University Registration

University registration is the official recognition of a student’s relationship with the university and is the basic authorization for a student’s access to campus resources. Completion of registration is essential to enable the university to plan for and provide education and services, guided by the highest standards for safety and efficiency. The university assumes certain legal responsibilities for persons who participate as students in the university environment. As a result, specific requirements must be met in order to become a registered student.

To become a registered student at Cornell University, a person must:

• settle all financial accounts, including current semester tuition

• satisfy New York State and university health requirements

• have no holds from their college, the Office of the Judicial Administrator, Health Services, or the Bursar.

Enrollment in courses does not constitute or imply university registration.

Students who are not registered by the deadline risk being withdrawn from the university. When withdrawn, they will be dropped from classes, and services such as (but not limited to) library access, housing, dining, door access, Blackboard, and bus service will be terminated. The following late registration fees will be assessed if students become registered after the deadlines listed below.

Unauthorized, unregistered persons who use university services and attend classes have the potential to displace properly registered students, use university resources inappropriately, and jeopardize the security of the campus. The university reserves the right to require such persons to leave the university premises. The university does not permit retroactive registration. Courses and grades for students who have been withdrawn due to non-registration will not appear on official transcripts.

Leaves and Withdrawals

Students wishing to take a leave from their college are required to apply for a voluntary Leave of Absence (LOA) with an expected return date in a future semester. Medical leaves are granted by the student’s college upon recommendation by Health Services. Students on a LOA may not enroll in course work with the university (e.g., extramural studies, summer/winter session). Students on a LOA are not eligible for privileges afforded to full-time registered students, such as housing, dining, library and transportation services.

A college may place a student on leave of absence or withdraw a student who fails to meet the academic expectations of the college.  Also, a college may withdraw a student who fails to return at the end of a period of authorized leave.  Students may withdraw from the university at their own discretion.

Important information for financial aid applicants considering a leave or withdrawal:

Students attending Cornell University who are receiving federal Title IV financial aid (e.g., federal Stafford, PLUS, or Perkins loans; Pell or FSEOG) are required to return the portion of unearned federal aid if they withdraw, go on leave of absence, do not register, or otherwise fail to complete the period of enrollment for which the Title IV aid was provided. For federal aid purposes, a student is considered to have withdrawn from Cornell when a student ceases to be enrolled for any reason – required by the college, requested by the student, medical reasons, etc.

For more information regarding this, refer to the Financial Aid website, http://www.finaid.cornell.edu/policies.

In Absentia Status

Students who are studying in absentia are considered full-time students and must complete University Registration requirements for each of the semesters in which they are in absentia. Students who are not registered by the semester deadline risk being withdrawn from the university. See the Bursar, Tuition, and Billing  page for information regarding in absentia fees.