Registered students, faculty and staff, and alumni of New Paltz, as well as persons over 60 years of age, may audit courses without paying a registration fee. For all others a non-refundable registration fee of $50 will be charged. Persons who would like to audit a course must obtain an audit form from the Office of Records and Registration. The completed form must have the signatures of the chair of the department offering the course and the course instructor. Forms must be submitted to the instructor of the course with the proper signatures and proof of payment (if applicable).

The audit privilege permits the auditor to attend a course, providing there is room in the course and the necessary approvals have been granted, and to do assignments. It does not permit the auditor to take examinations in the course or to have his/her work evaluated in any other way. The auditor receives no grade for the course, nor is any record of course attendance kept in the Office of Records and Registration. Students may not change their enrollment status from audit to credit, or from credit to audit.

Audit privileges are not ordinarily avilable in studio, laboratory or performance courses, or courses where class participation of students is of major importance, nor are they available in credit-free courses offered by the institution or in any foreign study program or course.