Visit Your PAWS Account & Activate Your CampusID
You will use the PAWS (Panther Access to Web Services) portal to register for classes, view your grades, check your account balance and view other personal records. To enter PAWS you will need to activate your campus ID which you can activate here. Newly admitted students will be able to log on to PAWS the day after they are accepted. The creation of a new PAWS account is an overnight process.

Access Your Email Account
Set up your student email account .Every student at Georgia State is assigned an email account. All official communication from the university is sent to your student email.

Update your Emergency Contact information in PAWS
To ensure Georgia State can reach you or a close-contact person in case of an emergency each student must update his or her information each semester. A hold is placed on your PAWS account each semester to remind you to update your information. Instructions on removing the hold are here.

Citizenship Verification
The Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia requires students applying to Georgia State provide verification of their lawful presence in the U.S. before their admission can be finalized. You may already have done so by uploading documents with your application, or by applying for FAFSA and identifying Georgia State as a recipient. A citizenship verification hold preventing registration will be placed until lawful presence is verified. For instructions on getting the hold removed, visit the citizenship verification page.

Final Proof of Degree
If you have not already done so, you are required to turn in a final transcript showing proof of earned degree from your graduating institution (unless it's Georgia State). Registration for classes will not be allowed until proof of an earned baccalaureate degree is submitted to the Lewis College Office of Academic Assistance.

PantherCard
The PantherCard is the official Georgia State identification card. It is used for library privileges, after-hour access and as a debit card for PantherMeals and PantherCash. To obtain a PantherCard and sign up for PantherMeals or PantherCash visit Auxiliary and Support Services in the University Bookstore Building upon your arrival.

Immunization
Proof of immunization must be submitted to the Georgia State Health Services prior to registration for classes. You may receive the vaccines from your local health department, private physician or Georgia State Health Services. There is a fee at all locations for the vaccines. For more information, visit the University Health Services page.

Register for Classes
The registration guide provides tutorials on how to register for a course, drop a course, view your current schedule and trouble-shoot any error message you might see. The site provides direct links to PAWS, catalogs and course schedules, and the One Stop Shop. Newly admitted students will be able to log on to PAWS the day after they are accepted. The creation of a new PAWS account is an overnight process.

Fill out the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) online
Filling out your FAFSA application is important if you are looking for any type of federal financial aid (loans, grants etc.). If you have not already filled the form out, take a few minutes to do so here. You will be able to review your award status online through your PAWS account once it is processed and sent to Georgia State. For questions about federal financial aid you may contact the Office of Student Financial Aid. A plan is necessary to finance your graduate study. Please take a look at the university’s guided plan for new graduate students for information on financing your education  and information on completing the FASFA.

Pay Your Tuition and Fees
Once you have registered for courses, review and pay your tuition and fees through PAWS. Tuition and fees are due on the last day of regular registration before classes begin. Consult the registration calendar and note the tuition and fees due date.

Review your student health insurance options and requirements
Students receiving a graduate research assistantship and international students are required to carry health insurance. For more information on mandatory health insurance for Graduate Research Assistants and International Student and voluntary insurance provided by the University System of Georgia and insurance waivers please visit here.

If you already have comparable coverage you can request to waive the insurance requirement. For enrollment periods, insurance premiums, waiver information and premium contributions visit the health insurance page.

Getting Around: Transportation & Parking
Visit the Parking and Transportation website for information about on-campus parking permits, free off-campus parking and PantherExpress shuttle service, as well as information about discounted MARTA (rail line) monthly passes.

Familiarize yourself with Campus
Plan a campus tour to find important locations, resources and opportunities on campus. You can also take a virtual tour of campus.

Get to know Atlanta
Atlanta is a great place to study and live.  Metro Atlanta offers a number of events to attend places to see and activities in which to participate.  See what Atlanta has to offer with the Ambassador Force of Downtown Atlanta and the Atlanta Tourism Bureau. For more information on life in downtown Atlanta, visit atlantadowntown.com, which also includes interactive maps and neighborhood profiles.

Housing and Relocation
Atlanta and the surrounding area have many affordable housing options for graduate students. If you are interested in living on campus, you should apply for housing via the online housing application. Georgia State also offers an off-campus housing site to start your housing search.

Assistantships
Graduate students may be eligible for assistantships and financial aid to help finance the cost of graduate study and related expenses. Individual departments award graduate research assistantships and graduate teaching assistantships to qualified students. Assistantships include an annual stipend and a tuition waiver. Contact your department for more information on assistantships.