Find out how to register as a new student at Sussex.
On this page
Read guidance about:
- how to start registration
- how to complete registration
- getting your student ID card
- registering as a student from overseas
- paying your fees
- scholarships and loans
- late arrival
- registering attendance at teaching sessions
- re-registering as a continuing student.
As a new student, you need to register for your course. Registering 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 must register in time for the start of teaching and within three weeks of the start of your course. Failure to register could result in your place at the University being withdrawn.
You will receive an email with your candidate number and instructions on how to complete online registration.
There are two steps to online registration.
1. Start registration
The first step of registration is collecting your username and password which you can do from Monday 17 August.
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.
Collecting your username and password gives you access to your:
- IT login (for your timetable, module resources and our online learning platform Canvas) and your Sussex email account
- wifi set-up process to get online
- membership of the Students’ Union.
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.
Once you’ve got your login details, you can update your profile, including:
- checking personal details, including name, date of birth and contact details
- telling us if you have any disabilities
- declaring any criminal convictions
- uploading a photograph for your student ID card.
Read tips on how to upload a photo for your student ID card.
If you are a new student and any of the information relating to your course is incorrect, please email Admissions at ug.applicants@sussex.ac.uk if you are an undergraduate student or pg.applicants@sussex.ac.uk if you are a postgraduate student.
It's important that the University holds your personal mobile 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 Wednesday 2 September, you can complete registration. This is where we ask you to:
- confirm your personal email address
- confirm your emergency/trusted contact
- confirm your term-time address
- agree to the University’s rules and regulations and other formalities
- choose any optional or elective modules (if applicable)
- pay tuition fees or rent (if applicable).
Once you have completed registration, it can take up to 48 hours for you to receive full library access. This includes access to online resources, reading lists and book borrowing.
If you are an international postgraduate taught student (on a visa) paying your own fees, you must pay 50% of the balance of your fees as part of this stage of registration. You will not be able to complete the in-person stage of registration until this payment has been received by the University.
Brighton & Sussex Medical School: If you are a student at Brighton & Sussex Medical School, you need to register with the University of Brighton rather than Sussex.
Getting your student ID card
Once you have completed registration, if you are UK-based and don't require a visa, you will be able to collect your ID card from the Student Centre. ID card collection is organised alphabetically based on the first letter of your surname. Check the timetable for collecting ID cards and make sure you come to collect your ID on the day that we ask you to.
International students on a student visa can collect their ID card as part of our in-person registration sessions.
If you are expecting a loan from Student Finance, we will notify them of your arrival at the University once you have completed registration and collected your student ID card. We do this when you collect your student ID card in person. It can take three to five working days after our confirmation to Student Finance for funds to be transferred to your bank account. The earliest possible payment date for most students will be Monday 28 September, which is the week that teaching starts. Try not to lose your card as you may be charged for a replacement.
Find out more about student ID cards.
Registering as a 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 have completed as much of the online registration process as you can before attending an in-person registration session. When you attend, you will need to 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
- any previous visa documentation if you have it.
If you are a self-financing student (paying your own fees) registering on a taught postgraduate course (e.g. MA, MSc), you must, unless told otherwise by the University, have paid at least 50% of your tuition fees prior to attending the final in-person stage of registration. You will not be able to complete registration until this payment has been made.
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 share code to prove your current visa status 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 faculties. You will receive an email from your Head of Faculty which identifies which faculty you belong to. Faculty-based registration sessions are scheduled to take place in the Student Centre from Monday 21 September. See the full timetable for each faculty below.
On Friday 18 September, we will be running an early registration drop-in session in the Student Centre. Numbers will be limited and we will operate a first-come-first-served basis. When we reach capacity, we may close the queue and ask you to attend an alternative session.
- Timetable for in-person registration (for international students)
Date Time Your faculty Who should attend Friday 18 September 10am-4pm Any student who needs to register in person, and wants to complete registration before Welcome Week Monday 21 September 10am-4pm University of Sussex Business School Undergraduate students (including Direct Entry) whose last name begins with the letters A-M Tuesday 22 September 10am-4pm University of Sussex Business School Undergraduate students (including Direct Entry) whose last name begins with the letters N-Z Wednesday 23 September 10am-1pm University of Sussex Business School Postgraduate students whose last name begins with the letters A-M 1pm-4pm University of Sussex Business School Postgraduate students whose last name begins with the letters N-Z Thursday 24 September 10am-4pm Faculty of Science, Engineering and Medicine* Undergraduate and postgraduate students Friday 25 September 10am-4pm Any undergraduate or postgraduate student who has not yet completed registration Monday 28 September 10am-1pm Faculty of Media, Arts & Humanities
Central Foundation Year
Undergraduate and postgraduate students
1pm-4pm Faculty of Social Sciences
Visiting and Exchange
Undergraduate
Tuesday 29 September 10am-4pm Faculty of Social Sciences
Institute for Development Studies (IDS)
Postgraduate Wednesday 1 to Friday 3 October 10am-4pm Any undergraduate or postgraduate student who has not yet completed registration *Students joining the Brighton and Sussex Medical School register with the University of Brighton
In-person registration remains open if you're arriving late. The final deadline to complete in-person registration is Friday 16 October. You must complete in-person registration as soon as you can, and within three weeks of your course starting at the latest.
How to register if you are 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 university 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 two to three working days after you collect your ID.
Late arrival
All new students are expected to arrive in time for Welcome Week, starting on Monday 21 September, ahead of the start of term on Monday 28 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 beyond the start of teaching on Monday 28 September, complete the 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.
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.
Read more about what you need to do before you arrive.
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. Re-registration should be completed by the start of term on Monday 28 September at the latest.
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 the the instructions.
Registration for all students (new and continuing) closes on Friday 16 October. If you don't complete registration by this date, you won't be registered as a University of Sussex student and will lose access to university systems, including Canvas and Sussex Direct.