With just a little more than a month of classes left in the 2010-2011 school year, students may be starting to consider the possibility of extending their school year into the summer months.

Generally over 4,000 students enroll for summer sessions, said Sue Harvey from the office of registrar and enrollment management.

“Students enrolled in summer courses take courses both on campus and online depending on which is the best fit for their personal situation,” Harvey said.

Registration for summer classes began on March 21 for graduate and post-baccalaureate students, on March 28 for seniors and priority students, on April 4 for juniors, April 11 for sophomores and April 18 for freshmen.

There is a registration fee that includes the cost of basic textbooks for the summer classes.Students who elect to take classes during the summer have a few choices to make regarding their classes.

Summer classes at Eastern are offered in three sessions. Two main sessions are run from May 16 to June 11, and from June 13 until July 23, and third summer session, which runs from June 13 until Aug. 6, offers a slightly more limited program selection.

“They can do electives or general education. It’s just a good opportunity for them, (students),” said Beth Craig, the coordinator of program development and school of continuing education

Craig also suggests that students utilize their PAWS accounts to search for summer classes and find the “best fit” for themselves.

Among their different options, students can also elect how they would like to take their classes.For students who chose to stay on campus while taking classes, housing options are available.

University Court apartments are available for rent, and on campus housing is consolidated to McKinney Hall during the summer. Some dining halls will remain open during the summer, and the Food Court will also be open, however it will be open under changed hours.

Mark Hudson, the director of housing and dining, said that in order to live on campus during the summer, students will fill out a housing contract, just as they do during the school year. However, this contract is exclusively for summer and the cost of living on campus differs depending on which session a student signs up for.

Mel Boydston can be reached at 581-2182 or mmboydston@eiu.edu