Readmission

By adhering to the below guidelines, your readmission application is enhanced but not automatic. While Cortland welcomes your application, readmission is not guaranteed. The circumstances under which you left Cortland, the length of time away, previous academic achievement at Cortland and grades earned in coursework while away all factor into your readmission decision.  All students seeking readmission must file the application and send official transcripts from all colleges attended during the time away from Cortland.  See the application and process section below for details. 

Returning after an Academic Suspension

• Eligible to apply after two semesters. Summer Session may be considered one semester. 
• Need to complete 24 credits at another college and earn a minimum 2.75 GPA, or when given special permission from your associate dean:
  
  • Successful employment with letter of recommendation from your employer. If it is necessary for you to work, part-time college enrollment will enhance your readmission application.
  • Military service with any branch of the U.S. Armed Forces with an honorable discharge

Returning after an Academic Dismissal

• Eligible to apply after three years
• Need to complete 24 credits at another college and earn a minimum 2.75 GPA, or when given special permission from your associate dean:
  
  • Successful employment with letter of recommendation from your employer. If it is necessary for you to work, part-time college enrollment will enhance your readmission application.
  • Military service with any branch of the U.S. Armed Forces with an honorable discharge

Returning after a Disciplinary Suspension/Dismissal  

• Eligible to apply after time away/date determined by Student Conduct Office
• Need to successfully complete all sanctions and meet all conditions to return as outlined by Student Conduct Office
• Need to complete readmission application and requirements

Returning after a Withdrawal, Lapsed Leave of Absence or Interruption in Attendance

A student will need to apply for readmission in order to resume taking classes if any of these three items are true:

1. the student filed an official Withdrawal from College form
2. the student initially was approved for a Leave of Absence but did not register at Cortland again within a year
3. the student stopped attending and did not register at Cortland for one semester or more

• Students are eligible to reapply at any time; there is no specified time away from campus.
• Students who left in good academic standing will generally be accepted for readmission.
• A specific GPA may be required for readmission to certain majors.

Returning for Graduation/Degree Conferral Only

Students who planned on transferring their remaining credits for graduation and have not completed all degree requirements within one year of leaving Cortland need to apply for readmission. Readmission does not require you to physically return to campus or to register for courses. If you completed final degree requirements while away from Cortland, readmission re-establishes you as an active student again after an extended time away and allows for the transfer of credit and degree conferral. 

Process

• Complete the online Application for Readmission. Payment can be submitted online upon submission of the application. 
• You will receive email confirmation of your application submission that contains a link to submit payment. The $50 application fee is non-refundable.
• Resolve account holds.
  • If you have any outstanding financial obligations to the College or other holds on your Cortland record, they need to be resolved before your application will be processed. The Registrar’s Office will notify you via email if you have holds upon receipt of your application.
  • Your application will be held until the hold is resolved.
• Send official college transcripts from all colleges attended while away from SUNY Cortland. You can make this request through the other college's Registrar/Student Records office.  Many campuses offer secure electronic transmission of transcripts.  Transcripts can be received and processed more quickly with this method and can be directed to registrar@cortland.edu.  For paper transcripts, send sealed, official transcripts and direct to:  

SUNY Cortland Registrar's Office
Attn: Transcripts
P.O. Box 2000
Cortland, NY 13045

Deadlines

Readmission applications are accepted and reviewed on a rolling basis.  We recommend you submit your application once you feel confirmed in your decision to reapply.  Additional time will ease your transition back to campus and assist in critical processes such as academic advising, course registration, and housing.  However, you must submit the completed readmission application and pay the non-refundable readmission fee by the below deadlines for consideration:

• To return for the Fall semester – July 30
• To return for the Spring semester – November 30
• To return for the Summer semester – April 30

Decisions

The decision on your readmission application is made by your associate dean. You will be notified of your readmission decision in writing to the address on your application from the associate dean's office. 

• School of Arts and Sciences Dean's Office
• School of Education Dean's Office
• School of Professional Studies Dean's Office

Academic Course Reset is intended to assist undergraduate students accepted for readmission on academic probation to return to good academic standing and accomplish their educational goals. With Course Reset, students choose to exclude up to 18 credits of D+ or below grades (D+,D, D- or E/F) in order to return with a 2.0 overall GPA.

Eligibility:

• Students must meet all criteria for readmission and be accepted for readmission
• Students must be away from campus for a minimum of one calendar year (or two full semesters)

Considerations:

• All reset grades will remain on the student’s academic transcript and will be denoted as academic reset grades.
• Credit will be lost for course reset grades
• Previous grades and credit will still be used to calculate financial aid eligibility. Students are encouraged to discuss their individual situation with a Financial Aid advisor.

Students interested in applying for academic course reset should contact their associate dean. 

Credit Evaluation Upon Readmission

Upon successful readmission, Advisement and Transition will evaluate your completed coursework from other colleges and award transfer credit for courses in which you earned a grade of C- or better. You will be notified via email that your transfer credit evaluation is complete.

• Understanding your credit evaluation and degree audit
• Transfer policies

If you have courses still in progress, you will need to request an additional transcript to be sent to Cortland when your final grades are posted. Your credit evaluation will then be updated to include your final semester courses. We can provide assistance with requesting additional transcripts and test scores.  

Choosing Courses While Away from Cortland

If you plan to complete courses while away from Cortland, here are some helpful tips:

• Review your Degree Works audit (or the most recent College Catalog). Choose courses that fulfill general education, foreign language, and lower-division major requirements.
• Review the Transfer Equivalency Charts. Cortland maintains transfer equivalency charts for SUNY two- and four-year campuses as well as some other New York colleges. Consult the charts to see how courses will transfer back to Cortland.
• Avoid taking courses that you failed (or in which you earned a D). Re-taking courses that you failed at SUNY Cortland can significantly improve your GPA and assist you in returning to good academic standing upon your return to Cortland. If you earned a D in a course, you earned credit and you cannot transfer credit in for a course for which you already earned credit at Cortland.  
• Contact Advisement and Transition for assistance. Advisement and Transition can assist in evaluating courses that are not on our online charts and provide advisement on transfer policy and the readmission process.  
  •  Use the Transfer Credit Advisement for Inactive Student form (PDF) for confirmation on how your coursework will transfer back to Cortland upon readmission.     

Readmission Catalog Term and Degree Requirements

Readmitted students re-enter SUNY Cortland under the College Catalog at the time of readmission. You are, therefore, responsible for meeting all the program, degree, general education and teacher certification requirements in effect at the time of readmission. 

Since programs change over time, you may face new requirements upon readmission. The longer the gap between periods of enrollment the more likely it is that you will need additional coursework. Students should consult the latest College Catalog to see the requirements for their desired program. 

Academic Advisement

Once you have been successfully readmitted, contact your academic department to connect with your academic advisor.  Your academic advisor will advise you on coursework for the upcoming semester as well as provide your time-ticket and registration PIN. Readmitted students are not eligible to waive additional general education requirements. 

Course Registration

After you have received advisement on the appropriate coursework, you may have access to register on the web for courses via myRedDragon.The Registrar's Office can provide registration information and help. You may also visit the registration guide for step by step registration instructions.

Financial Aid

If you plan on using financial aid services at Cortland, you are encouraged to reach out to the Financial Aid Office to discuss your specific situation and plan for your return. Each student will be assigned a financial aid advisor to work with throughout their time at Cortland.  

• If you have not been registered at another college while away from Cortland and have not been receiving financial aid in the current year, you will need to apply for financial aid by filing the FAFSA and New York State Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) application. You should file for aid at the same you apply for readmission.
• If you have filed a FAFSA and TAP application for the current year, you will need to ensure Cortland is listed as one of the colleges on your applications so Cortland receives your financial information.
  • FAFSA Federal School Code: 002843
  • TAP Undergraduate School Code: 0910

Students who are accepted for readmission to Cortland and have filed for aid will be reviewed by the Financial Aid Office and receive a financial aid award package. 

Student Accounts and Billing

While you are not a new student to Cortland, you may find it helpful to review student account/payment information through the Beginner's Guide to Student Accounts. Questions regarding payment procedures and options can be directed to the Student Accounts Office. 

As a reminder, we do not mail bills. Your myRedDragon account is the official location where your billing statement is posted. 

Communication from Financial Aid and Billing

Once you are accepted for readmission, all communication from the Financial Aid and Student Accounts offices will be directed to your Cortland email address. It is important that you begin to check your Cortland email again regularly. If you need assistance in re-establishing your Cortland email address and myRedDragon access, contact The Help Center. 

On-Campus Housing

As a readmitted student, we encourage you to take advantage of the benefits of living on campus to support your academic success: close access to your classes, campus resources and campus activities. If you would like to live on campus again, you will need to complete the housing wait-list form with Residence Life and Housing. If you are readmitting with freshman or sophomore class standing, you are guaranteed housing. If you are readmitting at junior or senior class standing, you are not guaranteed housing, but will most likely be able to be housed. 

To Access the Housing Wait List Form

• Log into the housing portal. Note: Students need active myRedDragon account to access housing portal.  
• Go to Forms and select Wait List Housing Request for the appropriate semester.

Housing Form Availability

• For fall semester housing, form will be available in February.
• For spring semester housing, form will be available in October.

Off-Campus Housing

SUNY Cortland does not inspect or supervise off-campus properties but does maintain a list of off-campus housing options. We also provide information to assist with your off-campus living experience. 

Meal Plans

All on-campus students, except for students living at West Campus Apartments or the Judson H. Taylor Leadership House, must have a meal plan and are automatically signed up and billed for a Silver Plus plan. To review/adjust your meal plan or to purchase an off-campus meal plan, contact Cortland Auxiliary Services (CAS). 

myRedDragon

myRedDragon is an online portal which pulls together important processes and resources for students. You will use myRedDragon to register for classes, pay your bill, review your degree audit, access course materials, receive your grades and link to many other important resources.  

You will access your myRedDragon account with your campus NetID — your username and password. Your username is typically "firstname.lastname." 

If you need assistance to establish or re-establish access to myRedDragon after you are accepted for readmission, contact The Help Center at 607-753-2500 or THC@cortland.edu. You will need your Cortland ID number (C00XXXXXX), which you can find on your readmission letter. 

Campus Email

All students will be assigned a Cortland email address. After you are readmitted, you will be expected to check your Cortland email address since this is where official College communication will be sent. Your email address typically is firstname.lastname@cortland.edu and can be accessed through your myRedDragon account. 

Degree Works

Your Degree Works audit outlines all your requirements for your Cortland degree, tracking your completed courses and GPA and showing what you still need to complete. You will use your audit to assist with academic advisement and registration throughout your time at Cortland. You can access your Degree Works audit on the Student Tab in your myRedDragon account. For first time assistance, review the Degree Works for Students web page or our brief videos. 

Your Cortland ID

You will need to obtain a Cortland ID card again to access resources on campus. Your Cortland ID is not only required as your official campus identification but also serves as your library card and provides access to your residence hall front door, your meal plan, the Student Life Center and more. ID cards cost $15 and can be obtained through Cortland Auxiliary Services in Neubig Hall.  

Visit our Guide to Student Success for additional resources.