2026 Spring semester registration opens up at LCC

By Carson Lemon
Staff Reporter

Registration for the 2026 spring semester at Lansing Community College is now open to new and returning students. Across the board, LCC faculty and staff agree that registering early is one of the most important first steps in building the foundation for a successful semester.

The first recommended step for students to take in registering for the upcoming semester is to meet with an academic advisor. LCC’s Academic Advisors are professional faculty that can help students to understand what courses are required for their program of study.

Alan Sorrells, LCC Academic Advisor, encourages students to meet with an advisor, even if they think they have a good grasp on what they need to do. “One common mistake is when students might ‘self-advise’ without understanding or knowing the nuances of their pathway based on their transfer goals or program requirements. Another concern, especially with new students, is the student not being familiar with the language around placement levels and how that relates to appropriate first semester courses. It can be kind of complicated and that is something that an advisor can help the student navigate,” Sorrells said.

Sorrells also noted how important it is for students to register for their classes as early as possible. “[Early registration] ensures that you will be able to get into the right sections of courses that align with your personal, work and family schedule. Late registration puts you into a position of “take what you can get” and that is never a good place to be.” Students with questions or uncertainties about what classes they should be signing up for can schedule a meeting with an advisor through the Academic Advising webpage located on the LCC website.

Success Coaches are another useful resource provided by LCC to assist students with an emphasis on helping students in areas like problem solving academic roadblocks, planning for their future, and learning time management. Every LCC student is assigned a success coach, students can find out who theirs is by visiting the Academic Success Coach Team webpage on the LCC website.

One of LCC’s success coaches, Janelle Brinker, wants students to remember that, while a success coach cannot help students to pick the classes they need to take, they can still do a lot to help students with the upcoming semester. “What a success coach can do is help you figure out what a good schedule might be for you, help you navigate resources. So maybe you already have a [My Academic Plan] in Degree Works, but you don't know that, we can help you find it. And we can help you look at your curriculum guide maybe, or point you to other resources,” said Brinker.

Meeting with an academic advisor or seeing a success coach are important steps in gearing up for a successful registration, but they are not the only step. Financial aid and cost of tuition are important factors students take into consideration when registering for classes.

Shannon Dunivon, senior director of financial aid at LCC, said, “Students should monitor their financial aid program requirements when registering for spring classes. For example, to qualify for the Michigan Community College Guarantee, students must be enrolled in at least 12 credit hours each semester.” The Michigan Community College Guarantee is a program that covers tuition cost and fees for eligible high school graduates attending a community college in Michigan, and is an important resource for many students attending LCC.

Dunivon also noted that not all financial aid programs are equal, “Some financial aid programs can only cover courses that count toward a student’s degree or certificate, so it’s important to register for classes that are part of your official program of study, as recommended by your academic advisor. We encourage students to check Banner for any messages from Financial Aid and reach out if they have questions.” Students with any questions about their financial aid status are encouraged to schedule a financial aid appointment found on the Contact Financial Aid Office webpage on the LCC website.

Many LCC students rely on the StarZone support team and help desk with a range of questions and problems. Mica Wilkerson, StarZone enrollment support specialist, encourages students to have metwith their advisor and have updated financial aid records before beginning registration. When discussing commonly made errors by students when it comes to registration, Wilkerson said, “Not checking their student e-mail, especially with updates on their accounts. A lot of students with financial aid, they'll have verifications that they need to do before it pays out.”

Students looking for more background information on the basics of actually registering for classes can visit the Spring 2026 Registration webpage located on LCC’s website. This page goes into detail about the differences between hybrid, online, and in-person classes; how to add, drop, and register late; as well as other various inquiries like refund information and how students go about paying for their classes.