Why does it say, “Request Course”? Why can’t I register instead?
OLLI at UMass Boston assings final course registrations via a lotter/allocation process. During the Request Period, it’s exactly what it sounds like: you are requesting a course you want to take! This means you do not have a guaranteed seat in the course, and you are letting us know you’re interested. Some courses have limited enrollment, so a lottery system is used to assign courses. The lottery system considers each member’s priorities as provided in your request for courses. Requests must be received by a specified date prior to the start of the semester to be included in the lottery. After the allocation process is completed and final course confirmations are sent, courses are assigned on a first-come, first-served basis.
Why don’t I see the "Add to Cart" (or "Request Course") button?
There are a few possibilities:
- You aren’t signed in (you must have an OLLI account to register for courses).
- Your membership has expired. Check your Membership Status here.
- The Registration Period hasn’t begun or is closed and the Course Allocation Process hasn’t been completed.
As an OLLI Carte member do I need to pay for my courses when I request courses?
Nope! OLLI Carte members do not pay the per course fee until after the lottery process and final course confirmations are sent. You do not pay until you know you have actually gotten into the course. You can actually wait to pay until closer to the start of the semester. But you do have to pay for a course by the first scheduled meeting. If you do not pay, you will be dropped from the course.
I got my results from the course lottery. What do the course statuses mean?
- Registered. This means you were able to get into a course you requested and your course tuition has been paid. You are ready to go to class!
- Registered Not Paid. For OLLI Carte members only, this means you were able to get into a course you requested, but need to pay the course fee. A separate email with an online payment link will be sent to OLLI Carte members so they can pay for their courses online. A check can also be sent to the OLLI Office.
- Not Registered. This means you did not get in the course due to space limitations. If you’d like to be put on the waitlist, contact the OLLI Office.
- Dropped or Cancelled. You have either dropped the course from your requests or the course was cancelled
Is there a limit to the number of courses and other programs I can request?
In most cases, there is no limit. However, for the special the Osher Online national courses and the Walking Tours, you may select only one course and one walking tour each term to make sure that other members have an opportunity to participate. If space exists for limited enrollment programs after a certain time period, you can then enroll in one or more of these events. Contact the OLLI Office if you’d like to be waitlisted in the event an opening arises.
In terms of our theatre program, each current OLLI member is limited to two tickets per show. If extra tickets remain closer to the performance date, OLLI members can often times purchase additional tickets.
When is the last day I can register for a course?
Registration for courses that still have seats available is typically closed a couple of days prior to the start of the course, so that the facilitator can have the most up-to-date roster.
Can I upgrade my OLLI membership level?
Yes! You may upgrade your membership at any time during a semester by contacting the OLLI Office. You will be responsible for paying the fee differential. Note: course fees paid are not included when calculating the difference between membership level costs.
Where can I get SIG contact information?
If the individual SIG leaders' contaction information is not listed on the SIG website, please contact the OLLI Office and they will pass your information onto the appropriate SIG leaders.
Back to Member Tips & Tools
