We Want You at USU
In partnership with USU, Straighterline has designed a self-paced online course to help qualify you for admission and ensure you’re prepared for academic life at Utah State. Please take time to review your next steps which will help qualify you for admission and ensure you’re prepared for academic life at Utah State.
NOTE: Follow the next steps and requirements based on your GPA.
What Is Earned Admission
If your high school GPA is 1.99 or below, our Earned Admission pathway can help you qualify for admission to Utah State.
With our Earned Admission path, you complete an online, self-paced student success class prior to being admitted to USU. This course is offered through a partnership with a company named Straighterline. The course typically takes 70 hours to complete. The tuition is $125 per month and can be started at any time and completed at your own pace.
When you register with Straighterline you will be charged $125 each month for as long as your Straighterline membership remains active. After you complete your Straighterline student success course, you must cancel your Straighterline membership to avoid additional charges. The $125 monthly membership fee is paid directly to Straighterline and is non-refundable.
The course is designed to help you develop the necessary skills to be successful at USU. Upon completion of the course, you will be admitted in good standing to a four-year program at USU. You will also earn three transfer credits that will be added to your USU transcript.
The student success course must be completed with a passing grade by the deadline for the semester you plan to enroll at USU. If you are not able to complete the class by the completion deadline, you can request to move your admission to the next available term. Please plan accordingly and begin as soon as possible.
You must complete the student success course before you register for your regular USU classes, do orientation, or sign a contract for on-campus housing (if needed).
What Is Earned Admission
If your high school GPA is 1.99 or below, our Earned Admission pathway can help you qualify for admission to Utah State. Learn more
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Your Next Steps
- Apply for admission to USU (if you haven't already done so).
- Read full terms & conditions for the Earned Admission pathway.
- Register with Straighterline and complete the student success course.
- When you register with Straighterline you will be charged $125 each month for as long as your Straighterline membership remains active. The $125 monthly membership fee is paid directly to Straighterline and is non-refundable.
- Cancel your Straighterline membership.
- After you complete your Straighterline student success course, you must log in to your Straighterline Account and cancel your membership to avoid additional monthly charges.
- Review what's next after admission (orientation, USU class registration, FAFSA, housing).
- Become an Aggie.
Deadlines & Timeline
Start today – While you can complete the student success course at your own pace, keep the following deadlines in mind to avoid having to adjust your admission term to a later semester.
| Deadlines |
Summer |
Fall |
Spring |
| Complete USU application and begin student success course |
MAR 15 |
JUN 15 |
OCT 15 |
| Complete student success course |
MAY 1 |
AUG 1 |
DEC 1 |
Benefits
- Qualifying for Admission — Upon completion of the course, you will be admitted in good standing to a four-year program at USU.
- Develop Skills — You will develop skills that will help you be successful at Utah State.
- Earn College Credit — You will earn college transfer credit (equivalent to USU 1730, valued at $1,200) for the student success class you take, but only pay $125 a month rather than full tuition.
Available Courses
The student success course is required, but through our partnership with Straighterline, you also have access to optional English and math prep classes to further set you up for success.
USU 1730 prepares you for the challenges of higher education, but here, you get to set your own pace. You will be introduced to various strategies for learning and other skills that are often overlooked when planning for college. You will conduct self-assessments to become familiar with the styles of learning that best suit you. You will become proficient in time management, listening and reading skills, writing techniques, public speaking, memory abilities, and test-taking strategies. You will also explore the following topics: decision making, choosing a major, problem-solving techniques, diversity issues, technology and computer skills, relationship building, managing your finances, remaining healthy, and designing a career portfolio. All of these skills will provide you with the tools necessary to be successful in today's college environment.
Developmental Writing examines the fundamental process, theories, and methods that enhance a student's overall writing ability, and introduces strategies for writing within multiple disciplines and professions. You will draft and revise sentences, paragraphs, and essays, with the aim of achieving effective college-level writing skills. You will learn how to improve sentence structure and clarity using grammar, punctuation, and word choice. The course introduces proper research techniques, and various writing genres, including narration, as well as exploring the concepts of cause and effect, compare and contrast, definition, and argumentation.
Introductory Algebra guides the student through topics that teach the basics of algebra. Using real-life scenarios, the course puts difficult concepts into understandable terms. After an introductory algebra review, lessons focus on the basic functions of algebra and include math vocabulary and notation, operations with numbers, fractions, decimals, percentages, and quadratic equations. Students also learn to read and interpret graphs.
Here to Help
Your online courses come with tools to support your success.
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Progress Checklist: Advance at your own pace and track your progress
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Live Support: Schedule appointments in the platform for assistance
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Student Success Library: Access videos and articles for coursework support
Terms and Conditions
Please note that by accepting this Earned Admission pathway you are agreeing to the following:
- I understand that my admission to the university is contingent on my completing the student success course by the deadline. The student success course is provided by a third party, StraighterLine, and I am not officially a Utah State University student until I begin my first semester.
- I understand that I need to enroll in and begin the student success course by the posted deadline for the semester I wish to enroll.
- I understand that I am responsible to cancel my StraighterLine subscription after I’ve completed my student success course (To cancel, sign in to your Straighterline account and go to Billing Preferences).
- I understand that I can cancel at any time during the month but that any amounts paid before cancellation are non-refundable.
- I understand that that Straighterline has a No Refund Policy stated in their Terms and Conditions. Monthly tuition fees are non-refundable and are charged automatically on each renewal date (i.e., monthly) until I cancel.
- I understand that the $125 monthly tuition fee renews each month, at which time my original payment method will be charged. Monthly charges are billed on the same day I originally enrolled.
- I understand that I can work with USU to change my admission offer to the next available semester if needed.
Eligibility Requirements
To participate in the Earned Admission path students must:
- Have a 1.99 cumulative high school GPA or below
- Be a domestic U.S. student (International students are currently not eligible for this path)
- Be an incoming first-time or transfer student with less than 24 post-high school credits
- Have applied for admission to USU within the past year (Apply at applynow.usu.edu)
- Receive a formal offer from the Admissions Office to participate in the Earned Admission path
For more information, please contact the Admission Office at 435-797-1079 or admit@usu.edu.
For detailed information about the Earned Admission pathway, schedule a meeting to talk with your assigned admissions specialist.
For help with your student success course, please email our Straighterline student support team at advisor@usuearnedadmission.com.
Program FAQ
The Earned Admission path is for students with a 1.99 high school GPA and below. In addition, students must meet the following eligibility requirements
- Be a Domestic U.S. Student. (International Students are currently not eligible for this path.)
- Be an incoming first-time freshman or a transfer student with less than 24 post high school credits.
- Have applied for Admission to USU within the past year. (Please apply at applynow.usu.edu.)
- Have received a formal offer from the Admissions Office to participate in the Earned Admission path. (While lower high school grades will not disqualify a student from being considered for the Earned Admission path, applicants are still required to demonstrate that they meet all non-academic university admissions requirements such as meeting the university’s English proficiency requirement and demonstrating that they can behaviorally be a good citizen at USU.)
It typically takes 70 hours to complete the course and most students complete the coursework over a period of about three months. Some students will choose to complete the optional English and math prep courses as well. All are included in the $125 per month enrollment fee, and you will have excellent online support and resources.
Federal financial aid is only available once you are admitted and “matriculated,” or enrolled at USU; so you won’t be able to use it to pay for the student success course enrollment fee. We absolutely recommend you complete the FAFSA as you prepare for your starting semester at USU. There is no need to wait to pass the student success course before you complete the FAFSA.
No. You will take the student success course prior to the beginning of classes at Utah State University, so you are not considered to be an enrolled (or matriculated) student while you take this course.
No. USU ID cards are given to admitted students as they complete the orientation process. You can begin orientation only after you complete the student success course and become admitted to USU.
No. Since these are preparatory courses they do not articulate and transfer to USU. They are not required for admission to USU, however, they are excellent courses to ensure you are ready for college-level math and English once you begin at USU.
Since you are not an enrolled student at Utah State University until you successfully complete the student success course and begin your starting semester, you are not able to live in on-campus housing or use various student services that are available to enrolled students while you are taking your online student success course. However, your $125 per month enrollment fee for the online student success program entitles you to fantastic online support through that program, including a progress checklist, live support, and a student success library including videos and articles to help you pass your class.
If you need a little more time to complete your course, you can request to have your admission moved to the following semester.
Yes! You will be admitted in good standing to a four-year program upon completion of the student success course. Once you begin classes you will be like any other student at the university. It is important to note that all students enrolled at USU follow the same “academic standing” policies, which state that if your institutional GPA falls below a 2.0 the university will provide extra support and accountability during subsequent semesters. If your GPA remains below a 2.0, you may ultimately be suspended from the university so you can take time to reassess your educational plans and needs.
The Earned Admission path is for first-time freshmen students. It is typically NOT available for transfer students and returning USU students, although exceptions may be made on a case-by-case basis as determined by the Admission Committee. Prior approval from the Admissions Office is required of all participates.
After you apply and are offered the Earned Admission pathway, you will be sent an email containing the Earned Admission registration website (see usuearnedadmission.com/pathways/earned-admission). Select the “Enroll Now” button from the home page to register or the “Log In” button on the top right to log in.
You will need to log in to the Earned Admission registration website and request that a transcript be sent. The transcript request will be reviewed to verify you have completed and successfully passed the student success course. Once verified and approved, a copy of your transcript is sent to the Utah State University Admissions Office. Please be aware it can take a couple weeks for the transcript to be received.
You will need to log in to the Earned Admission registration website and cancel your membership. You will continue to be charged unless you officially cancel your membership via this avenue.
Most students can be admitted to their chosen major after completing the Earned Admission path. Some departments such as those within the Huntsman School of Business, Engineering, and Physics, and others have requirements above basic university requirements. For those majors, you will be placed in Undeclared/Exploratory and can work with an advisor to discuss admission requirements and work toward possible admission to your desired major at a later time.
Yes, the student success course must be completed with a passing grade by the deadline for the semester you plan to enroll at USU. If you are not able to complete the class by the completion deadline, you can request to move your admission to the next available term.
