Eligibility

Cornell retirees may be eligible to take up to six credit hours of tuition-free study in on-campus or online courses each semester.

To determine your eligibility, review Education Benefits at Cornell or contact the Office of Human Resources (607.255.3936).

Retiree tuition and fees

  • Up to six credits per semester: No tuition charge, but you're responsible for any course fees.
    • Course fees are typically associated with labs and studios.
    • Fees are listed with the course description on the Cornell University roster.
  • More than six credits in a semester: You'll pay tuition for all credits exceeding six and any course fees.

To register

1. Select your course(s)

If you haven't done so already, find your course and note your course number and title, which you will need to complete the following steps.

Also, review prerequisites, credit limits, and instructions for selecting courses.

Choose from

2. Request permission to register, if needed

If you wish to register in Summer/Winter courses, you may skip to Step B.

To register in Fall/Spring courses, you must request approval to join a course from the instructor, related department, or college registrar.

To determine from whom you need permission, see the list of required enrollment approvals by college. A sample email to send is included on this page.

Once you have received approval via email, please forward the message to cusce@cornell.edu. Please do not email approvals to SCE until your registration period has begun.

Note: This approval does not guarantee a spot in the class if it fills.

3. Submit a registration request form

Register online

This form will submit your registration request to the SCE Registrar’s Office.

Please keep in mind the registration deadline for your session:

4. Complete the Financial Responsibility Agreement

The Financial Responsibility Agreement

Please complete the Financial Responsibility Agreement. You are required to submit this form even though your tuition will be waived.

You will not be enrolled in classes until all requirements are met.

5. Complete the Term Checklist

The checklist will appear in your "To-Do List" in Student Center 1-2 days after your registration has been processed.

Detailed instructions will be sent via email.

You will not be enrolled in classes until all requirements are met.

6. Review your enrollment confirmation

Once you've completed the required steps and if there is space in your class(es), you'll be officially enrolled, and the SCE Registrar will send you an email from cusce@cornell.edu confirming enrollment.

Upon receiving an enrollment confirmation, please visit Student Center to verify that you are enrolled in the correct class(es) and that the correct grading basis is reflected.

Learn about course materials, textbooks, and course expectations.

Contact us if you have any questions about this process.