To improve our registration process and ensure a smooth online experience, we are implementing a lottery system for select OLLI at MSU programs that are heavily in demand and/or have limited enrollment.

We have designed this lottery to be as fair and transparent as possible. While not perfect, we are confident that this lottery-based registration will reduce the strain on the system and improve everyone’s registration experience.

Our Goal: Improve Your Experience

Our goal is to reduce the pressure and rush to register for programs during the opening hours of registration. Rushing to register online or by phone on the morning when registration opens will NOT increase your odds of being selected by the lottery. There is no advantage to submitting an entry early in the lottery and no penalty for entering late.

Reducing the demand on our system on the first morning of registration will allow for a smooth and uninterrupted registration experience for everyone.

How OLLI Will Conduct the Lottery

  • Submitting an entry for a lottery-based program will enter you into the lottery for that program; it does NOT automatically guarantee your seat.
  • OLLI at MSU requires a current membership and program tuition payment at the time of entry into lottery-eligible programs.
  • To enter a lottery, you will use the same online login information, selection system and payment process as you previously used when registering for OLLI at MSU programs. You can also enter lotteries by mail and phone as long as all entries are received before the entry period closes.
  • The opening and closing of lottery entry periods will be communicated through the newsletter, semester catalog and on the OLLI offerings page.
  • In some lotteries, you can enter as an individual or on behalf of a couple. Both count as one entrant into the lottery.
  • Lottery entries will be selected using a random number generator.
  • If your lottery entry is selected, OLLI at MSU will notify you by email that your seat in the program is secured.
  • If your lottery entry is not selected, OLLI at MSU will notify you by email that they have placed you on the program waitlist.
  • If a space becomes available in the program, OLLI at MSU will draw replacements from the waitlist using the random number generator.
  • If your lottery entry is not selected, OLLI will place you on the waitlist for that program and hold your credit until the program begins. You may also use the credit toward another OLLI program or request a refund by calling the OLLI office. For travel programs, lottery entries that are not selected will be placed on the waitlist, however, the credit will not be held.
  • If a lottery entry period expired and a program is not filled, any remaining spaces in that program will be open for regular registration.

Key Takeaways

The lottery is only for select programs.

We expect the lottery to only apply to a limited number of popular courses, How It's Made tours, and Travel Programs each semester. Registration for all other programs will continue as it has in the past.

Relax!

Your registration experience should be stress-free.

Sleep in!

There is no need to rush to register for a popular OLLI at MSU program. Rushing to log in or calling the office the moment registration opens will NOT increase your chances of getting into high-demand and enrollment-limited offerings. You will have the same odds if you register on the first or fifth day.

We believe in second chances!

OLLI will automatically add you to the waitlist if you are not selected in the lottery.

Equal opportunity for all!

This system, while different, is more fair. Everyone will have the same chance at a seat for high-demand and enrollment-limited courses, rather than those who manage to get through the registration process during an overload.

There is no penalty for being old school!

While we encourage you to register online, this system gives those who register by mail or phone the same odds as those who register online. Online registration is more efficient and does not rely on the Pony Express.

Frequently Asked Questions

OLLI at MSU will treat mail-in and phone lottery entries like online ones. To be eligible, OLLI at MSU must receive all entries by the lottery closing date.

When you enter a lottery for a program, you will choose from the following options:

  • Enter me together with a partner.

  • Enter me as an individual.

Choosing "enter me together with a partner" is the best way to ensure you will attend with your partner.

If you choose the option to enter with a partner, and your entry is selected, both members will be entered into the program. Both entrants must be OLLI at MSU members. After completing your lottery entry, please call 406-994-6646 or email [email protected] to notify the OLLI office of who your partner will be.

The size of classroom(s) we have available limits class sizes. Extremely large classes often reduce the ability to ask questions, engage in dialogue or see the text on the screen.

The size of spaces we visit limits enrollment for tours and travel experiences, including vehicles we use for travel, beds available for lodging, restaurant capacity and the ability of hosts to accommodate large groups.

We seek to secure additional class sections and tours whenever possible.

Offering multiple sections of a course or other program is dependent on venue, instructor or business availability and interest in teaching multiple times.

We love travel programs! We set up tours, speakers and non-refundable deposits months in advance. If travel programs prove popular, committee members and staff will discuss repeating the program in future semesters, if feasible.

Additional lottery drawings will occur if first-round entries cannot commit to the course or tour. If you cannot attend a class or tour, please notify us immediately so we can draw a new name from the waitlist and fill the roster.