Registrar’s Office

During the open registration period, you are able to register for classes or change your registration using myUIU. Your academic advisor can also assist you with registration. 

If you are unable to attend commencement or would like to purchase additional items to commemorate your graduation, UIU offers commencement packages.  Visit our Marketplace under the Graduate section for more information about the options.  

All students who are nearing completion of a degree program are required to complete the Graduation Application/Survey and submit the $70 fee. Your degree cannot be conferred without the application. Participation in a commencement ceremony is optional and does not have an additional cost. If you plan to participate, you must also complete the Request to Participate in Commencement form. Both forms are available on myUIU > Academics > Student Forms.

A formal commencement ceremony is held in May each year in Fayette, Iowa.  Students who graduated or are candidates for graduation between October of the previous year and August of the current year are invited to participate. Students attending UIU at military or international locations should contact their location for information on additional local ceremonies.

Diplomas will be mailed approximately 4-8 weeks following each conferral date. A listing of conferral dates is available in the University Catalog. All diplomas are mailed regardless of whether you plan to attend a commencement ceremony. To avoid delays, check your Student Account to confirm you do not have a balance.

Degrees are conferred six times per year. You should apply when the application opens for the month in which your final course will end. 

 My last course will end in:            Application opens: 

October                                               May 1st 

December                                           July 1st 

March                                                   September 1st 

May                                                       November 1st 

June/July                                             January 1st 

August                                                  March 1st  

For those who are unable to access myUIU, a paper version of the application is available. All others should complete the electronic version on myUIU under Academics > Student Forms.

Graduation with honors signifies a student’s achievement of scholastic excellence as the baccalaureate program of study is completed. Honors are not applicable to Associate or Master’s degrees. Honors appearing on the diploma and transcript for Bachelor’s degrees are determined as follows: 

Fewer than 60 UIU Hours Earned at Graduation 

3.50 – 3.69 GPA Cum Laude 

3.70 – 4.00 GPA Cum Laude Meritum 

60+ UIU Hours Earned at Graduation 

3.50 – 3.69 GPA Cum Laude 

3.70 – 3.89 GPA Magna Cum Laude 

3.90 – 4.00 GPA Summa Cum Laude 

UIU automatically reports enrollment for all current students to the National Student Clearinghouse and National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS) after the start of courses each semester. In most cases, loan servicers use this information to determine deferment eligibility, and no action is needed on your part. If your student loan servicer requests that you submit a loan deferment form, complete the student sections and submit the form by scanning and emailing to [email protected] or faxing to 563-425-5287. You may also bring the form to your local UIU location. Forms will be certified and sent to your loan servicer (be sure to provide the name of the organization if it is not listed on the form) after we confirm attendance in your courses.

If you need to provide a letter verifying your enrollment, such as for insurance purposes, contact the Registrar’s Office at [email protected]. Please provide the address to which the letter should be sent and any specific information that the verification needs to include.

Employers and other third parties wishing to verify education for an attendee or graduate of any Upper Iowa University location should do so through the National Student Clearinghouse. 

Upper Iowa University also holds the records for Lea College, formerly in Albert Lea, MN. Individuals needing to obtain Lea College records should contact the UIU Registrar’s Office directly.

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) affords students certain rights with regard to their educational records. FERPA also outlines the rules regarding which information about a student the University may share and with whom. To learn more about your rights under FERPA and to understand which information the University may share or withhold from third parties, visit the University Catalog.

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) prevents the University from sharing certain personal information with third-parties, including parents and other family members. However, there may be times when you wish to grant other individuals access to this information, such as to allow a parent or family member to make payments on your behalf.

To learn more and to grant access:

• Login to your myUIU account
• Click on the Academics Tab
• Click on Student Forms on the left
• Click on Set FERPA Permissions

For additional instructions, view the Granting-Changing-or-Rescinding-FERPA-Permissions