Enrollment Status
Financial Aid packages are based on an expected full-time enrollment for award and cost-of-attendance determinations. Unless the Financial Aid Office is notified in advance, student bills issued by the Billing Office will reflect full-time award values.
Once the semester begins, the Financial Aid Office must confirm that applicants remain eligible for each type of aid awarded based on their established enrollment status. The enrollment status used by the Financial Aid Office is established as of the official “last day to add” published on the academic calendar. Part B courses have a "last day to add" date that differs from the full semester. Changes in Part B credit loads can alter the enrollment status and aid eligibility.
If the applicant's enrollment status is not full-time, the cost of attendance will be prorated. A reduction in the cost of attendance can impact the overall financial aid package. Individual awards will be evaluated based on funding enrollment requirements. Potentially, awards may have to be reduced or eliminated.
Financial Aid Credit Requirements
| Enrollment | Undergraduate | Graduate |
|---|---|---|
| Full Time | 12 or more | 9 or more |
| Three-Quarter Time | 9, 10, 11 | |
| Half Time | 6, 7, 8 | 5, 6, 7, 8 |
| Less Than Half Time** | .5 to 5.5 | .5 to 4.5 |
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*Courses you are not billed for, audits, and Learning Center credits are excluded from the total credits used to calculate financial aid enrollment status. **For financial aid eligibility, a co-op assignment is considered less than half-time. |
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The tuition component of the Cost of Attendance is based on average credits.
Repeating Coursework
Students who are repeating previously passed coursework should refer to our Repeating a Course policy. The U.S. Department of Education has issued regulations that restrict the number of times a student may retake previously passed coursework and receive federal student aid. For additional information, see the repeated coursework policy.
Study Abroad
A student's enrollment in a study abroad program approved for credit by Michigan Tech may be considered enrollment at Michigan Tech for purposes of applying for Federal student financial aid. Please contact the Financial Aid Office for more questions regarding how study abroad will impact your financial aid.
Minimum Enrollment
The list that follows indicates the minimum number of credits required to be considered for a specific type of assistance. Although a student may be enrolled in the minimum required credits for an award, an adjustment to the cost of attendance for less-than-full-time enrollment may still affect the award amount.
| Assistance Type | Minimum Credits |
|---|---|
| University Scholarships and Michigan Alumni Legacy Award | 12 |
| University Student Aid Grant | 12 |
| Loans: ***Federal Direct Loans (full-time undergraduate value prorated per 1/2 credit when <12 credits) | 6 |
| ***Federal Direct Loans (full-time graduate value prorated per 1/2 credit when <9 credits) | 5 |
| TECHAID loans | 6 |
| ***Federal Work-Study | 6 |
| Grants: ***Michigan Achievement Scholarship | 12 |
| ***Michigan Competitive Scholarship (full-time value prorated for half or 3/4 time) | 6 |
| ***Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant | 6 |
| ***Federal Pell Grant (full-time value prorated per 1/2 credit when <12 credits) | 0.5 |
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***Courses taken as Senior Rule are not counted towards undergraduate enrollment for federal or state aid. |
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Financial Aid Impact
To minimize the impact of packaging adjustments on your available financial assistance, we recommend notifying the Financial Aid Office of less-than-full-time enrollment now or before the “last day to add” date.
Though you may receive special permission to increase your credit load after that date, financial aid must be based on the “last day to add”. There are no exceptions.
If you will be attending on a part-time basis, complete and submit the annual Less Than Full Time/Full Academic Year Enrollment Form. Download the 2026-2027 form.