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Black College Home · Arrive

You said yes. Here's how to start strong — and keep going.

Getting in is the milestone; staying is the journey. These are the steps between your acceptance and your graduation, in the order they happen.

  1. STEP 01

    Say yes the right way

    Accept your offer by the school's deadline, pay any enrollment deposit, and set up the student portal your school uses for everything from email to class registration. Watch for your official acceptance packet — it lists every next step and date.

  2. STEP 02

    Housing and orientation

    Sign up for orientation early — slots fill fast — and submit your housing application as soon as the portal opens. Ask about living-learning communities; many HBCUs tie them to your major and they're one of the fastest ways to find your people.

  3. STEP 03

    Register for classes

    Meet your advisor before registration opens, take placement tests seriously, and build a schedule with your hardest classes when you're sharpest. Your first-semester schedule sets your whole trajectory — treat it like a project.

  4. STEP 04

    Renew your FAFSA — every year

    Financial aid is not one-and-done. The FAFSA opens every fall for the following school year, and renewal is usually faster the second time. Missing it is one of the most common reasons students lose aid. Mark the date and refile.

  5. STEP 05

    Know your campus resources

    Tutoring center, career services, counseling, the financial aid office — find them before you need them. Visiting office hours in the first month, when you don't need help yet, is how strong students stay strong students.

  6. STEP 06

    Keep going to graduation

    Check your degree audit each semester, meet with your advisor before every registration window, and build habits now — class, office hours, study groups — that carry you through junior year when it gets harder.

While you're here

Understand FAFSA, scholarships & real costsAid isn't one-and-done — find plain-language guidance for every year.Browse HBCUs & PBIsFind your school's official site for orientation and housing dates.Application Pre-RegistrationBe first in line for updates — and get on the list while supplies last.

Black College Home provides information and resources, not direct funding. Every school runs its own orientation, housing, and registration timelines — confirm dates and requirements with your school's official site.