You may be getting emails about holds on your account. While I won’t go into each and every possible one here, I did want to lay out some of the most common ones and what you need to do about them.
CAS New Student Hold: This hold is for College of Arts & Sciences students in their first two semesters at UNL (first-year students as well as transfer students). This hold usually appears on your account after the add deadline (also known as “census date”). This is not a punitive hold; it is meant to remind you to check in with your advisor early in the semester to review how courses are going; discuss any roadblocks or conflicts that may have arisen; address any issues pertaining to procrastination, time management, or other academic/life-related concerns; discuss any campus resources that may be helpful; and possibly plan/discuss plans for the following semester (among other things!). Typically, I recommend students make an appointment to address this hold by the end of February (or, if during fall, by the end of September). This hold does prevent registration for the following semester/term.
Graduation Planning Meeting: This hold is placed on a student’s account when they reach 75 completed credits. It does prevent registration for the next semester/term. This hold is exactly what it sounds like. We want to make sure you are on-track for graduation and have a graduation plan in place. To get this hold lifted, you need to meet with me in an appointment; I will not lift it during a drop-in (due to time constraints). I recommend students make an appointment to address this hold as soon as it pops up on their account, but no later than two weeks before priority registration for the following semester/term.
Academic Warning: This hold is placed on a student’s account if their semester or cumulative GPA falls below a 2.0. It is assessed at the end of each semester, and these holds typically appear about a week or two after the conclusion of the semester. It does prevent registration for the following term (for example, if you receive an Academic Warning Hold due to a low GPA after Fall 2025, the hold will prevent registration starting Summer 2026). To address this hold, I recommend making an appointment as soon as you receive notification. During that first meeting, we’ll discuss what happened and how to address things going forward. We may discuss resources, time management techniques, creating a routine, etc depending on what would work best for you. I rarely lift the hold after this first meeting. For most students on academic warning, I require a second meeting, typically mid-semester when we begin planning for the following semester. At this second meeting, we’ll check in about how courses are going, any adjustments that need to be made currently or in the future, and then we’ll start planning for the next semester. This is when I typically lift the hold. I will not lift an Academic Warning hold during a drop-in.
Transcript Hold: This hold is placed on your account when admissions requires a final transcript. For first-year students, this could be either your final high school transcript or transcripts from institutions that you may have completed dual enrollment courses from. For transfer students, this means that admissions is still waiting on your final transcripts from your previous institution. These transcripts must be official and come directly from the institution to UNL Admissions. It cannot go to you, or to me, to be sent on. You yourself cannot upload final transcripts to MyRed. Our hands cannot literally or metaphorically touch your final official transcripts on their way to the admissions office. Official transcripts need to be ordered from the institution you took the courses at (ie, you may have taken a dual enrollment course that was taught at your high school, but your high school cannot grant college credit, so that transcript needs to come from the institution that was granting college credit). The most expedient option is to order electronic transcripts, though you may order paper ones as well. There is typically a fee, which varies from school to school (I have seen as little as $3 to as much as $15). I have no power over this hold. I cannot lift it. The best I can do is check to see if we’ve received your transcripts.
Past Due Balance/Financial Hold: This hold is placed on your account when you owe the university money. It will prevent you from registering for the following term if over $200. The only thing I, as your advisor, can see, is what your past-due balance is. I cannot see what it was for; I cannot see when it was due; I cannot see any of your financial information, including any aid or scholarships you may receive. To get this hold removed, the bill needs to be paid off. If you are unsure why you owe something, you can look at your statements/invoices on MyRed. If you have further questions about your bill, or how to pay it, you’d need to get in contact with Husker Hub (in person or via their online queue is best). Again, I have no power here. I cannot lift financial holds. Once a balance is paid off, it may take some time for the hold to clear (though not more than 24 hours). ALSO, GRADUATING SENIORS: If you owe the university any money at all, you will need to pay that off in order to get your diploma on graduation day.
I know the language you receive about each of these holds can be a little confusing at times, so I hope that this clears things up a little bit – or at least gives you an idea of what to expect. Don't hesitate to reach out with any questions.