Pathways to Excellence Guide

* * * The following information is for Summer 2023 P2E. For Summer 2024, enrolling in classes is NOT necessary.

Visit the P2E website to sign up for FREE P2E this summer. * * *

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This is a tutorial only. No login is required. 

Introduction

CSUN’s Pathways to Excellence Program (formerly Early Start) provides eligible first-time freshmen from California with an opportunity to build skills in college-level course work, learn about university resources and meet CSUN faculty, staff and students the summer before their first fall semester.

Eligible incoming freshmen from California will be invited to participate in Pathways to Excellence (P2E) by email. Please check your CSUN email account for an invitation and instructions in May and after. If you are a first-time freshman, this guide explains how to navigate to the Pathways to Excellence Page and:

• Check your eligibility for the P2E financial aid fee waiver. Please refer to Is Pathways to Excellence free?
• Enroll in one of the following summer 2023 program options:
• Math and First-Year Connections (four weeks, two courses)
• Math Connections (three weeks, one course)

Learn more about the Pathways to Excellence Program.

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Step 1

Go to the CSUN home page at www.csun.edu and:

• From the MyCSUN drop-down menu in the main navigation, select the CSUN Portal link.
• Log in with your CSUN user ID and password.

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Step 2

Your CSUN Portal home page displays.

In the Top Tools section, select the Student Center backpack icon.

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Step 3

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Step 4

The Pathways to Excellence page displays.

Pathways to Excellence was previously called “Early Start.” The older name still displays in the black banner. Don’t worry – you’re in the right place!

Review the Pathways to Excellence page for:

1. A link to accommodations from CSUN’s Disability Resources and Educational Services if desired.
2. Your eligibility to participate in the Pathways to Excellence program.*
3. Your eligibility for a fee waiver is based on your financial aid FAFSA or CADAA application. Learn more at Is Pathways to Excellence free?

*Note: Please ignore the headings for Written Communication and Mathematics/Quantitative Reasoning boxes as well as the inactive Opt Out box.

You are eligible to participate in Pathways to Excellence if:

• You read “eligible to participate” in either or both boxes on this page.
• You received an invitation in your CSUN email box from the Pathways to Excellence team.
• You see Early Start Math as a subject option on the Enter Search Criteria page (refer to Step 9 below).

Once it’s time to register, select the Enroll in Pathways to Excellence button. Note that the Math and First-Year Connections and Math Connections options each have a different registration period. Classes for each option will only display during the registration period for that option.

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Step 5

The Student Fee Payment Notice displays important disclosures, acknowledgements of financial responsibility, IRS Form 1098-T information, and where to find your account charges and payment deadlines.

IMPORTANT: If you are not eligible for the Pathways to Excellence fee waiver, your fees are due online within 24 hours of your enrollment.

To continue:

• Select the “yes” or “no” check box for electronic delivery of your IRS Form 1098-T. This form helps students and families determine if they are eligible for an Education Tax Credit. Learn about the 1098-T Disclosure Statement.
• Read the Statement of Financial Responsibility.
• If you agree, select the button "I have read and understand the above statement."

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Step 6

A pop-up window confirms your Pathways to Excellence financial aid fee waiver status. (Both "eligible" and "not eligible" messages are shown here as examples.)

• If you are eligible for the waiver, you are not required to pay fees when you enroll in a Pathways to Excellence course and you can disregard the 24-hour payment message at the time of your enrollment.
• If you are not eligible for the waiver, you are reminded to pay for Pathways to Excellence classes within 24 hours of enrolling. Please refer to the steps at the end of this guide.
• Learn more at Is Pathways to Excellence free?

Select OK to proceed.

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Step 7

The Select Term page displays.

• Select the Summer Term radio button.
• Select Continue.

By the way, you can return to the Student Center from any page at any time by selecting it from the drop-down menu. Be sure to select the “go” button.

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Step 8

The Select Classes to Add page displays, including your empty enrollment shopping cart.

• Verify that you have selected Summer Term.
• Select the Search button to look up Pathways to Excellence classes.

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Step 9

The Enter Search Criteria page displays. Open the Subject drop-down menu.

If you are eligible to take Math and First-Year Connections (four weeks, two courses) and the registration period is open, you’ll see two Subjects in the drop-down menu:

• Early Start Math (ESM 196P – Math Diagnostic)
• University (UNIV 100 – Freshman Seminar)

Important notes:

• If only “University” displays in the Subject menu but not “Early Start Math,” you might not be eligible for Pathways to Excellence. To confirm, please contact p2e@csun.edu.
• If you will only sign up for Math Connections (three weeks, one course), you should wait to enroll during the Math Connections registration period.

Let’s start with the ESM 196P course that's part of Math and First-Year Connections:

1. From the Subject drop-down menu, choose Early Start Math.
2. Select the Search button. 

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Step 10

The Search Results display for ESM 196P, Math Diagnostic (1 unit). The table columns provide the following information:

• Five-digit class number
• Section number
• Days and times (Monday through Thursday, 11:40 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.)
• Room number (Bayramian Hall, third floor)
• Instructor’s name
• Course start and end dates
• Open or closed status (seats available or not)

Important:

• The enrollment system will display only the ESM 196P class section(s) that match your major.
• If your major is Exploratory, you’ll see all available sections, as shown below.

To identify the sections for STEM or non-STEM majors, select a five-digit class number from the far-left column.

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Step 11

The Class Details page displays for the ESM 196P section you selected, #11005.

In the Notes box under Class Notes, we learn that:

• UNIV 100 and ESM 196P must be taken together (i.e., concurrently).
• To enroll in ESM 196P section #11005, you must also enroll in UNIV 100 section #10995 at the same time.
• Section ESM 196P, #11005, is limited to STEM majors or Exploratory majors who are interested in STEM fields.

To proceed:

1. If your major is Exploratory and you don’t want the STEM section, select the View Search Results button to return to the previous page and explore the other ESM 196P sections.
2. If you want to enroll in this ESM 196P section for STEM majors, choose Select Class.

Let's choose Select Class.

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Step 12

The Enrollment Preferences page for ESM 196P, #11005, displays.

Some of the information on the Class Details page in Step 11 above is repeated on this page. In other words, you can bypass the Class Detail page if you already know which ESM 196P section to take.
Be sure to:

• Review Class Notes. ESM 196P, #11005 and UNIV 100, #10995, are corequisites. You must place both sections into your enrollment shopping cart before you finish enrolling.
• Write down the UNIV 100 section number #10995. You will need it later on to add the class to your cart.

Select the Next button.

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Step 13

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 Step 14

The Enter Search Criteria page again displays.

1. From the Subject drop-down menu, choose University.
2. Then select Search.
3. On the Search Results page, locate UNIV 100, #10995 and choose the Select button.

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Step 15

The UNIV 100 Enrollment Preferences page displays.

Review Class Notes to ensure you are enrolling in the correct pair of UNIV 100 and ESM 196P corequisite sections.

• If you’ve made an error, select Cancel.
• If satisfied, select Next.

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Step 16

Once you have placed ESM 196P, section #11005, and UNIV 100, section #10995, into your enrollment cart, you are ready to finish enrolling.

Note: If you accidentally put the wrong section of either class in your cart, select the trash can icon to remove it. Then search again for the correct corequisite class section.

If satisfied, select Proceed to Step 2 of 3.

 

The Confirm Classes page displays. Review your selections.

• To exit without adding, select Cancel.
• To return to your shopping cart, select Previous.
• To process your enrollment request, select Finish Enrolling.

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Step 17

A pop-up window again reminds you of your eligibility (or not) for the financial aid fee waiver, followed by another pop-up that alerts you to the 24-hour time limit to pay for your Pathways to Excellence classes.

• If you did not apply for financial aid and/or you do not qualify for the Pathways to Excellence fee waiver , you may be disenrolled* from some or all of your classes if you do not pay on time.
• If you are eligible for the waiver, you can take the classes at no cost to you and disregard the 24-hour payment message. You are still responsible for purchasing course instruction materials and parking if any.

*Disenrollment means that your class enrollments are cancelled. Contact the Tseng College (extension) for assistance.

Select the OK button to close each pop-up window.

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Step 18

The View Results page displays errors (red X) or confirms success (green check mark) for your enrollment request.

If errors are found:

1. Review the error message.
2. Print or take a screen shot of the error message (optional) to discuss with faculty or staff in Records and Registration.
3. To go back and fix the error, select Add Another Class.

If successful:

1. Read results and print or capture any messages you want to discuss with faculty or staff.
2. Select Make a Payment.

Note: If you find it necessary to drop a class after enrolling in it, select the "Drop" tab at the top of the page (not shown) and follow the prompts.

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 Step 19

When you select Make a Payment, the Student Account Information page displays a table of your total charges outstanding, the amount of anticipated financial aid (if any), future charges, your current balance outstanding, and payment due dates.

• With the Pathways to Excellence (P2E) financial aid fee waiver, your current balance outstanding will be zero, $0.00.
• Without the financial aid fee waiver, P2E course fees are due within 24 hours of enrollment. P2E fees are $191 per unit* plus the $2 campus fee. The total cost per program option is:

• Math and First-Year Connections: $766.
• Math Connections: $193.

*Fees are subject to change based on approved fee increases. Read more about Pathways to Excellence course fees and the P2E fee waiver.

1. If you don’t have the waiver, select the Tseng College Payment button to make an online payment by credit card or electronic check. Please contact the Tseng College (extension) with payment questions.
2. When ready, view your Pathways to Excellence class schedule:

• From the drop-down menu in the upper right corner, select Student Center.
• Select the Go button.

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Step 20