Enrollment Changes
Aid is awarded to you based on the standard enrollment for the program in which you are enrolled. You will need to notify Graduate Financial Aid immediately via e-mail if your enrollment status changes (i.e., drop or add a course, switch to pro-forma/study away status, or advance a grade level).
A student enrolled less than half time is not eligible to receive federal student assistance. While you may apply for a credit-based alternative loan to cover tuition, fees, and books, you must be prepared to cover your living expenses out-of-pocket.
Graduate Financial Aid will adjust loan eligibility for students whose enrollment status changes during the year. If you are in a full-time program, your loans were determined based on full-time status. If you are in a part-time program, your loans were determined based on part-time status. It is your obligation to immediately notify us of your enrollment changes so that we can review your award and appropriately adjust your loans if needed (including those who withdraw or take a leave of absence). You may not receive more financial assistance than the cost of attendance. If your loan(s) need to be reduced, you may be required to repay funds already received.
Ph.D. students in scholastic and advanced residency are usually enrolled full time, unless their department grants part-time or pro-forma status.
Enrollment Changes
ENROLLMENT STATUS | EQUIVALENT UNITS | NUMBER OF COURSES(1) |
|---|---|---|
Full-Time | 300 units or more | 3 or more |
Half-Time | 200 units to 299 | 2 |
Less than Half-Time(2) | Less than 200 units | Less than 2 |
1 - Most courses are equal to 100 units each. However, when the unit equivalent exceeds 100 for a course, the enrollment status is determined by the total units (not the number of courses). For example, a student enrolled in two 150-unit courses (for a total of 300 units) is considered to be full-time, while a student enrolled in one 150-unit course is considered less than half-time.
2 - If you receive federal assistance and drop to less than half-time status, you may be required to repay all federal assistance received.