Online Bachelor Student Success
On this page you will find resources and helpful tools to assist you with your Biola journey and academic success.
Academic Advising
Online students are assigned a staff or faculty advisor that they can meet with each semester prior to registering for classes. While the student holds the ultimate responsibility in educational decision-making, advisors play a significant role by guiding students in their academic progress, plans, and engagement. Advisors partner with students in the larger community of Biola to provide resources for student success and challenge students to take a Christ-centered approach in their academic endeavors.
Frequently Asked Questions
How can I find my advisor?
Students can find the name and contact information for their primary advisor on Navigate.
How do I see what my requirements are to graduate?
The Biola Catalog is your official reference point for all of your degree requirements. Make sure you are looking at your correct catalog year (It is most likely the year you entered the program).
How can I see what courses I have left to take?
The Degree Audit is your tool to view all of the courses, credits, and any other requirements you have left to complete. Check back each term to see the progress you have made and plan your future courses.
How can I plan my courses out?
You can view, create, and edit your academic plan in Planner. This tool connects directly to your degree audit to show all that you have left to take. Please refer to the Planner page for more information on the tool and connect with your advisor to verify your plan.
How do I transfer a course into Biola?
Consult Biola’s transfer guide for the steps to take and make sure you utilize the Transfer Equivalency Tool.
Academic Tools
Navigate: Find your advisor and set up an appointment to talk about courses.
Degree Audit: View required courses (If you get an error message, click in your browser’s address bar and hit return.)
Planner: View, edit, and create academic plans on file (If you get an error message, click your browser's address bar and hit return.)
Canvas: View your current grades, submit and access assignments, and interact with your professor and classmates.
Transfer Tool: View to see if a course can be transferred into your program.
Registrar Forms: Transfer Petition Form, Substitution Request Form, Graduation Petitions, etc.
Important Dates
Please refer to Biola’s Academic Calendar for important advising dates such as the add/drop deadline, advising timeline, and registration.
If you are looking to drop a class check with the Tuition Refund Schedule to ensure that you still are able to get a refund and will not incur a GPA penalty. Make sure you also consult with your advisor to ensure you are still on track.
Financial Aid and Student Accounts
Financial Aid
Biola understands that managing the cost of going to school can be a challenging but important part of each student’s experience. The Office of Financial Aid is committed to helping students identify and maximize access to the grant and loan resources that can be critical for getting enrolled and connected to the learning that should be each student’s main focus. To make your financial aid process as smooth as possible, please be sure to familiarize yourself with the types of financial aid resources that are available for your chosen program of study by reviewing our Online Bachelors financial aid site. Also, make sure that as you apply for financial aid, you are attending to each of the important steps of the process in a timely manner.
If at any time the Financial Aid Office staff can be of assistance to you, don’t hesitate to contact the office at finaid@biola.edu, or call or drop in during our regular on-call counseling hours.
What is the first step I can take to receive financial aid?
Your first step after you submit your application is to fill out the FAFSA form online and direct it to Biola University. This will initiate the review process with the Financial Aid office.
Who can I connect with to talk about my financial aid?
The office of financial aid has counselors ready to help you and answer your questions. Contact them using any of the methods listed on their website.
Student Accounts
Student Accounts is the office that deals with all the student account balances and payments. They bill and collect tuition, fees, and incidental charges, while also processing payments, credits, refunds and charges.
If you need assistance with a past due balance, payment plan, and/or any issues regarding your student account, visit the Student Account Services website.
Academic Support
Biola has several resources for academic support. If you’re not sure what service you need, feel free to contact your assigned advisor.
The Office of Student Accessibility
The Office of Student Accessibility exists to provide students with academic assistance and support by providing a number of services.
Disability Services
Tutoring
If a student needs academic accommodations or support, please contact the Office of Student Accessibility.
Writing Support
The Rhetoric & Writing Center offers peer support to students working on any paper, for any class, and at any stage in the writing process—from brainstorming to final revisions. RWC consultants are graduate and undergraduate students trained to support student-clients as writers, rather than just helping “fix” papers superficially. Any Biola students, regardless of their writing proficiency level, can benefit from this growth-oriented support. Students can make an RWC appointment online or just drop in at the library on the middle level.
Additional Student Resources
Career Resources
Below are several resources and guides to help you in providing career guidance.
Handshake (Biola's internship board)
Big Interview (Interview preparation/practice - free account with Biola email address)
CareerExplorer (Biola's career exploration tool - great for students that are not sure where to start)
Biola Counseling Center
The Biola Counseling Center helps clients address emotional, spiritual, and mental difficulties through the practice of emotion management, appropriate interpersonal boundaries, self-awareness, and interpersonal and situational problem solving skills.