By Shirlett Warren/editor-in-chief

Students with a greater number of completed TCC hours can now register for classes a few days earlier.

Priority registration will begin Nov. 15, four days before open registration for spring 2013 classes.

“[The change] allows TCC to better serve its currently enrolled students by allowing them to register for classes before students who are new to the college,” said TCC’s director of academic support services Suzanne Carter.

The change was initially recommended by campus presidents and approved by the Chancellor’s Executive Leadership Team, Carter said.

“We did away with late registration a few years ago and established a pay-as-you-go system,” she said. “Priority registration was the last segment of an original plan of changes.”

Priority is determined by the number of completed TCC hours. Thus, transfer hours or in-progress hours are not included, but developmental education hours are allowed.

“Students who are close to graduation will be able to get the classes they need for completion of their degree or certificate goal,” she said.

On Oct. 17, students will be notified of their assigned priority registration day through their myTCC email and can register on their assigned day or any following day.

Priority registration begins Nov. 15 for students who have completed 60 or more hours, Nov. 16 for those who have completed at least 45, Nov. 17 for those with 30 or more hours and Nov. 18 for students with 29 or fewer hours.

Open registration starts Nov. 19.

“[The change] allows us to better manage the load on the registration system,” Carter said.

Students can register online 6 a.m.-11:59 p.m. or in person at campus registrar’s offices. Tuition and fees are due at the time of registration, and any unpaid classes are dropped nightly.

NE student Valerie Moody, who is almost finished completing her core courses, likes the change.

“I always panic on the first day of registration. The basic courses fill up quick, so I think that’s awesome,” she said.