Credit Hour Requirements for Financial Aid
The number of credit hours a student enrolls in during a semester determines their eligibility for Financial Aid. A student's specific program hours may differ from the charts below, but the hours depicted on this webpage are used to determine Financial Aid eligibility.
| Full time (FT) | Three-Quarter (3Q) | Half-Time (HT) | Less than half time (LTHT) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Undergraduate | 12+ | 9-11 | 6-8 | 1-5 |
| Graduate | 9+ | 7-8 | 5-6 | 3-4 |
| Pharmacy | 12+ | 9-11 | 6-8 | 1-5 |
| Dental | 12+ | 9-11 | 6-8 | 1-5 |
| Accelerated Online Program | 9+ | 7-8 | 5-6 | 3-4 |
| Full time (FT) | Three-Quarter (3Q) | Half-Time (HT) | Less than half time (LTHT) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Undergraduate | 12+ | 9-11 | 6-8 | 1-5 |
| Graduate | 9+ | 7-8 | 5-6 | 3-4 |
| Pharmacy | 12+ | 9-11 | 6-8 | 1-5 |
| Dental | 12+ | 9-11 | 6-8 | 1-5 |
| Accelerated Online Program | 9+ | 7-8 | 5-6 | 3-4 |
*Student attending the University under scholarships, loans, or other types of financial aid requiring full-time enrollment should check to make
certain this meets the requirements of the specific financial aid program.
Notes
Grants
Students may be eligible to receive grants based on financial need based and the number of credit hours a student enrolls into during an awarded semester.
Federal Loans
Students must be enrolled at least half-time for Federal Direct Student Loans and PLUS Loans.
Alternative Loans
Each alternative loan lender sets its enrollment requirements for aid. Most require half-time enrollment at least, but a few lenders allow students to borrow who are enrolled less than half-time.
Graduate Assistantships
Students appointed graduate assistantships must be enrolled at least half-time status. Graduate Assistantships are considered full time if they enroll in 6 credit hours in graduate-level courses during the Spring or Fall Semester
Accelerated Online Programs
The Accelerated Online Programs for School of Business and School of Education separate each semester into two eight- week terms. To qualify for federal loans during a half-semester term, a student must be enrolled in at least 3 credit hours. Students are considered full-time enrollment if they are enrolled in 3 credit hours during both half-term periods in a semester.
