Enrollment Status & Withdrawal Implications

Your financial aid eligibility is determined by your enrollment status and attendance. Changes to your course schedule, enrollment level, or attendance may affect your eligibility for federal, state, institutional, and other financial aid programs.

Undergraduate Enrollment Status Per Semester

• 12 or more credit hours: Full-time
• 9–11 credit hours: Three-quarter time
• 6–8 credit hours: Half-time
• 1–5 credit hours: Less than half-time

Graduate Enrollment Status Per Semester

• 6 or more credit hours: Full-time
• 3–5 credit hours: Half-time
• 1–2 credit hours: Less than half-time

Minimum Enrollment Requirements

Federal Direct Loans

ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú must be enrolled at least half-time to receive Federal Direct Loan funds.

ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú enrolled less than full-time may receive a reduced annual Direct Loan amount under the federal Schedule of Reduction (SOR). Learn more in the Schedule of Reduction section below.

If your enrollment changes before a loan disbursement, your loan eligibility may be recalculated.

Scholarships

Unless otherwise specified by the scholarship program, students must be enrolled full-time to receive institutional scholarships.

Graduate ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú Enrolled in Undergraduate Coursework

Graduate students taking undergraduate coursework must enroll in at least 6 undergraduate credit hours to be considered half-time for federal financial aid purposes.

Schedule of Reduction (SOR)

Beginning with the 2026–2027 academic year, federal regulations require annual Federal Direct Loan limits for students enrolled less than full-time to be reduced based on enrollment intensity. This requirement is known as the Schedule of Reduction (SOR). To comply with these federal requirements, financial aid may be disbursed in stages for students enrolled in courses with different start dates.

ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú enrolled less than full-time may receive a reduced annual Direct Loan amount based on their enrollment intensity.

Enrollment changes before a loan disbursement may affect the amount of Direct Loan funds you are eligible to receive.

Financial Aid Disbursement for Courses with Different Start Dates

Financial aid is disbursed based on coursework that has begun and for which attendance has been confirmed.

If you are enrolled in courses that begin at different times during the semester:

• Your initial financial aid disbursement will be based only on courses that have started.
• Additional eligible financial aid will be disbursed as later courses begin and attendance is confirmed.
• If you are eligible for a refund, a portion of your refund may be delayed until later courses begin.
• If you do not begin attendance in a later-start course, the financial aid associated with that course will not be disbursed.

A delayed financial aid disbursement or refund does not necessarily indicate a problem with your financial aid eligibility.

Adding or Dropping Courses

Changes to your enrollment during the add/drop period or before a scheduled loan disbursement may affect your financial aid eligibility.

Changes to your financial aid may include:

• Changes to your enrollment status
• Reduced annual Direct Loan eligibility under the Schedule of Reduction (SOR)
• Changes to future financial aid disbursements
• Changes to refund amounts

Before dropping courses, students are encouraged to contact the Financial Aid Office to understand how enrollment changes may affect their financial aid.

Withdrawing & Financial Aid Implications

Official Withdrawals

If you receive federal Title IV financial aid and officially withdraw before completing more than 60% of the payment period, federal regulations require ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú to determine how much financial aid you earned based on your withdrawal date.

Unearned Title IV funds must be returned to the appropriate federal aid programs under the Return of Title IV Funds (R2T4) regulations.

If funds are returned, you may owe a balance to the University.

Unofficial Withdrawals

An unofficial withdrawal occurs when a student:

• Does not earn a passing grade in any course during the term.
• Stops academically participating before completing more than 60% of the payment period.
• Does not officially withdraw from the University.

Federal regulations require ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú to determine the student’s last date of academic participation and recalculate financial aid eligibility under the Return of Title IV Funds (R2T4) regulations.

ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú may be required to repay a portion of the federal financial aid they received.

No Shows

ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú who never begin attendance or academically participate in any registered course are generally not eligible to receive federal financial aid for that payment period.

Any federal financial aid disbursed before attendance is verified may be required to be returned in accordance with federal regulations.

ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú may also be responsible for any resulting balance owed to the University.

Important Note

If you stop attending all of your classes, you should officially withdraw through the Registrar’s Office.

Failing to officially withdraw may result in:

• A recalculation of your financial aid eligibility.
• A balance owed to the University.
• A reduction or cancellation of future financial aid.
• An impact on your Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP).
• Required repayment of federal financial aid under the Return of Title IV Funds (R2T4) regulations.