Transfer New Student Checklist

Your online decision letter is available on your student status page.  Viewing the online decision letter will give you access to other important status page activities, like replying to your offer of admission—which must be done before you pay your enrollment deposit—and registering for admitted student visits.

To do this, log in to your student status page and navigate to the Status Update section. Click View Update.

We encourage all families to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) at studentaid.gov. The federal formula takes several factors into account and many families mistakenly self-select themselves out of the financial aid process, missing the opportunity to explore all aid programs available, including Butler University aid. Use school code: 001788.

More information about completing the FAFSA is available here.

Admission visits are not required, but are an important step in the college search, particularly as you near the end of your decision-making process. We offer a number of  visit options—including both on-campus and virtual options—designed specifically for our #ButlerBound students. Schedule your campus visit here.

You will use your Butler Network Account throughout your time as a student. As an incoming student, this account will grant you access to your My.Butler student portal, your financial aid offer, online bill status, housing information, and more. 

You will receive your Butler username and email address about one week after you’re admitted. Instructions for establishing a password for the first time are available here. You must establish your password before you will be able to access Butler sites.

Information about preparing your technology for campus, the Butler App, smartphone email set up instructions, and more is available at Information Technology’s Quick Start for Admitted Students resource. 

Admitted students will be able to view all financial aid items in our Student Financial Planning tool once we begin releasing financial aid offers in the spring.

Students can access the Student Financial Planning tool from My.Butler by clicking on the Financial Aid tile. Please be sure to review all Pending items in red on the Home page, and review any red numbered notification badges in the navigation header. Check back regularly to be sure that you don’t have anything pending, and watch for your financial aid offer to become available.

Students can grant their parents access to Student Financial Planning, too! View additional instructions on how to navigate your Student Financial Planning tool or grant your parent or guardian access.

To officially reserve your place at Butler University, submit your $500 enrollment deposit online. If your plans change and you decide not to attend Butler University, this deposit is refundable with written request submitted prior to August 1 for fall transfer students.  To avoid bank processing delays, we recommend paying with a credit card instead of a debit card or check.

To pay your deposit:

1. Log in to your student status page and navigate to Status Update. Select View Update.
2. Select Reply to Offer of Admission under the Forms section. Complete and submit the form.
3. From your status page, select Submit Payment for $500. Complete and submit the form.
4. Confirm your addresses on the main status page. If anything is listed incorrectly, you can correct it by selecting Edit Addresses.

Students who applied with self-reported test scores are required to submit verified test scores within three weeks of paying the $500 enrollment deposit. Providing verified test scores as early as possible is to your advantage, as it may exempt you from taking certain placement exams during the New Student Registration process.

The test scores requiring verification are listed on your student status page.

Your test scores must be sent directly to the Office of Admission from ACT or the College Board.

The testing agencies can submit your test scores electronically to admission@butler.edu or mail them to the Office of Admission.

After paying your enrollment deposit, and following a review of transfer credits, it’s possible that a placement exam will be required to determine an appropriate course placement. If a placement exam is needed, you will be contacted by a representative from the Office of Registration and Records with specific information about how to proceed.

The housing application will be available beginning March 9. Your $500 enrollment deposit must be submitted and processed in order to access the housing application. You will receive instructions to complete the online application via email.

Housing assignments and preferences are not based on when you pay the enrollment deposit and/or complete the housing application. Housing application changes, including roommate requests, can be made until June 1. Building and roommate assignments will be emailed beginning July 6 and specific move-in times will be assigned and emailed in August. For more information, visit the Residence Life website.

Students can register for their parking permit through the Student Center at my.butler.edu. Complete Student Registration instructions may be found at ask.butler.edu.

• All students (living on- or off-campus) must register their vehicles with the Parking Services office and obtain a valid parking permit in order to park on campus or an authorized city street.
• Students may not park vehicles on the streets of the Butler Tarkington Neighborhood that surrounds campus. A legal commitment filed by the City of Indianapolis requires Butler to enforce this.
• Permits are limited to the number of parking spaces available. Permits for on-campus residents have typically sold out in July. An online wait list will be posted for students who still wish to obtain a permit.
• Parking enforcement for non-registration will begin on the first day of instruction for each academic year.

Learn more about parking permits.

A Pre-New Student Registration survey will be sent to both your personal and Butler email address in advance of your New Student Registration advising appointment. Your responses provide your assigned faculty or staff member the opportunity to pre-register you for classes that you’ll need to take during your first semester. Pre-registration can help streamline the advising appointment.

Complete this survey before your advising appointment.

Beginning in April, students with completed placement exams will be emailed instructions to access the New Student Registration Canvas Course. This course can be completed online and is an important way to learn more about the advising process at Butler and your academic college.

Complete this course before your advising appointment.

Move to campus early, meet other Bulldogs, and start your Butler experience through a Pre-Orientation Program. These programs offer new first-year and transfer students a chance to connect with peers, faculty, and staff around a specialized topic before general Orientation and their first semester. Learn more and apply.

Carefully review your offer of financial aid and accept or decline the awards and Federal Direct Loans (if applicable) online at Student Financial Planning through my.butler.edu prior to July 1 so it will be part of the billing statement from Student Accounts.

Full instructions on how to access Student Financial Planning and how to review and accept your aid can be found here.

If using Federal Direct Loans, you will also need to complete your Master Promissory Note and Entrance Counseling at studentaid.gov. Explore additional financing options here.

Additionally, don’t forget to report any outside scholarships you receive by emailing a copy of the scholarship letter to finaid@butler.edu.

The Office of Student Accounts publishes the electronic billing statements in July for the fall semester and December for the spring semester. Visit the Student Accounts website for information about the billing process, payment plans, and additional services.

Your out-of-pocket cost has been calculated in your Financial Aid Notification. If you need additional assistance to cover educational expenses, Butler offers financing options to invest in your education. The payment plan, Federal Direct PLUS Loan, and Private Education Loans are available regardless of financial aid eligibility.

Refer to your Financial Aid Offer or click here for more information on financing options.

Evaluate your options to pay the bill by July 1.

Housing notifications will be communicated beginning July 6. The notification will include both your residence hall and roommate assignment. Check out the Housing website for answers to frequently asked questions.

You will utilize your Canvas profile photo for your student ID. Please be sure to submit a photo of yourself to Canvas by July 10.

Not submitting a photo for your student ID means you will not have and ID available to access buildings and will result in a significant wait upon move-in day.

Only photos following the Canvas photo requirements will be accepted for official use on your Student ID. Once uploaded, photos should not be changed until after the first day of classes to ensure your student ID will be produced on time. If you need assistance, please submit a case for Information Technology via ask.butler.edu.

Vehicle registration will become available the week of July 20. Students can register for a parking permit online throughmy.butler.edu. Click on the PS Campus Solutions tile, then click on Student Center and navigate to the Personal Information section. You will click on Register My Vehicle to complete the online registration.

The online registration portal will close on September 1. Please keep in mind that parking permits are available on a first come, first served basis and that permits for on-campus residents will sell out quickly. If you have questions, email park@butler.edu.

The first E-Bill for the fall 2026 term is published on July 8 and is due in full by August 1 unless the Monthly Payment Plan is utilized. Be sure to check out the Student Accounts website for a variety of helpful topics including frequently asked questions for incoming students.

There are a number of health requirements for new incoming students, including a physical exam, immunization records, health questionnaires, and proof of health insurance. Required documentation for incoming students is due August 1. Learn more on the Health Services website.

Final college transcripts must be submitted if the transfer student was admitted with college coursework in progress. Transcripts must be sent to the Office of Admission as soon as it’s available. 

Official transcripts must be sent directly from the issuing institution. They may be sent electronically to admission@butler.edu or mailed to:

Butler University
Office of Admission
4600 Sunset Avenue
Indianapolis, IN 46208

Butler University policy requires all students to complete the Acceptance of Financial Responsibility (AFR) process each semester prior to enrollment. The AFR statement outlines your commitment to pay all expenses incurred at Butler University (including any penalties that result due to past due payments). This requirement must be completed prior to enrollment. To complete the process, please follow the steps below:

• Log into your my.butler.edu account and select Self Service Student Homepage.
• Click on the tile marked Tasks then click on Butler Accept Financial Responsibility.
• Review the text thoroughly before clicking Next (at the upper right of the screen).
• Read the agreement and check the box next to Accept Terms and Conditions, then Save. Click Next (at the upper right of the screen).
• Click Finish to complete the process. The indicator will be removed from your account to allow registration.

If you have any problems logging in or have technology related questions, please call the Butler University IT Help Desk at 317-940-HELP (4357) or email helpdesk@butler.edu.

According to federal regulations, scholarships received from any organization are considered a resource available to meet your financial aid eligibility. As a financial aid recipient, a student must report all outside scholarships from sources other than the federal, state, and University programs.

Outside Scholarship Information

• Outside scholarship funds will be used to pay for your family responsibility (out-of-pocket expenses).
• Adjustments in aid may occur if all need-based assistance exceeds financial aid eligibility, the total of all tuition-specific awards exceeds the cost of tuition, or the value of all awards exceeds the total cost of attendance.
• Students are responsible for following up with the scholarship donor to make sure the funds are sent directly to the Office of Financial Aid in a timely manner.
• Checks must be properly endorsed to ensure the appropriate credit to the student’s account.
• Scholarships in the amount of $500 or more will be split evenly between the fall and spring semesters.

Outside scholarships should be reported by sending a copy of the scholarship letter to the Office of Financial Aid. Report any outside scholarships as received.

Butler collects emergency information from all students twice a year. View instructions for verifying your contact information here. There will be a hold placed on your account that blocks registration until you complete this process. Verify your contact information soon to remove the hold.

Order or rent your books. You can either pick them up when you arrive on campus or have them shipped to your home ahead of time. You can also purchase your books by logging into your My.Butler portal and following the instructions provided on your To Do list.

This summer, we’re offering a series of webinars for incoming students to help you and your family prepare for the transition to Butler. Choose from topics related to student involvement, studying abroad, living on campus, Orientation, and much more.

Explore your options and register today! 

The Office of Student Disability Services offers accommodations and support services for students with documented disabilities. If you had accommodations in high school, or if you think you might need accommodations in college, getting registered for those accommodations before the start of school can really improve your transition to college. To learn more about our services as well as disabilities that qualify, please check out our website. If you are interested in registering for accommodations with Student Disability Services, fill out an SDS Interest Form.
Upon logging in to the system with your Butler credentials, select Accommodations > SDS Interest Form from the menu on the left side of the screen. If you receive an error, please email sds@butler.edu as we may have to set up an account for you.

The Butler University Mail Center has begun receiving new student mail. The Mail Center will hold these packages and begin delivery to residence halls starting August 21. Outside carriers will resume normal deliveries on August 24.

Please note: We strongly discourage shipping large items such as carpeting, futons, and refrigerators prior to move-in. Due to limited space, these items are difficult to store and deliver. We recommend having oversized packages delivered after move-in, when students are present to receive them directly.

The Federal Government requires an I-9 Employment Eligibility Verification for all paid jobs (part-time, internships, etc). The verification process is easy to complete but requires unexpired, original documents. So if you need a social security card, birth certificate, updated passport, or renewed driver’s license, now is the time to secure those documents. Page two of the I-9 form notes the combination of identity/employment authorization documents required to work.

Butler offers many great resources for new students and families. Take time to review the New Family Checklist to get yourself acquainted with available resources

You will need to provide all personal items, bed linens, and towels. Butler’s recommended packing list can be found here and more information on the move-in process can be found here.