Visiting Students

Student works on computer

Purchase welcomes you to continue your studies here as a visiting student.

Taking Classes as a Visiting Student is Easy.

Students from other colleges and adults with a high school diploma or its equivalent are welcome to take classes for credit at Purchase College. Tuition is affordable and credits are easily transferrable.

Satisfy Core Requirements or Your Curiosity.

Whether you hope to fulfill general education requirements or delve into a couple of unique electives, you can rely on Purchase for rigorous and creative coursework with fantastic instructors.

Choose from hundreds of courses in subjects ranging from psychology, ecology, biology, and psychology to economics to math and computer science to race, gender, and politics. Browse the classes offered here.

Just follow the simple steps “How To Become a Visiting Student” below.

The Details…

Visiting students, also known as “non-matriculated,” are responsible for the college’s tuition, fees, and other applicable charges and are bound by all college policies, including our refund policy.

For financial aid, please contact the financial aid office at your home institution. Veterans should visit our Veterans’ Services page to learn more about services available to them.

Please reference the Academic Calendar for information regarding registration schedules and deadlines.

Who is Considered a Visiting Student?

Visiting students:

are undergraduates who are matriculated at another college and wish to take courses at Purchase during the academic year;
remain matriculated at their home institution and are considered non-matriculated students at Purchase;
may take courses upon availability and may require permission from instructors to enroll in courses not typically open to non-majors;
are prohibited from enrolling in internship courses and may not become learning assistants;
may not register for more than 18 credits in a semester and may be dismissed if they do not meet academic standing requirements;

Please note: Some campus services may be available to visiting students. Please check with individual offices to determine availability.

Interested in Transferring?

Another option is to transfer and matriculate here fully. You’ll need to apply, but you can submit an application until July 31. Visit our Transfer page or email admissions@purchase.edu for more information.

How to Become a Visiting Student

If you are a new visiting student, complete and submit the Student Data Form. Refer to the Student Data Form instructions for assistance. If you receive a “duplicate” error message, please wait until the next business day and then proceed to the next step.

Approximately 15 minutes after submitting your student information, you’ll want to visit purchase.edu/activate to activate your email account. To do so, you’ll need the personal email account you provided when submitting your information or your Social Security Number.

Course descriptions and schedule information are available on the myHeliotrope course search. Once you’ve selected your class, you’ll want to register via the Add/Drop link in myHeliotrope. For more help, review the Registration User Guide.

Students must meet any course prerequisites. Visiting students from other colleges are responsible for obtaining approval from their college to transfer Purchase College credits back to their college before registering for credit courses.

Now that you’re a current student, when you need to access your information visit the Current Student portal. This will also keep you informed of campus announcements.

For visiting students, bill payment is due within 24 hours of registration to ensure your spot in the course. You can pay through the secure payment portal on myHeliotrope. Be sure to review the Student Financial Services site for refund and tuition policies.

Frequently Asked Questions

As a visiting student, payment is due in full within 24 hours of your registration. If payment is not received, you will be automatically dropped from the course and will need to add the course again if you wish to take it. Please refer to the Tuition and Fees policy for more information.

Students may request their official transcript using myHeliotrope. Once signed in, requests can be made in the Student Records section. The college will not provide transcripts for any current or former student who owes money to the college. It is the student’s responsibility to ensure that all holds have been cleared prior to requesting a transcript.

Purchase College does not require that visiting students submit their transcripts. However, a professor may request documentation that a course pre-requisite has been met.

Yes, all students on campus should always carry proper identification, which includes a Purchase College ID card. If you will be parking on campus, you are required to have a parking pass. For more information, visit the More Card Office page.

If you are waitlisted for a course and a spot becomes available for you, you will receive an email to your purchase.edu email account letting you know that you have 24 hours to register before the spot goes to the next person in line.

You will not be billed for courses in which you’re on the waitlist.

Yes, and for more information, visit our Premedical Studies page.

Additional Requirements

The College requires multi-factor authentication to secure your account. You will receive information about set-up from no-reply@duosecurity.com. Directions are available (login required).

If you have any questions, contact Campus Technology Services at helpdesk@purchase.edu or visit their website for additional contact information

COVID Vaccination is required to attend classes. Your registration will be canceled for non-compliance. Follow these steps to upload your vaccination :

Go to Health Services
Click the Login button for Patient Medicat Connect Portal
Log in with your Purchase credentials
Click the Uploads button
Click on the Choose document you are uploading to and choose the appropriate document type
Click the Select File button and choose the document from your file

If you have any questions, contact Health Services at hse@purchase.edu or visit their website for additional contact information.

Office of the Registrar