Academic Calendar

Track what dates you need to be aware of throughout the academic year.

Course Registration

The Registrar's Office will create your fall course schedule from the courses you select on the academic survey and from the answers you provide on the language, math and science surveys. These surveys will be accessible through the Class of 2027 Canvas course. Note that some forms become available at different points during the summer. You can expect to receive your class schedule in early August. Explore our course catalog to see what sort of courses you may be registered for. 

Placement Exams

Information regarding academic placement exams will be available in your Class of 2027 Canvas Course and will be emailed to your F&M Gmail account. 

Credit Transfers

• Transfer of Credit Policy
• Advanced Placement

  Make sure you have your AP scores and any college transcripts sent directly to the Registrar's Office at F&M by the end of July. As we create your fall schedule, we will adjust it to make sure you are not enrolled in any course for which you will receive AP credit or transfer credit. If we receive score reports or transcripts after the end of July, we may not be able to adjust your final schedule.

• Earning Credit During Deferral

  For first-year and transfer students with approval to defer their admission, F&M will allow the study of up to two courses per semester at another institution. Should a first-year or transfer student deferring their admission pursue more than two courses, the student would be required to reapply through the transfer admission process. Explore our transfer student FAQ to learn more.

Academic Support Resources

• Tutoring & Academic Support
  A constellation of tutoring and academic support services are available to you at F&M, many of which are located in one central location on campus. We offer academic coaching, writing support, peer advising, subject-specific tutoring, and much more. You can partner with professionals and student peers to develop skills as a purpose-driven learner, build habits for success, and reflect on how your knowledge provides momentum to achieve your goals.
• Academic Advising
  Students at F&M are paired with a faculty member who acts as an academic adviser, offering support and encouragement as they journey through their academic pursuits at F&M. Faculty advisers are given extensive support and training resources to learn how to provide students with access to the tools they need to thrive. 
• First-Year Advising Mentors
  You’ll be connected with a first-year advising mentor (FAM) to help you successfully launch your journey at F&M. Your FAM will assist you with onboarding and learning F&M’s academic culture, help you add or drop a class to choose that perfect schedule, introduce you to many resources available at F&M, talk about the deep questions of life, and provide tips on where to shop for your new College House room. Most importantly, FAMs will be an important resource throughout your entire F&M experience, listening to your story and helping you craft a distinctive academic path that suits your interests.

The Office of Student and Post-Graduate Development (OSPGD)

Pre-Professional Advising

Several pre-professional advising programs are offered through OSPGD. These programs are offered as a supplement to your chosen major.

• Engineering
• Pre-Dental
• Pre-Health
• Pre-Law
• Pre-Med
• Pre-Vet
• STEM Professions

Diplomat Athletic Sports Teams

Tuition, Fees, and Billing

Each student is charged fees that cover tuition, room, board, and some charges for activities and labs. All charges and fees for each semester are billed in advance and must be paid in full by the specified term due date. Learn more about tuition, fees, and billing at F&M, including payment options and due dates. 

Learn more about tuition, fees, and billing at F&M.
 

Financial Aid

We’re dedicated to making an F&M education affordable for all. By committing to need-based financial aid, we’re able to welcome talented students from all economic backgrounds. 

As an F&M student, we will meet 100% of your institutionally determined financial need for all four years on campus. Even if your financial situation changes during your time at F&M, we will adjust your financial aid package accordingly. Learn more about how we determine financial need, types of aid available, and financial aid terms to know. 

If you have any questions about financial aid at F&M or your specific package, please feel free to reach out to your financial aid contact. Your contact is based on the first letter of your last name: 

• A-G: Mr. Eric E Kopp
• H-O: Mr. Jasper Choi
• P-Z: Ms. Robin L. Gorini

Learn more about financial aid at F&M.
 

Student Employment

If you’re enrolled in at least three credits per semester (a full-time course load), you are eligible for on-campus employment. If you are awarded Federal Work Study or College Work Option in your financial aid package, you are given priority status as an aided student and are eligible to apply for any position on campus. If you’re not work-aided, you are still eligible to work on campus, but will have a limited number of positions available to you.

F&M’s Student Employment Office (SEO) will guide you through the position search and hiring process, and match you with positions where you will learn valuable, transferable skills that will benefit you both at F&M and beyond. If you are work-aided, SEO will send you an invitation to a virtual job fair via your F&M Gmail account.

If you are seeking campus employment, you must bring original, unexpired identification documents with you to campus during move-in. Copies, scans and faxes are not accepted (per federal government requirements). These identification documents are required before you can start any position on campus.

Learn more about student employment at F&M. 

First-Year Meal Plans

As a first-year, you’re required to purchase a meal plan unless you are commuting (though you can of course purchase a meal plan if you are!). If you’re a commuter and want to purchase a meal plan, please contact Lori Foust, director of housing. Otherwise, your meal plan pricing is automatically enrolled into your tuition details.

Your meal plan will include 20 meals per week with $180 flex dollars (additional money you can use in addition to meal swipes as needed, or when making smaller purchases like coffee or a snack). 

How to Access Your Meal Plan

Your meal plan is conveniently attached directly to your F&M student ID card. All you have to do is swipe your card in the dining hall and our retail locations to use a meal or your flex dollars. 

Your weekly meal allotment begins every Friday morning and ends late Thursday night. Any unused meals will be lost Thursday night and will be replaced with a new allotment of 20 meals Friday morning.

Keep an eye out for Dip Deals! These are a meal with a side and drink combo that you can purchase for a single meal swipe.

Learn more about your meal plan.

Coming Early for a Sport?

If you’re an athlete coming early to campus for pre-season training, you won’t be able to use your meal plan quite yet. Instead, you’ll be fed in the dining hall. Please talk to your athletic advisors if you have any questions.
 

Dietary Restrictions

The chefs on campus work closely with those who have specific dietary needs due to allergen restrictions, religious affiliation, lifestyle choices or other dietary restrictions.

Dietary Need Due to Allergies

If you require a specific dietary need due to allergies, Simple Servings is a gluten-free station on campus that serves a variety of delicious meals that don’t include any of the top allergens, with the exclusion of fin-fish. This station is also gluten-free. The entire dining hall is a nut-free facility, and gluten-free options are available in our retail locations.

If you have other dietary restrictions, our chefs and our dietitian, Sue Hurd, work closely with the Office of Student Accessibility Services to assist you with those restrictions to ensure you have nutritious and delicious meals while at F&M.

KIVO: Kosher, International, Vegan, and Organic

If you keep Kosher or Halal, we have an area in the dining hall called KIVO, which stands for Kosher, International, Vegan, and Organic. This space is a Star K certified kosher dining facility, and also houses Trellis, our entirely plant-based dining option.

Health Forms

You will need to fill out a health history form indicating your personal and family health history, demographic information, tuberculosis assessment, and immunization records, including meningitis vaccine requirements. Completion of this form is mandatory for all new and all transfer students. Please go to the F&M admission portal and follow the instructions on completion and submission of the required forms. You can direct all questions related to health form requirements to studentwellness@fandm.edu.

Learn more about health forms.
 

Health Insurance

Health insurance coverage is required for all full-time students. 

Learn more about health insurance. 
 

Health, Wellness & Safety at F&M

We offer a comprehensive array of health and wellness resources that not only care for you when you’re feeling unwell, but teach you how to be proactive in your self-care and learn lifelong skills related to healthy living, stress management and more. 

There are also trained, licensed professionals available and ready to support you when needed. Our Department of Public Safety (DPS) is an accredited law-enforcement agency on campus. Our Emergency Medical Services (EMS) is a Basic Life Support (BLS) unit licensed by the Pennsylvania Department of Health.

Learn more about health, wellness and safety at F&M.
 

Student Accessibility Services

The Office of Student Accessibility Services (SAS) works with students who have disabilities to determine reasonable accommodations and ensure that they have equal access to all aspects of their education. Accommodations may include academic, dining, and housing needs.

Learn more about SAS.

Housing Application & Room Assignment

You will receive an email to your F&M Gmail in June with instructions on how to complete your housing application online. We will match you with roommates based upon your answers to those questions. Our College House Deans then review assignments and make adjustments to components that our automated process might have overlooked. Your room assignment (including your roommate’s name and contact information) will be announced in August. 
 

College Houses

These are not your average dorm! F&M’s College Houses are lively hubs of intellectual, extracurricular, and social engagement that not only give you a place to hang out, sleep, and study, but also your own special place to belong.

Learn more about College Houses.
 

What to Bring to Campus

One of the most exciting parts of the summer before college is getting everything you’ll want and need for your room. We know you can’t wait to get started, so check out this list of what we think you might need. Be sure to also review what items you should not bring to campus!

View what to bring.
 

Room Details

When you receive your room assignment, feel free to explore the specs of our residential facilities so you can get a better idea of what your room will be like.

Explore room details.
 

Shipping & Storing Your Items

F&M has a partnership with Storage Scholars, a service that lightens the burden of moving and storage. Storage Scholars will ship boxes to your house for packing. Once the team receives your belongings, Storage Scholars will store them and later deliver them to campus so they’re ready and waiting in your room.

Learn more about Storage Scholars.

Orientation is your launching pad for your F&M journey. It's a time when you not only arrive on campus, but you can meet other members of your College House and your class, be introduced to faculty and academics, learn about campus resources, and so much more.

Stay tuned for information and instructions for move-in day and orientation.

Computers

We often get questions about what type of computer new students should bring to campus. The answer is: it’s up to you! We recommend bringing a laptop computer that you are comfortable using. If you want to use Windows or Mac, it’s your choice; we are not an exclusively Apple or PC campus. 

Keep an Eye Out for Savings

Some vendors, such as Microsoft, Apple, Lenovo, and Dell offer students a discount on their products. We include links directly to these discounts on our website. You may also want to consider purchasing an extended warranty or an accidental damage warranty if it is offered to you.

Printers

You do not need to bring a printer to campus. Learn more about F&M's printing services.

Software

• We recommend using Chrome as your web browser.

• F&M uses Google Workspace including apps such as Gmail, Google Meet, Google Docs, Google Slides, and more.

You can also download Office 365 free with your F&M email. Doing so will give you access to apps such as Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and more.

Cars on Campus

F&M does not allow first-year students to bring vehicles to campus unless a first year parking waiver is approved. 

Shuttles & Buses

We offer free on-campus shuttle services to both libraries, several of the residence halls, and various off-campus housing locations. Our shuttles also provide a link to Lancaster, offering free transportation to nearby grocery stores and pharmacies, as well as downtown Lancaster, Target, Walmart, and the mall. We also offer transportation to Baltimore-Washington International Airport and Philadelphia International Airport at the end of each semester for a fee. Local buses of the Red Rose Transit Authority also serve the F&M campus, and OurBus runs buses from Lancaster to New York City on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. 

A Bicycle Friendly Campus

F&M was designated ‘Bicycle Friendly’ by the National Bicyclist Group. Our bike loan program provides free bicycles for students to use during the semester. Students are also more than welcome to bring their own bikes to campus. There are plenty of outdoor bike racks to store and lock bikes, two bike repair stations on campus with pumps, and two bike shops within a mile of campus, including Common Wheel, a nonprofit bike center led by an F&M alumna.