New Student Checklist

As a newly admitted graduate student, there’s a lot to do. Here’s a list of the most important things to do after you’re admitted. 

1. Activate your OSU name.# username, found in your notice of admission, at my.osu.edu. 
2. Accept admission at appstatus.osu.edu
3. Activate your BuckeyePass
4. Activate your Ohio State email account (see below)
5. Complete the Financial Responsibility Statement (see below)
6. Submit final official transcripts (for provisionally admitted students) - contact Graduate and Professional Admissions
7. Schedule classes
8. Obtain a BuckID student identification card (see below)
9. Pay fees (see below)

Activate your Ohio State username at my.osu.edu

Learn more about activating your account or forwarding your email to a commercial service (Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo, etc.).

All university correspondence is sent to your osu.edu email address, and all email sent to faculty and staff should be sent from your osu.edu email address.

Ohio State will never ask for your Ohio State username or password. Do not reply to any email asking for your Ohio State username, password, or other personal information. Report such messages to report-phish@osu.edu.

You must complete the financial responsibility statement before you can register. Your record is updated immediately after you complete the financial responsibility statement. 

1. Buckeye Link → Student Center
2. Under HOLDS, click DETAILS 
3. Click REGISTRATION LOCK and follow the instructions

BuckID, Ohio State’s identification card can be obtained on the 3rd floor of the Ohio Union. Ohio State Online students can request a BuckID at myphoto.osu.edu, which will be mailed to their home/current address. To get your BuckID, you must have another valid photo ID, such as driver’s license, passport or state ID, and you must be enrolled in classes for the current semester.

For those who have been assessed the relevant fees, your BuckID serves as your COTA bus pass and membership card for the Recreation & Physical Activity Center.

University Bursar, Office of Financial Services 

All fees are due one week prior to the start of classes. Accounts not paid are assessed a late payment fee. You will not receive paper statements of account in the mail. You must check your statement of account online and meet all payment and registration deadlines.

Online: Buckeye Link → My Student Center → Finances tab → Make a Payment 

In person: Office of the University Bursar, 2nd Floor, SAS Building, 281 West Lane Avenue 

By mail: University Bursar, The Ohio State University, PO Box 183248, Columbus, OH 43218-3248

All students are assessed the student activity, student union facility, and COTA bus fees each semester. The recreation (RPAC) fee is assessed each semester or term for all students enrolled for 4 or more credit hours. Fee authorizations cover instructional and general fees only.

Regularly admitted graduate students registered at least half time are automatically enrolled in student health insurance. If you choose to waive your student health insurance, you must provide proof of alternate coverage to Student Health Insurance (SHI).

Students admitted to a degree program on the Columbus campus are assessed a student legal services fee. You may waive this fee but cannot re-enroll later in the participation year if a legal issue arises. See Student Legal for more information.