Hobart and William Smith Colleges

What Is a Non-Matriculated Student?

Students admitted to Hobart and William Smith on a non-matriculating or “visiting” basis are not actively working towards completion of an HWS degree or enrolled in an established program. Rather they are taking courses on a per-course basis. Official transcripts of credits awarded are available upon request and for a fee.

Anyone may apply as a non-matriculated student and enroll in courses either for credit or as an auditor. Tuition is billed by the course, and the rate will vary based on the type of non-matriculation program. Types include: 

• Students who are currently enrolled in high school and wish to take an undergraduate level course pay $1,625 per course (applies to fall and spring semester only).
• Students who graduated from HWS five or more years ago may take up to one undergraduate course annually without charge.
• Qualifying students enrolled full-time at one of the member schools of the Rochester Area Colleges Consortium may take one undergraduate course in the fall or spring without charge.
• HWS employee or spouse/dependent child of employee are eligible under specific situations to take one course each semester without charge. (Consult with HR concerning tuition and fees.)
• All others pay $8,124 per course ($3,000 for a J-Term or Maymester course).

Additionally, any community member may audit a course for a flat fee of $250 ($150 for those 65 and older). Audited courses carry no credit. Auditors do not have their work evaluated by the instructor, nor is their participation tracked. Auditors cannot change a course from an audit to a graded course for any reason.

The form below is required to become a non-matriculated student and to become eligible to register for courses. Once the form is submitted and processed, courses may be added. 

Registering for Courses

Non-matriculated students register for classes on a space-available basis and are required to obtain the written permission of the instructor. Non-matriculated students are typically not added to a course until the first week to ensure space remains for matriculated students. HWS reserves the right to deny entry to a course if a non-matriculated student does not meet the prerequisite or other established registration criteria.

To add a course, the student should arrange for the instructor to notify the Office of the Registrar of their permission to attend. This can be done in an email directed to registrar@hws.edu or using the Add/Drop Form. This notification should include the student’s full name and the full subject code, number, section, and title of the course.

Once a student has been added to a course, they will be billed by Student Accounts. Submission of the Non-Matriculation Application form confirms an agreement to pay all tuition charges by the due date and all collection costs should the account be transferred to a third-party collection agency for the purpose of securing a financial obligation to the Colleges.