Admission shall be without regard to sex, age, race and ethnicity, color, religion, disability, national origin, sexual orientation, military status or marital status. The two principal requirements for admission as an undergraduate are:

• Possession of a regionally accredited high school diploma or its equivalent.
• The ability of Empire State University to meet the applicant’s explicit and implicit educational needs and objectives.

Although the majority of applicants to the university are admitted, the university reserves the right to deny admission based on its inability to meet an applicant’s needs. An applicant wishing to secure certain professional licensures or certificates may be denied admission because the university does not offer such programs. Empire State University does not use standardized test scores as part of its application for admissions. You can apply online.

Undergraduate Admissions Procedures

Applications are reviewed on a first-come, first-served basis. All application materials including all previous college transcripts must be received before the deadline to guarantee review of your application for your term of choice. Once your application is complete, if space is not available for that term, you will be eligible to enroll in the next available term.

The university has a three-term academic calendar with overlapping eight-week Express Terms each fall, spring and summer.  Application deadlines for each of the terms follows.

Undergraduate Admissions Application Deadlines

Term	Application Deadlines
Fall 2023	August 1
Fall 2023 Express Term Two	September 28
Spring 2024	December 8
Spring 2024 Express Term Two	February 2
Summer 2024	April 12
Summer 2024 Express Term Two	May 17

Application deadlines do change from term to term. Please visit the admissions web page for the most current deadlines.

Some programs may not be able to accommodate all students.¹ Potential students are, therefore, urged to apply well in advance of their desired enrollment term date. Applicants who do not complete the application and orientation process in one year will need to reapply.

¹

Admission to the School of Nursing and Allied Health is selective and competitive. Applications are thereafter reviewed and accepted for the appropriate term. In order to expedite a fair review, students are encouraged to submit all necessary application requirements promptly and concisely.

Orientation

After applicants have been admitted, they will be auto enrolled in orientation. Orientation is an important introduction to the university that prepares a newly admitted student for their first term. Orientation includes:

• Various ways to study at SUNY Empire;
• What a mentor is and how mentorship works;
• How to plan and pay for a university degree;
• Rights and responsibilities as a student; and
• Provides supports and resources available to students.

Readmission Procedures

Students in good academic and financial standing who have previously attended the university may re-enroll at their location up to three calendar years from the date on which their last enrollment ended. Students who wish to re-enroll more than three years after their last enrollment must reapply. Reapplication includes paying the nonrefundable $50 orientation fee, submitting proof of regionally accredited high school completion and resubmitting transcripts from previous institutions.

Nonmatriculated Undergraduate Students

Resources and space permitting, the university allows students to enroll in credit bearing studies or courses as nonmatriculated students. Financial aid is not available for nonmatriculated study. Also, students who ultimately wish to earn a degree from SUNY Empire are advised to limit nonmatriculated study, as the studies may not be appropriate to a future degree program.

To take courses as a nondegree or nonmatriculated student, please fill out the application for nondegree study.

State Authorization for the Provision of Online Education

Federal regulations require that colleges and universities that participate in Title IV funding and offer degree programming through distance or online education to students in other states, must seek approval from those states to offer such programs.

Empire State University is working to comply with each state’s regulations and to maintain the necessary authorizations to continue providing our online degree programs. As a member of the National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (NC-SARA), SUNY Empire is authorized to offer its online degree programs to residents of all other NC-SARA participating states. A complete list of states that are participants of NC-SARA can be found on their website.

If a state or U.S. territory is not participating in NC-SARA, please visit our State Authorization for the Provision of Online Education web page to check on the status of Empire State University’s authorization in your state of residence. All states are considered “registration approved” unless listed otherwise. If your state is not currently approved, we cannot accept your application for admission to an online degree program at this time.

Complaint Resolution

SUNY Empire, as a provider of distance or online education, is required by the United States Department of Education to provide all prospective and current out-of-state students with contact information for the appropriate agency in their home state that handles complaints against institutions offering distance learning within that state.

Students are encouraged to follow the university’s student problem resolution process prior to filing a complaint with a state agency.

For further information, please visit the Non-New York Residents page.

International Student Services

Empire State University is authorized under federal law to issue Department of Homeland Security Form I-20 documents to nonimmigrant students. Empire State University limits its issuance of the I-20 document to Canadian non-immigrant students who wish to study in the U.S. at one of our programs as border commuter students. Students who wish to travel to the U.S. to study should see other State University of New York options on the SUNY Web site.

Students can earn a degree with Empire State University from wherever they live in the world entirely online through our international distance learning options. To learn more, please visit the SUNY Empire Online web site.

Canadian Border Commuter Student Admission

Canadian students who maintain their residence in Canada and travel to the U.S. for required residencies, orientations or meetings with their mentors are considered border commuter students and must apply for admission to the university and meet the following additional admission documentation requirements:

• Students whose first language is not English must demonstrate that they have sufficient English proficiency to study at SUNY Empire. Applicants may be required to take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). Please visit our international students web page for:
• Test score information;
• Proof of financial ability to pay for tuition;
• Proof of health insurance coverage.

Canadian transcripts must be in English and from institutions approved by the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada (AUCC) or Canadian Colleges of Applied Arts and Technology (CAAT). These transcripts must be submitted directly from the issuing institution to SUNY Empire. High school documents must show the approval of the ministry of education. All other transcripts from non-U.S. educational documents must be evaluated by a member organization of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES). Evaluation reports must be submitted directly from an approved evaluation service to the university. Copies of evaluations sent by the student will not be accepted.

I-20 Information

Canadian border commuter students must obtain an I-20 to study in the U.S. Canadian citizens are not required to apply for or hold an F-1 student visa in order to enter the U.S., however, permanent residents of Canada who are not Canadian citizens will need to apply for a F-1 student visa at a U.S. Embassy or Consulate once they have applied for and received their initial I-20 from the university.

Canadian border commuter students accepted to the university are entered into the federal Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS), generating the student’s I-20. All international students who are issued an I-20 document are required to pay the federal SEVIS fee. The current fee is $350 and must be paid directly to the U.S. government. More information on the SEVIS fee and how to pay it is available on the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's I-901 SEVIS Fee web page. Students are required to present receipt of this payment when they cross into the U.S. Border commuter students are issued a new I-20 each term, but are not required to pay the SEVIS fee for each consecutive term they are in attendance. If a student does not maintain status for each consecutive term, he or she will be required to pay a new SEVIS fee when issued a new I-20.

To cross the border, students are required to have a valid passport, an I-20 issued for the current term, their SEVIS fee receipt and their financial documents.

Border-commuter students must attend classes on a part-time basis and should submit new financial documents to the International Student Services coordinator every term, in order to receive a new I-20 for that term.

Students should contact the International Student Services coordinator once they have registered for their program so that their registration is entered into SEVIS, demonstrating that they are in status. The earliest border commuter student may enter the U.S. is 30 days before the start of the term.

Canadian border commuter students are not eligible for financial aid, college-sponsored scholarships or employment while studying with Empire State University. Border commuter students are always considered nonresidents for tuition purposes. Border commuter students are not allowed to establish residency in the U.S.

For visa or international student questions, please contact the International Education at international@sunyempire.edu or toll free at 800-847-3000.

For regular admissions requirements visit the Admissions Requirements web page. Please visit the international students web page for more detailed information on Canadian border commuter student admissions requirements, including demonstration of financial resources and evaluation of non-U.S. credentials. All documents should be mailed to Admissions, Empire State University, 111 West Ave., Saratoga Springs, NY 12866-4390, Attention: International Student Liaison, U.S.A.

To Find Out More

You can obtain information about the university in a number of ways:

• Information about online information sessions and phone information sessions are available by calling the Student Information Center (SIC) at 800-847-3000.
• Visit the university’s website.
• Visit one of the more than 15 locations across New York state.
• Request information by writing to:
  Admissions
  Empire State University
  111 West Ave.
  Saratoga Springs, NY 12866-6069
  or calling:
  800-847-3000
  or email us at:
  Admissions@sunyempire.edu

To Apply Online

To apply, visit the university’s admissions web page.