Undergraduate and Graduate Students
The Michigan Tech administration has declared that students participating in an official
co-op program administered by Career Services will be considered continuously enrolled
when registered for a co-op, for purposes of student loan deferment and coverage under
parents’ health insurance. Any student who receives notification of repayment while
on co-op should contact Career Services at career@mtu.edu immediately to resolve the situation.
Important Note
The rules governing financial aid evaluate the number of credits a student takes in
a particular semester. Since Financial Aid is a function of many different factors,
it is recommended that you consult directly with the Financial Aid Office regarding
your individual situation.
- Please contact finaid@mtu.edu or stop by in person at the Administration Building, Room 103, during our business
hours of 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. E.T. during the school year, or 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. E.T. during
the summer.
Informative Guide
General Rule Co-Op Credits
A student may use financial aid to pay for co-op credits. However, additional enrollment
may be necessary to reach minimum enrollment requirements. As a general rule, most
scholarships require full-time attendance (12 credits) and most loans require half-time
attendance (6 credits).
Federal, State, and Institutional Aid Regulations
Federal, state, and institutional financial aid regulations require that financial
assistance be provided based on the number of credit hours carried by the co-op student.
If a student has Pell Grant eligibility, a less-than-half-time Pell Grant may be available
while on co-op.
Other federal, state, or institutionally funded aid will not be available during periods
of co-op enrollment.
- University scholarships such as Presidential, National, etc., will not pay out for
co-op.
- However, for these merit-based, renewable scholarships, the semester of funding is
not lost, it is merely deferred to a future term, with the maximum amount received
per semester never exceeding one-half of the annual amount awarded.
In some cases, students receiving scholarships from outside agencies are allocated
their funds while on co-op. This is dependent on the type of scholarship and the
discretion of the awarding agency. Students should contact their granting agency for
specifics.
Michigan Tech Sponsored Scholarships
Co-op students receiving Michigan Tech sponsored scholarships may request reallocation
of their funds from a two-semester to a one-semester basis for that academic year
only. The request will be granted if the scholarship criteria do not indicate otherwise.
Examples include the Class of 1938 and the Robert and Virginia Anderson Endowed Scholarship.
When the Michigan Tech Financial Aid Office becomes aware of co-op registration for
a student, the aid will be adjusted accordingly.
Wages earned while on a co-op assignment may be treated differently than regular wages.
Please speak to a financial aid representative to determine how your co-op wages are
viewed by the Department of Education, and accordingly, how they affect your FAFSA results and future financial aid.
All co-op students apply for financial aid at the same time as they normally would.
Students are responsible for acquiring and completing their financial aid applications
(e.g., FAFSA).
