Policy guide
WGU term start dates: when terms begin and the deadlines that actually matter
At a glance
Last updated
WGU runs continuous enrollment: a new term starts on the first day of every month, and each term lasts six calendar months. Tuition for the full term is due by the first day of the term, new students need financial clearance by the 22nd of the preceding month, continuing students must complete term enrollment by the 10th day and new students by the 20th, and full-time registration means at least 12 competency units for undergraduates or 8 for graduate students. Source: WGU Institutional Catalog, August 2026 edition.
- New terms start the 1st of every month, year-round
- Every term is six calendar months, no exceptions
- Tuition is due by day one of the term
- New students: one Critical Action inside 45 days or withdrawal
Every full package includes the written 6-month guarantee: we finish the remaining CUs under the agreed plan, or you do not pay. Packages: Bachelor's $3,000 · Master's $3,500 · both $5,500 · single assessments from $99.
When do WGU terms start?
On the first day of every month, twelve times a year. The August 2026 WGU Institutional Catalog describes a continuous-enrollment model with no traditional academic calendar: no fall or spring semesters, no application-season start windows. New groups of degree-seeking students begin on the first of each month, and once enrolled, students can access learning resources, schedule assessments, and submit performance assessments at any time.
Each term is six calendar months long, and you can only be enrolled in one term at a time. A student who graduates, withdraws, or changes programs cannot start a new term until at least six months after the start of the most recent enrolled term. The six-month block is the atomic unit of WGU billing, which is why finishing inside the current term is the whole money game.
What are the enrollment deadlines for a new term?
The catalog sets hard dates, and missing them ends the enrollment. Term enrollment must be completed no later than the 10th day of the term for continuing students and the 20th day for new students; students who miss those deadlines are administratively withdrawn. Full-time registration, at least 12 competency units for undergraduates and 8 for graduate students, must be in place by the 25th of the first month of the term.
On the money side, tuition for the full term is due by the first day of the term, and new students need financial clearance on or before the 22nd of the month preceding the first term. A payment plan is available for a small enrollment fee for students who cannot pay in full, but payment or plan participation is still required by day one.
| Deadline | Who it applies to | What happens if missed |
|---|---|---|
| 22nd of the preceding month | New students | Financial clearance not established; start can slip |
| 1st day of term | Everyone | Tuition or payment plan must be in place |
| 10th day of term | Continuing students | Administrative withdrawal if not enrolled |
| 20th day of term | New students | Administrative withdrawal if not enrolled |
| 25th of first month | Everyone | Full-time registration (12 UG / 8 grad CUs) required |
| 45th day of first term | New students | Withdrawal without one First-Term Critical Action |
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What is the 45-day rule for new students?
First-Term Critical Actions are the catalog's name for early proof of engagement: completing a pre-assessment, completing an objective assessment, or submitting a performance assessment task for evaluation, in at least one registered course. New students must complete at least one Critical Action within the first 45 days of the first term. Students who do not are administratively withdrawn after day 45, with a prorated tuition refund under WGU's refund policy and Dropped notations on the registered courses.
The practical read: WGU front-loads momentum on purpose. A student who sits one real assessment in the first six weeks almost always finishes the term. A student who spends 45 days 'getting oriented' is on the withdrawal list. Treat the first pre-assessment as the actual start of your degree.
Can you start mid-term or pause between terms?
No mid-term starts. Because terms begin on the first of the month and enrollment deadlines fall inside the first three weeks, the practical decision point is always the upcoming first: miss it and the next entry point is the following month. There is also no formal pause button. Between terms, a student who does not enroll for the next term is simply not enrolled, and readmission rules apply after longer gaps.
One nuance the catalog makes clear: courses are registered per term, and once you accept term enrollment you are committed to those courses and the full tuition. Changes to enrollment are not processed after acceptance. The term plan you set with your Program Mentor before day one is the plan you are billed for.
How should you use the monthly start to your advantage?
Two ways. First, never let a near-finished course cross a term boundary: an assessment cleared on the 28th costs nothing extra, and the same course cleared on the 2nd of the next term costs a full new term of tuition. The last month of a term is the highest-value study time at WGU.
Second, pick your start month around your life, not the calendar. Because every month is a start date, the right time to begin is the month before a quiet stretch at work, not September. And if the remaining list is the thing blocking a start, that is exactly the list we finish: a fixed-price completion plan aimed at ending inside the current or next term, with the 6-month guarantee in writing.
Questions, answered
Monthly. Per the August 2026 Institutional Catalog, WGU starts a new term on the first day of every month under a continuous-enrollment model, and each term lasts six calendar months. There are no semester-based start windows.
Tuition for the full term is due by the first day of the term. New students need financial clearance by the 22nd of the month before their first term. A payment plan is available for a small enrollment fee, but payment or plan participation is required by day one of each term.
Students who do not complete term enrollment by the 10th day (continuing) or 20th day (new students) of the term are administratively withdrawn, per the catalog. Full-time registration, 12 competency units undergraduate or 8 graduate, must be set by the 25th of the first month.
One early engagement milestone required of new students within the first 45 days of the first term: a completed pre-assessment, a completed objective assessment, or a performance task submitted for evaluation. Missing it leads to administrative withdrawal with a prorated refund and Dropped notations.
Yes. Unfinished courses roll into the next term's registration, a new six-month term starts with new tuition due by day one, and unfinished courses record Not Passed on the permanent transcript. That term-boundary cost is why we build completion plans that finish inside the current term. Coursework Ninja is independent of WGU.
Coursework Ninja is an independent done-for-you degree completion service and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Western Governors University.
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