Many New York State student financial aid programs require that the recipient of an award be a full-time student.
Full-time status for NYS financial aid means:
- Taking at least 12 credits towards your major — also referred to as your program of study — if you are an undergraduate student.
- Taking the number of credits toward your major that the college or university determines to be full-time if you are a graduate student.
Colleges report on each student’s enrollment status after the add/drop date.
To avoid losing an award because of your enrollment status, you must take at least 12 credits in classes that are applicable to your program of study each semester. This means that you must be taking classes that go toward your major or electives that are accepted towards the completion of your degree.
Tips to ensure you meet the full-time requirement for your NYS award:
- Check your award program details or speak with your financial aid office about the award requirements.
- Take 12 credits or more each semester that will be credited toward your program of study if you are an undergraduate student.
- If you drop a class before the drop/add period and are not identified by the school as enrolled for at least 12 credits, you may not be eligible for your award payment.
- If you are identified as being enrolled for at least 12 credits and subsequently drop below 12 credits, you are eligible for your award payment if you incurred full-time tuition.
- Check before repeating a class.
- If you repeat a class that you already passed and received credit for while in college, the class is not counted toward your full-time status for NYS financial aid purposes.
- If, as a college student, you repeat an Advance Placement or other college-credit-bearing class that you took as a high school student, the class is not counted toward your full-time status for NYS financial aid purposes.
- EXCEPTION: If you repeat a class for your major in which you did not initially receive a passing grade, credits for the repeated class WILL count toward your full-time status. For example, if you require a “B” in a certain class but you earned a “C,” you can repeat the class, and the class credits will count toward meeting the full-time requirement for your major.
- If you repeat a class because you received a failing grade, the class is counted toward your full-time status for NYS financial aid purposes.
- Check before taking classes not needed for your major.
- If you are taking a class that is not needed for your major, be sure to take at least 12 credits in classes that go toward your major, including electives, to be deemed in full-time status for NYS financial aid purposes.
TIPS for study abroad students to ensure you meet the full-time requirement for your NYS award:
- Check with the financial aid office regarding your eligibility for NYS financial aid while you are studying abroad.
- Ensure ahead of time that your school will accept the credits earned abroad toward your major.