission provides a pathway for people at every stage of their career to earn a degree from Arizona State University. Anyone not currently enrolled at ASU can participate in Earned Admission by taking Universal Learner Courses. If you want to work towards a degree at ASU and aren’t ready to fully commit to university due to financial or scheduling reasons, Earned Admission is for you. See below for more information about getting started.
Arizona State University offers an expanding list of open-access courses taught by ASU faculty and available for people who are not formally admitted or enrolled at ASU. Universal Learner Courses often satisfy general studies requirements or are common prerequisites across a variety of majors.
Earned Admission provides a course experience that serves diverse learner audiences and features active learning and project-based assessment. These courses are evaluated and designed by faculty to align with the same courses on campus and feature the same faculty.
Enrolling
No, anyone who is not enrolled at ASU can sign up for Earned Admission.
If you are planning to pursue a degree at ASU, we highly recommend that you submit an application as soon as possible so that your transition into ASU upon completion of the program is a seamless experience and we can better support you.
You can register at ea.asu.edu by clicking on the “Register” button.
Sign in to your My ASU and select the Gmail shortcut link located in your shortcuts list. If you don’t see the Gmail shortcut link select View More and select Gmail from the drop-down. You can also access your ASU Gmail by going to https://email.asu.edu.
Admitted, degree-seeking ASU students cannot sign up for Earned Admission. ULCs as they are designed for learners who are not yet enrolled at ASU. Included in the tuition are student support services specifically designed to help currently enrolled students persist toward their goal of graduation. If you are an admitted ASU student, please refer to the ASU Course Catalog for available courses.
Yes, with a few exceptions: learners cannot be located in a country that has restrictions of applicable embargoes and sanctions issued by the U.S. government. Learners hoping to use Earned Admission for ASU admission would need to complete the application for international students.
Any learner with an internet connection and a valid ID (or birth certificate, for learners under 18) can take these courses and earn credit, including high school students.
Yes! You can check out future course enrollment dates and easily change your start date to another term from your learner dashboard.
Earned Admission learners are required to authenticate their identity with a live photo and an approved form of photo identification. This includes government-issued IDs, school IDs, or birth certificates for learners under 18. Your photo ID must match the name associated with your ASU account.
If this is your first time registering for Universal Learner Courses, you’ll be prompted to verify your identity by providing a photo of yourself and a government-issued ID.
If you’re a minor (under the age of 18), you may provide a birth certificate and photo to begin the course, but a government-issued ID will be required in order to take a proctored exam and complete the course.
You’ll have access to the course materials (readings, videos, presentations, etc) for 2 weeks after the course ends for all session-based courses and one year after the course ends for on-demand courses.
Payment
You’ll pay a $25 course enrollment fee to reserve your place in the course. If you’d like to convert the course for credit and add it to your transcript, you’ll need to pay a fee of $400 following the completion of your course if you are satisfied with your grade.
No, we only have two fees associated with our courses:
• $25 course enrollment fee
• $400 to convert the course for ASU credit and add it to your transcript (This fee is paid at the end of the course if you are satisfied with your grade.)
If you apply to ASU, you’ll also pay an application fee. Learn more about the admissions process.
Financial aid is available once you are admitted to the university. Submit your application early to be eligible for financial aid once you hit the minimum required credits. Although ASU Universal Learner Courses aren’t eligible for federal financial aid, you can register for just $25 per course. This low cost makes higher education accessible without loans or debt. After passing your course, you have up to one year to convert it to official ASU credits for $400.
If you are using Universal Learner Courses to earn admission to ASU, yes. We recommend completing a FAFSA when you are nearing the end of your Earned Admission courses, before you are admitted to ASU. Learn more about submitting your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) here.
You may unenroll from ULCs at any time without impacting your academic record. If you unenroll within ten calendar days of the course start date, you will automatically be issued a refund of the $25 enrollment fee. You may only receive one automatic refund per course. If you need to unenroll from a course a second time, please contact support at ulcourses@asu.edu. Refunds will not be issued for the purchase of ASU credit.
We get it, life happens. That’s why with Earned Admission and ULCs, you’ve got the freedom to step back whenever you need to. If you find that now’s not the perfect time for your course, you can easily unenroll at any time. And, this isn’t counted as a withdrawal because it won’t show up on your transcript.
Within 10 days of the course start date, you have the option to unenroll from your course for a full refund and choose a different upcoming session to better suit your schedule. After 10 days, you won’t get a refund, but you can safely un-enroll without worrying about your transcript.
These courses are not currently covered by any military benefit.
You may request a 1098-T from Student Business Services via email at taxcredits@asu.edu or phone at 1(855)278-5080. ULC learners cannot access 1098-T information from their myASU page.
It depends on the employer. Some Earned Admission participants have successfully gotten their credits reimbursed by their company, so it won’t hurt to ask! It’s always best to talk with your HR department before you attempt to convert, and be sure to mention this is real college credit provided by Arizona State University.
Email us at ulcourses@asu.edu or call 844-448-7707 if you need additional support.
Certificates
No, but we encourage you to submit an application if you’re taking courses for Earned Admission. Anyone who is not enrolled at ASU can work towards College Foundation and Career Mastery Certificate courses — no application required. Upon completion of the courses, you’ll get a certificate with the ASU logo, your name and the name of the certificate you completed, along with transferable college credits.
It’s easy! Begin completing the courses listed on the specific certificate page. Once you successfully complete all the courses required for a given certificate, you will receive an email containing your certificate.
You can enroll at any time. Many courses are on-demand, meaning you can start and finish on your own schedule. Some courses run in an 8-week session with specific start and end dates. Each course start date is listed on the course page.
Certificates consist of 3-6 courses, and learners typically take 1-2 classes at a time. The average completion time of each course is 8 weeks.
These courses appear identically to a course you would take online or on campus as an enrolled ASU student. Learn more about requesting a transcript.
No, there is no minimum GPA requirement for certificates. However, If you’re using these courses to earn admission to ASU, you must pass each course with a C or better and have at least a 2.75 GPA to earn a certificate.
While we hope everyone who enrolls will complete the program, there are no negative repercussions if you cannot finish the courses. Earned Admission offers the opportunity to try college courses with low cost and low risk. Keep in mind, if you are having challenges with the coursework, tutoring is available to ensure you successfully complete the program. For more information, visit: https://tutoring.asu.edu/universal-learner-support.
No, the courses will not count toward Earned Admission for high school students. However, it is a great way to get a credential that you can put on your resume while on your way to pursuing a bachelor’s degree.
Before enrolling in ASU’s Mastery Certificate programs, we recommend you check with your employer to confirm participation. Most corporate partners will not cover the cost of courses beyond what you need to be admitted.
College credit
These courses appear identically to a course you would take online or on campus as an enrolled ASU student. Once you complete a course and purchase the credits, they will immediately appear on your official ASU transcript. Learn more about requesting an ASU transcript here.
If you have an application on file and transcripts were submitted, click on the transfer credit guide link in the Resources or Add Courses section of your dashboard to see what has transferred in. If you do not have an application on file, you will need to use the course search function of the Transfer Credit Guide to find the course you took to determine if and how it might apply.
No. If you have already completed a course, taking the same course with ULC will not replace the grade you earned at another institution.
All ULCs that had a Maroon credit designation also have a Gold credit designation. That means courses you have taken previously with ULC will still apply to ASU major maps. Courses can fulfill requirements in both General Studies Gold and General Studies Maroon. Incoming ASU students will be required to meet the General Studies Gold requirements. More information about these changes can be found on the Provost general studies page.
Three and four credit on-demand courses will become available to add to your transcript six weeks after enrollment. Two credit courses can be added after four weeks and a one credit course can be added after two weeks.
An on-demand course will appear on your transcript in the session you complete the course. Course attendance dates will be listed on your transcript. If you are on the cusp of two sessions and need to confirm the date of completion or beginning/end of a session, please contact our support team at ulcourses@asu.edu.
Once you complete an on-demand course and it has been updated to “Add to transcript” on your learner dashboard, you have one year to pay for the course and add it to your transcript.
Yes! However, on-demand courses cannot be reset. You may take the course the next time it is offered in a session-based format or wait until a new version of the on-demand course opens at the beginning of every academic year on the first day of class in August.
Credits earned through ULCs pack the same punch as those you’d earn through an ASU program and your transcript will be from Arizona State University — there’s absolutely no difference between ULC and ASU courses on your transcript. But here’s the deal: every college or university has its own rules about accepting credits, so when you’re ready to take your credits on tour, check in with the admissions office of your next educational adventure. They’ll let you know how your hard-earned credits fit into your future plans.
When you’re ready to turn your hard work into college credit, head over to the course page on MyASU and click the Register for Credit button.
You’ll need your address, phone number, date of birth, and upload a pic of your photo ID. Next, you’ll see a page that confirms your final grade — the one that’s going on your transcript.
Once you’ve made your credit conversion payment, keep an eye on your inbox for details on how to set up your ASUrite account if you don’t already have one.
You can check your course homepage for updates about your identity verification, and once you’re verified and paid, you’ll see a new button: Add to transcript. Log in with your ASUrite and the course will be added to your official transcript.
Email us at ulcourses@asu.edu or call 844-448-7707 if you need additional support.
Degree programs
You must complete the required number of credit hours with a 2.75 GPA or higher. You must also submit an application with all required material to ASU to be eligible for admission. Learn more here.
If the degree program you are interested in has a higher admission requirement than ASU’s general admission, there may be a pathway available for you. Reach out to our support team to learn more about the business, engineering, and liberal arts and sciences pathways. Call 844-448-7707 or email ulcourses@asu.edu.
The number of credit hours required is dependent upon your age. If you are below the age of 22, you need to complete 24 credit hours. If you are 22 or above, you need to complete 12 credit hours.
Some learners turn 22 while they are completing courses for earned admission. That means the day you turn 22, your requirement switches from 24 credit hours to 12.
Curious about this rule? This falls under a policy established by the Arizona Board of Regents. Per the policy on undergraduate admission, each university may “adopt alternative admission requirements for applicants who are age 22 or older and who demonstrate readiness for college-level study.”
Through Earned Admission you can take Universal Learner Courses that satisfy common requirements across a wide variety of degrees. To ensure each course you are taking counts specifically towards your degree of interest, we highly encourage you to find the major map of the degree you plan to pursue. Typically, you can find this by going to degrees.asu.edu, finding your degree, scrolling down to the courses section, and clicking on the “view full major map” link. If that doesn’t work you can google search ASU major map NAME OF MAJOR, and you should be able to see the courses required for that degree.
Yes, you need a high school diploma or GED or Affidavit of Completion of Secondary School Education to earn admission into ASU. This is part of the materials required on the ASU application. You can see all of the materials required here.
No. However, national tests may be used for college credit once you are admitted to the university. Learn more about how your test credits may transfer here.
You can learn more about the Starbucks College Achievement Plan and the Pathway to Admission here.
If you’re currently unsure of your degree of interest, ASU offers the me3 career exploration tool to help you discover degree programs you may be interested in.
Courses
Browse ULCs here.
Universal Learner Courses are asynchronous which means they do not have any live content. While there are weekly due dates in most courses, you can complete the coursework when it is convenient for you. Some courses hold live office hours with instructors, but these are not required and the content is recorded and posted in the course to view whenever works best for you.
No, you do not need to order any textbooks or materials. All materials are provided when the course opens.
Visit the ULC Online Study Hub for academic support. You will need to use your ASU Gmail to access it.
On-demand (previously called self-paced) is a course you can start today that can be completed at your own pace. You must spend a minimum of six weeks enrolled in the course and have one year to complete it. Session-based (previously called instructor-led) is a course with a specific start date and the structure of a cohort with other learners and due dates.
Not all courses are available in both formats but we encourage learners to enroll in session-based courses whenever possible. We find that learners are more successful in session-based courses where they can move through the course material with other learners and have due dates for assignments. On-demand courses are best for learners who have to take long absences from internet connectivity or high school students that use these courses for dual enrollment.
International students
Yes, with a few exceptions: learners cannot be located in a country that has restrictions of applicable embargoes and sanctions issued by the U.S. government. Learners hoping to use Universal Learner Courses for ASU admission would need to complete the application for international students.
If you’re interested in applying for a degree and English is not your first language, ASU requires proof of English language proficiency. Check accepted English language tests here. Universal Learner Courses can be taken without proof of English proficiency.
Yes! ASU degree programs welcome international learners at all stages—first-year students, transfer students and graduate students. Learn more about specific requirements:
• First-year student requirements
• Transfer student requirements
• Graduate student requirements
International students are not eligible for US federal financial aid. However, ASU offers various scholarships for international learners. Learn more about other scholarship opportunities at our international student financial aid page.
International students who do not enter the U.S. to complete their studies are not required to pay federal taxes for their education. ASU Online students living outside the U.S. aren’t able to obtain a visa to travel for the purpose of school. Those who don’t possess a U.S. visa for other purposes will select the option “JN-No-120 issued by ASU” in their applications.
Technical support
Learn more about our technical requirements here.
First, we suggest making sure this is not related to the ASURITE syncing timeline. As a refresher, it takes 2-3 business days to receive your ASURITE. Then it takes 24 hours to activate your ASURITE. Then, after that 24 hour period, you can use your ASURITE to login.
If after this time period, you’re still having issues, please do reach out at ulcourses@asu.edu
Two-factor authentication protects you and your data by using a combination of your password (something you know) and a device that you own (like a phone) to access ASU systems. This is required for both login and exams. Learn more about Duo two-factor authentication here.
No, you cannot access your Universal Learner Courses through the ASU Canvas app. While both ASU Online Courses and Universal Learner Courses sit on the Canvas platform, they are in different instances.
Accessibility
Once you enter the postsecondary education world, you have the choice to share some or all of your FERPA-protected information. If you would like to provide access to parents or guardians, you can explicitly authorize it via My ASU Parent Guest Access.
Visit the profile tab on your learner dashboard to update your name, contact information or demographic information.
You can email the support team with an explanation of the reason you failed proctoring. You have 75 days to make this appeal.
Have questions? We’re here to help!
Support Coaches are available Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. MST.
Feel free to leave messages after business hours — we’ll follow up with you as soon as we’re back online.
Phone
844-448-7707
earned@asu.edu
