You can complete your final degree requirements at another college and transfer credits back to Cortland for degree conferral. You should speak to your academic advisor or Advisement and Transition to plan appropriately and to ensure all remaining requirements can transfer through the permission to transfer credit process. Consult your Degree Works audit and make sure all degree requirements and total credits will be fulfilled. Departments may require certain courses be completed at Cortland. The Writing Intensive requirement must be completed at Cortland.
Process
- Consult your academic advisor and complete the online Permission to Transfer Credit from Another Institution form.
- Advisement and Transition will review your request and consult your academic department as necessary. We will contact you at the phone/email on your form with questions and will email you an approval decision.
- Advisement and Transition communicates with your associate dean’s office and the Registrar's Office regarding your plan for graduation. If approved, you will receive a formal letter from your associate dean confirming your decision.
- Your student status at Cortland will change to “completing elsewhere,” which keeps you an active student for up to one year.
Financial Implications
You cannot use your Cortland financial aid to pay for courses at another college. Completing elsewhere status will also likely affect your loan repayment timeline. You are encouraged to contact your financial aid advisor and loan servicer to discuss your specific situation and options.
Your Final Steps
- Register at the other college. It is your responsibility to contact the other college and follow their procedures for course registration. SUNY Cortland will not register you at another college. You will most likely be registering as a visiting student. Course availability could be limited to you as a visiting student. You should research the college’s registration policies and course availability before deciding to complete elsewhere.
- Apply for SUNY Cortland degree conferral (graduation). You must apply for degree conferral via your myRedDragon account for the term in which all requirements will be complete.
- Resolve any holds on your account at Cortland. You can view any outstanding balances (unpaid tuition, parking tickets, etc.) on your account through your myRedDragon account.
- Request a final transcript. When you complete the course(s) at the other college and your grade is posted, it is your responsibility to request an official transcript from the college to be sent to SUNY Cortland. Only completed courses with a grade of C- or better transfer. Your degree cannot be conferred if the transfer process is not successful. Not sending transcripts in a timely fashion will delay the conferral of your degree. Direct transcripts to:
- The Registrar's Office, P.O. Box 2000, Cortland, NY 13045
- If the other college offers a secure .pdf transmission option, send to Registrar'sOffice@cortland.edu
Timeline
You will be granted one calendar year from your last semester enrolled at SUNY Cortland to complete your final degree requirements. Semesters of Cortland registration for student teaching, internships, study abroad or online coursework are considered Cortland enrollment. If you exceed one year to complete your requirements, you will be required to officially apply for readmission to the College.
Readmission
To readmit to SUNY Cortland, you need to file an Application for Readmission to the Registrar's Office and pay a $50 fee. Readmission does not require you to physically return to Cortland to complete courses. It re-establishes you as an active student after an extended time away. Readmitted students re-enter Cortland under the College Catalog in effect at the time of readmission. Degree requirements may change in your time way, and you could be required to complete additional courses. It is to your benefit to complete your requirements within one year of leaving Cortland to avoid readmission.