What does On Hold mean in ALEKS?
ALEKS has your registration but hasn’t opened the class to you yet. On your My Classes page the class sits in the On Hold section instead of Active, and the label on its tile tells you why:
| Label on the tile | What it means | Who clears it | Where this comes from |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pending Instructor Authorization | You added the class with a class code and your instructor hasn’t approved you yet | Your instructor, from Authorize Students | McGraw Hill’s self-enrollment sheet |
| No License Available | Your school has no compatible license free for the class | It applies on its own once a license is available; your instructor is emailed | Registration instructions posted by SUNY ESF |
The first label appears in the screenshot on McGraw Hill’s sheet, under an “On Hold (1)” heading. The second comes from a McGraw Hill Education-branded copy of the ALEKS student registration instructions posted by SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry. We didn’t find that wording on a McGraw Hill page, so treat it as school-reported.
How does your instructor authorize you in ALEKS?
From their class dashboard. McGraw Hill’s instructor sheet lists four steps:
- Open the class dashboard and click Authorize Students in the Class Information panel. “The number next to this link indicates how many students require authorization for that class.”
- Select the students and click Authorize.
- Review the details, “including student name(s), subscription length, and total subscriptions to be used,” then click Confirm.
- A confirmation appears, “and the student(s) will be registered in ALEKS.”
Two things on that screen can keep you waiting. Authorizing uses up subscriptions, so the class needs some to spare. And the screen notes that “Students should only have one ALEKS account registered per class,” with a Do Not Authorize action for suspected duplicates. If you made two accounts, tell your instructor which one to keep.
What does No License Available mean?
That the license your class needs isn’t free yet. The SUNY ESF copy of the instructions says: “If no compatible license is available at your institution at this point, the class tile will display in the On Hold section of My Classes with the indicator No License Available. Your instructor will receive an email notification, and when a compatible license becomes available it will apply automatically and the class will become active, the tile moving to the Active section.”
McGraw Hill’s own support center explains the school side of “compatible.” “Each class in ALEKS is configured to use a specific type (i.e., length) of subscription,” and “The class will allow registration only if there are subscriptions available of the type it is configured to use.” Its fix is for teachers: check with the school’s ALEKS administrator which subscription type is available, then change the class’s subscription length under Class Administration. Those are instructor and administrator steps, so your part is to pass the label on.
How do you add an ALEKS class with a class code?
With the 10-character class code from your instructor. If you already have an ALEKS account, McGraw Hill’s self-enrollment sheet gives these steps:
- Log in at aleks.com. If your previous class was archived, click Continue on the welcome screen.
- Open the main menu in the upper-left corner and select Manage My Classes.
- Click Add/Change Class and enter the class code. “If you don’t know the class code, ask your instructor.”
- Check the class details. If the school, instructor or class is wrong, select Previous and re-enter the code. If it’s right, click Confirm.
- The class shows On Hold until your instructor authorizes you. Once it’s Active, click the class name to enter.
New to ALEKS? McGraw Hill’s standalone registration deck for colleges starts at ALEKS.com with Sign Up and the same 10-character course code, then asks how you’ll get access: an ALEKS access code, a purchase by credit card or PayPal, or “the code provided by your instructor for two-week temporary access.”
If your course is in Canvas or another LMS, use the LMS link. McGraw Hill’s Canvas sheet has you open the ALEKS tool link in your course, create or sign in to your ALEKS account, and then enter a 20-character access code or buy one. Its February 2025 implementation post says that for grades to flow to the LMS, students “need to have registered for the class by clicking on the ALEKS LTIA link,” and that students who sign up “on ALEKS.com with a course code instead of through your LMS” end up “unpaired.” Signing up both ways can also leave you with a duplicate account.
What should you send your instructor?
Enough for them to find you in the Authorize Students list on the first try. Our suggested checklist:
- Your full name as you entered it in ALEKS, and your ALEKS login name.
- The class code you used, and the class name and instructor shown on your On Hold tile.
- The exact label on the tile: Pending Instructor Authorization or No License Available.
- Whether you registered through your LMS link or at ALEKS.com, and whether you have more than one ALEKS account.
- When you registered, and any due date that is coming up while you wait.
If the tile shows the wrong instructor or school, your code may belong to another section. Ask your instructor for the right code before anyone authorizes the wrong class.
When should you contact ALEKS support?
When the problem isn’t the approval itself. Authorization happens in your instructor’s class dashboard, so start with them for On Hold. In our view, ALEKS support is the right call for login trouble, access code or payment problems, error messages during registration, or a class that stays On Hold after your instructor says they authorized you. McGraw Hill’s ALEKS student support page lists phone 1 (800) 258-2374, an online support request form and chat, with hours of Sunday 4:00 PM to 1:00 AM ET, Monday to Thursday 10:00 AM to 10:00 PM ET, and Friday 10:00 AM to 9:00 PM ET.
What happens when your ALEKS class turns Active?
You can enter it, and you may start with a Knowledge Check. McGraw Hill’s sheet notes: “You may have to complete a new Knowledge Check upon entering the class.” For a new registration, the SUNY ESF copy says you begin “with the ALEKS Tools Tutorial.” Our guide to how ALEKS Knowledge Checks work explains what that first check does to your pie. If a due date passes while you wait, any extension is your instructor’s call, so raise it with them early.
Where Silent Student fits
We make Silent Student, a desktop app that works through Canvas courses and the courseware they link to. It signs in as you, so it sees the same On Hold tile you do and cannot authorize a class or apply a license. More: Silent Student on ALEKS.
Questions people ask
Why is my ALEKS class on hold?
Usually your instructor hasn’t authorized your registration yet. McGraw Hill says the class stays On Hold until they do, then changes to Active. One school’s registration instructions also list No License Available as a cause.
What does Pending Instructor Authorization mean in ALEKS?
You added the class with a class code, and your instructor still needs to approve you from Authorize Students on their class dashboard. After that, the class moves to Active.
How long does ALEKS keep a class on hold?
Until your instructor authorizes you, or until a compatible license becomes available. McGraw Hill gives no fixed time, so message your instructor with your name, login name and class code.
Where do I find my ALEKS class code?
From your instructor. It is a 10-character code, and McGraw Hill says to ask your instructor if you don’t know it. If your course is in an LMS such as Canvas, register through the ALEKS link there instead.
Will I have to take a Knowledge Check after my ALEKS class is authorized?
Possibly. McGraw Hill notes that you may have to complete a new Knowledge Check upon entering the class.
Who should I contact if my ALEKS class is on hold?
Your instructor first, because authorization happens on their class dashboard. Contact ALEKS support at 1 (800) 258-2374 or its online form for login, access code or registration errors.
Sources
All fetched and checked October 20, 2026 unless a line says otherwise.
- Self-Enrolling as a Student in ALEKS (McGraw Hill, PDF written for schools)
- Authorizing Students to Enter Class After Self-Registration (McGraw Hill, PDF written for schools)
- Why does it say there are no subscriptions available to register my students? (McGraw Hill ALEKS support)
- Student Registration Instructions (McGraw Hill Education-branded copy posted by SUNY ESF; undated; a school-hosted page)
- ALEKS Student Registration: Standalone Access (McGraw Hill higher-ed slide deck)
- Canvas: Student Pairing with Access Code (McGraw Hill, PDF)
- Ask an ALEKS Implementation Manager: Using LMS Grade Sync (McGraw Hill higher-ed blog, February 1, 2025)
- ALEKS Student Support (McGraw Hill, contact details and hours)
How this guide was made. We read each McGraw Hill page and file listed above on October 20, 2026 and quote them directly. The No License Available wording comes from a school-hosted copy, and we label it that way. The checklist of what to send your instructor and the advice on when to call support are our suggestions, not McGraw Hill’s. We wrote the guide with AI assistance and checked each quote against its source.
Related guides: How does ALEKS grading work? · How do ALEKS Knowledge Checks work? · Is there an ALEKS answer key? · All guides · ALEKS
Written by the company that makes Silent Student. Silent Student is not affiliated with or endorsed by McGraw Hill. ALEKS and McGraw Hill are trademarks of their owners.