Under SUNY Cross Registration and through the WNY Consortium, full-time UB students can cross-register (register without incurring additional tuition and fees) at other SUNY institutions, and students at other SUNY institutions can cross-register at UB. Advisor or academic departmental approval is required for cross-registration.
Important Information for Students Who Want to Cross-Register Elsewhere
Cross-registration is available for spring and fall terms only. Students may not cross-register during summer or winter sessions.
UB students may cross-register at participating institutions only for degree-applicable courses and only when one of the following applies:
An equivalent course is not available at UB.
The enrollment capacity has been reached in all UB offerings.
The student has a time conflict between two required courses that must be completed this semester.
The student has reached the limit for repeated attempts in the course.
In addition, other institutions may have restrictions on cross-registering students who are enrolling in certain courses.
Holds May Prevent Action
A hold is an action used by the university to prevent students from registering for or resigning from classes, receiving grades, and/or releasing student records, including diplomas, enrollment certification or transcripts, until the reason for the hold has been resolved with the office that placed it.
Holds may be placed by various offices on campus. Reasons could include (but are not limited to) outstanding financial obligations or failing to submit the required documents requested by the university.
The total number of credits for an undergraduate student’s registration (including UB and cross-registered courses) cannot exceed 19 credits per semester.
WNY Consortium
Undergraduate students cross-registering at a WNY Consortium school must be enrolled full-time.
Graduate students cross-registering at a WNY Consortium school must be enrolled for at least nine credits.
Students participating in the WNY Consortium may cross-register for one course.
SUNY Cross-Registration
UB students cross-registering at a SUNY school must be enrolled for at least six UB credits.
Students who cross-register at another SUNY institution may cross-register for up to six credit hours.
Only the University at Buffalo, State University College at Buffalo, and State University College at Fredonia permit graduate-level cross registration.
Enrollment at a community college requires proof of permanent residency in New York State for 12 months. Individual counties may have additional residency requirements. Students should check with the community college’s Bursar’s Office for further details.
The student is responsible for course fees associated with specific courses. Additionally, some community colleges may charge course registration or other course-related fees.
UB students who register for a course for which they were not approved may be charged by the other institution. Likewise, students who cross-register at UB will be charged by UB if they register for a course other than that for which they were approved.
Students wishing to drop or withdrawal from their course(s) at another institution must follow that institution’s rules and deadlines.
Cross-registration during a student’s final semester at UB may delay degree conferral, since credit will need to be transferred from that institution.
Try to Keep Students Engaged at UB Before Seeking Cross-Registration
Although, in certain circumstances, cross-registration can be a valuable tool for shortening time to degree, there are potential negatives to unnecessary cross-registration.
When UB students cross-register at other institutions, these students are less engaged in academic and student life at UB, which may negatively impact their success and retention.
SUNY Cross-Registration allows for community colleges to charge tuition to UB, and UB does not receive SUNY funding for cross-registered credits.
When an advisor reviews the request, we ask that you make the best judgment you can in support of the policy's intention, which is to keep students engaged at UB and to have them enroll in UB courses before seeking cross-registration elsewhere.
Cross-Registration Process
1. Student completes appropriate form and brings the form to their advisor in their academic department.
Deadline: Students are encouraged to obtain the necessary approval from their advisor after the first day of open enrollment for the term, and with adequate time for approval and processing before the end of drop/add for the host institution.
Determining the appropriate form:
UB student cross-registering at another SUNY institution: SUNY Cross Registration form.
UB student cross-registering at a non-SUNY institution within the WNY Consortium: WNY Consortium form.
The form must list the class for which the student is registering. Registration for a class other than the one approved may result in tuition being charged to the student.
2. Advisor reviews the requested cross-registration, reviews the student record for holds, advises the student, and approves or denies the request based on course capacity at UB.
The advisor indicates the decision on the form and signs. We recognize that class availability is fluid, and advisors should make their determinations based upon the status of the class at the time that the request is reviewed. UB course equivalencies should be determined by looking up the host institution’s course in TAURUS.
There is a UB equivalent listed in TAURUS and, for that equivalent:
Class is closed.
Reserved seats are available for students who do not meet the requirements.
Class offering conflicts with another class on the student’s schedule, and the conflicting class is a requirement for which no other sections are available.
Course with availability is an impacted course under the Course Enrollment Control Policy, and the student has already attempted the course once, or any course in which the student has already taken the course twice and cannot register themself:
If open registration has begun and the department refuses to force the student into the course. (Alternatives, such as a change of major or attempting a different course to meet a requirement, should be discussed before approval.)
If the host institution course is the second in a sequence for which both courses are required to receive transfer credit at UB. (For example, students must complete A&P I and II to be equivalent to both anatomy and physiology at UB. ANA113 is often full, but PGY 300 typically is not. Without the second transfer course in the sequence, however, the first course is not equivalent to anything at UB, so the second course in the sequence can be approved for cross-registration.)
If the student is not located in Western New York due to a clinical assignment outside of the area, cross-registration can be approved for online courses that are not available online at UB.
There is a UB equivalent listed in TAURUS and, for that equivalent:
Open registration has not yet begun, so the advisor can deny the request pending availability once open registration begins.
Unreserved seats are available.
Reserved seats are available for student who meets the requirements.
Class offering conflicts with another class on the student’s schedule, and:
Conflicting class is an elective.
Conflicting class is a requirement, but another section is offered with seats available.
Class offering conflicts with work schedule or other personal obligation.
Course with availability is an impacted course under the Course Enrollment Control Policy and student has already attempted the course once; or any course in which the student has already taken the course twice and cannot register themself assuming open registration has begun and student has not yet contacted the department to be forced into the course.
3. Student submits form to the Student Response Center.
Student Response Center staff confirm approval of the advisor, no holds preventing registration, and the student’s full-time registration and sign off on the form. The original is returned to the student, and a copy is sent to the Office of the Registrar.
4. Student takes form to host institution and gets approval and registration via their process.
5. Host institution sends registration information to UB.
6. Upon receipt of registration information from host institutions, the Office of the Registrar reviews and monitors.
The Office of the Registrar places the student in the cross-registration student group, effective for the approved semester only.
The Office of the Registrar tracks the approved and registered courses in an Excel spreadsheet.
Monitoring:
The Office of the Registrar will track cross-registration approvals and notify the host institution when students drop below full-time at UB or the student cross-registers for a course other than that which was approved. In both instances, the cross-registration request is no longer approved, and the host institution can charge tuition to the UB student.
Timing: The Office of the Registrar will monitor for full-time status after the 15-week drop/add deadline and the 8 Week 2 drop/add deadline. The Office of the Registrar will monitor approved course registrations once registration information is received from the host institution.
7. Upon completion of the course, the host institution sends the student’s transcript to UB, and the Office of the Registrar adds the course to the student record as transfer credit.