Ï㽶´«Ã½ understands that some students may need to enroll in fewer than 12 credit hours in a semester in order to meet their academic plans, graduation timeline, outside responsibilities, or overall educational needs. Please note that co-op and audited courses do not count toward enrollment levels for financial aid purposes.
Students enrolled less than full-time will be charged a reduced tuition rate, which affects institutional scholarships as well as federal and state financial aid eligibility. Because students in fewer than 12 credit hours have a lower cost of attendance, the total amount of financial aid for which they qualify may be reduced.
All tuition and fees are subject to change by Ï㽶´«Ã½â€™s Board of Trustees.
Institutional Scholarships
Students must complete a Scholarship Proration Request Form to be considered for a prorated institutional scholarship for any semester in which they are enrolled less than full-time. If approved, the prorated scholarship will cover the same percentage of tuition as the student’s full-time institutional scholarship.
Scholarship proration requests are reviewed at the start of each semester and may take several weeks to process.
Half-Time and Three-Quarter-Time Enrollment
- Half-time: 6–8 credit hours
- Three-quarter-time: 9–11 credit hours
For students in this enrollment range, the Office of Financial Aid makes the following adjustments:
- Ï㽶´«Ã½ MAP Grant: reduced to $268.80 per undergraduate credit hour
- Federal Pell Grant: prorated based on enrollment (e.g., 9 credit hours = 9/12 of the full award)
- Federal SEOG: reduced to $500 per semester
- Loan Eligibility: Students remain eligible for Federal Parent PLUS, Federal Stafford Loans, and private student loans
Less Than Half-Time Enrollment
Defined as 1–5 credit hours. The following adjustments apply:
- Ï㽶´«Ã½ MAP Grant: reduced to $268.80 per undergraduate credit hour
- Federal Pell Grant: prorated based on enrollment (e.g., 4 credit hours = 4/12 of the full award)
- Federal SEOG: not available
- Federal Parent PLUS and Stafford Loans: not available
- Private student loans: may be available from select lenders
Additionally, the grace period on federal and institutional loans begins once a student drops below half-time enrollment. Students who have already used part of their grace period may enter repayment shortly after the semester begins.
Impact on Outside Scholarships
If a student enrolls in fewer than 12 credit hours, the Office of Financial Aid will verify whether any outside scholarships require full-time enrollment. If full-time status is required, Ï㽶´«Ã½ must return the scholarship to the awarding organization. Students are encouraged to contact the scholarship provider to discuss the requirement or inquire about a possible appeal.