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Registration for new students

Find out how to collect your username and password and register online.

On this page:

How to complete online registration

All new students are required to register for their course. This is an important process because it means you are officially a member of the University, and ensures you have access to all the information and resources you need for your studies. 

You should register before teaching starts on your course, and when you return each year. 

You will receive an email containing your candidate number and instructions on how to complete Online Registration.

There are two steps to Online Registration.

1. Start registration

The first step, which you can complete from Monday 18 August, allows you to get your username and password.

This gives you access to your:

Tip: If you cannot see your teaching timetable or modules in Sussex Direct, contact your school office.

Your printing account is set up the first time you log into a campus computer.

To complete this step, follow the link below and select ‘Collect username and password’. All you need is your surname, date of birth and candidate number. You should make a note somewhere safe of your username and password, which are case sensitive. 

Register now

Once you’ve got your login details, you can update your profile, including:

Tip: If you are a new student and any of the information relating to your course is incorrect, please contact Admissions at ug.applicants@sussex.ac.uk.

The picture you upload must be:

      • a portrait headshot with only you in the photo
      • recent and a true likeness
      • in colour
      • clear, in focus and free from red-eye or shadow
      • free of reflection or glare from glasses.

You must:

      • face forward, look at the camera, with eyes open and nothing covering your face
      • not wear sunglasses
      • not wear a hat or cover your head unless for medical or religious reasons.

Try not to lose your card as you may be charged for a replacement.

Tip: It's important that the University holds your personal mobile telephone number (and country area code, where applicable) so we can contact you if there is an emergency or another exceptional situation when we may be concerned about your safety or welfare.

2. Complete registration

From Monday 1 September, you can complete Registration.

This is where we ask you to:

ID cards

Once you have completed registration, if you are UK-based and don't require a visa, you'll be able to collect your student ID card from the Student Centre.
ID card collection is organised alphabetically based on the first letter of your surname. Details of when you can collect your card will be published on Monday 1 September. Make sure you collect your ID on the day we tell you.

If you arrive at the University over Arrivals Weekend (Friday 19 to Sunday 21 September) we will be running ID card collection drop-in sessions in the Student Centre. Numbers are limited for these sessions, so these sessions will operate on a first-come-first-served basis. When capacity is reached we may close the queue and require you to attend an alternative session. Check the timetable (published 1 September) for when these sessions are scheduled.

If you are expecting a maintenance loan, we will notify Student Finance of your arrival at the University once you have collected your ID card. It can take between three to five working days following our confirmation to Student Finance for funds to transfer to your bank account. Please note that the earliest possible payment date for most students will be Monday 29 September which is the start of teaching.

Students from overseas

Find out what you need to do if you’re a student on a visa (including a student visa and non-student visa).

On a student visa   

If you’re a student from outside the UK who has been issued a CAS by the University and issued a student visa, you'll need to attend an in-person session following your arrival at the University.  

This allows us to complete your registration process, confirm your status to study in the UK and issue you with your student ID card. 

To ensure you complete the final stages of registration as quickly as possible, make sure you bring:

      • your passport
      • evidence of your arrival date in the UK (either a stamp in your passport or your boarding card/air ticket)
      • the letter from UK Visa and Immigration (UKVI) confirming your ‘leave to enter’ or ‘leave to remain’ dates
      • your share code if you have digital visa status.

If you are a self-financing student (paying your own fees) registering on a taught postgraduate course, you must have paid at least 50% of your tuition fees prior to attending the final in-person stage of registration.

If you applied for a visa while still in the UK (for instance, as a student who has been studying with Study Group) you will need to bring your previous BRP and evidence of your new visa application with you when you attend to complete registration.

When to attend an in-person registration session

In person registration is organised by academic schools. You will receive an email from your Head of School which identifies which school you belong to.

School-based registration sessions are scheduled to take place in the Student Centre from Monday 22 September. Details of when you must attend will be published on Monday 1 September. Please attend on the correct day and time.

If you arrive at the University over Arrivals Weekend (Friday 19 to Sunday 21 September) we will be running registration drop-in sessions in the Student Centre. There are eligibility criteria for these sessions and numbers will be limited, so they will operate on a first-come-first-served basis. When we reach capacity, we may close the queue and ask you to attend an alternative session. 

In-person registration remains open if you're arriving late. The final deadline to complete in-person registration is Friday 17 October. You can visit the Student Centre from Monday 29 September to Friday 17 October, between 9.15am-4.15pm, to complete your registration.

On a non-student visa

Completing Registration is different if you’re an international student with a non-student visa, and you haven’t been issued a CAS by the University. You do not need to attend an in-person Registration system and can upload your documents online.

The online Registration system will show you how to upload the documents you need to provide to confirm you are eligible to study in the UK. This will include your passport and your share code (where you have a digital visa status). 

Once we have checked your uploaded documents, we will be able to confirm your registration and let you know your ID card is ready to collect. Document checks can take a few days.

Paying your fees

You pay your tuition and accommodation fees as part of the Online Registration process. You will be guided through this by the system.

If you are paying tuition fees with a Student Loans Company loan, you do not need to arrange payment through Online Registration.

If you’re staying in University-managed accommodation, you pay your accommodation fees through our accounts system a few days after you move in. We will be in touch with you about how to do this.

See more about paying fees when you start at Sussex.

Scholarships and loans

If you have a scholarship, this will show in the Registration process. If your scholarship is not showing, email scholarships@sussex.ac.uk.

Maintenance loans are released to eligible students once registration is complete and your ID card has been collected. This usually happens 2 working days after you collect your ID.

Late arrival

All new students are expected to arrive in time for Welcome Week, starting on Monday 22 September, ahead of the start of term on Monday 29 September. This marks the beginning of teaching for most students. Find out more about arriving late at night during Welcome Week or after it has ended.

If you will be delayed, complete our Arriving Late form and we will contact you separately about next steps.  

If your arrival to the UK is delayed, and you arrive late for the start of your course, your School may provide you with some background reading or notes, but you are not permitted to attend lectures or other learning activities remotely.

If you are joining Sussex on a visa, your latest arrival date is automatically included in your CAS. If you do not arrive and complete registration by this date, the University will be required to withdraw its visa sponsorship. If you are in this position, please contact the Admissions team as a priority and please do not travel to the UK.

Re-registration for continuing students

All returning students must re-register online each academic year. As you progress from one academic stage to the next, you'll be invited to register again for the next stage of your course.

If you have any academic debt from the previous year, you will not be able to re-register. You can arrange to make payment by logging in to Sussex Direct and following ihe instructions. 

Registration for all students (new and continuing) closes on Friday 17 October.

If you’re not registered by this date, you won't be a University of Sussex student. You'll lose access to University systems, including Canvas and Sussex Direct.

Registering attendance at teaching sessions

You may need to use the SussexMobile App to register attendance at teaching sessions. If this is the case, you'll be guided by your tutor.

This is different to completing the Online Registration process.

See more from Before you arrive