Enrollment Requirements
In order to receive the max amount of your accepted federal financial aid, student must be enrolled full time in courses that do not exceed repeat limits listed in your Program of Study. Your aid will be prorated based on your enrolled hours if you are not enrolled full-time.
Calculating Your Enrolled Hours
The number of hours you enroll in each semester impacts the amount of money you can receive in financial aid.
It’s also important to understand that the way financial aid counts enrollment hours is slightly different than just looking at the exact number of credits you register for. It’s not a direct one-to-one relationship. Two factors can alter what your total enrollment hours are for financial aid purposes:
- Courses you enroll in that are not part of your Program of Study
- Courses you repeated too many times
For example, you could be registered for 15 hours; however, 3 of those hours is for a course not in your Program of Study and 3 of those hours is for a course you’re taking for the third time. That means for financial aid purposes, you are actually enrolled in 9 hours, not 15, which makes you less than full time.
Enrollment Status and Aid Proration
In order to receive the max amount of your accepted financial aid, you need to be enrolled full-time in courses that are part of your program of study that do not exceed repeat limits. This is in addition to satisfying your financial aid requirements and holds. If you are not full-time, certain financial aid offers will be prorated, or have a percent based recalculation, for a given term.
Financial Aid offers are provided based on a cost of attendance at full-time enrollment. If your actual enrollment does not match your cost of attendance on your offer, we will reach out to you with next steps as we near the start of school otherwise your loans will not be disbursed. During the semester we review your account to determine your enrollment status. If at census you are registered less than what your cost of attendance is set for, then your account will be updated which could cause a change to your financial aid offer and how much aid you will receive.
Undergradaute Enrollment Status Fall/Spring/Summer Amount of Grant Received* Full-Time 12 hours 100% 3/4 Time 9 hours 75% Half-Time 6 hours 50% Less than Half-Time < 6 hours 0% Graduate Enrollment Status Fall/Spring Summer Amount of Grant Received* Full-Time 9 hours 5 hours 100% 3/4 Time 6 hours 4 hours 75% Half-Time 4 hours 3 hours 50% Less than Half-Time < 4 hours < 3 hours 0% *Some aid can have additional requirements.
- Pell Grant prorates based on exact enrollment per credit hour due to FAFSA simplification.
- Texas Grant requires a minimum of 3/4 Time enrollment for undergraduates.
- Bold Promise recipients are required to maintain full-time enrollment throughout the four years of schooling.
- Scholarships, including DPS and DTS, can have specific enrollment requirements and students should reference their scholarship for details.
- Federal Loans, including PLUS (Parent and Graduate), require a minimum of half-time enrollment to be eligible.
- Undergraduates graduating in the fall could see a decreased amount of Federal loans eligibility. We are required by federal regulation to prorate Federal Direct loans to reflect the number of hours that are taken in the fall.
Program of Study
A Program of Study is the list of predefined courses/credits you must successfully complete in order to earn your degree in the major/program you’ve declared. You may also see it referred to as a “course Program of Study” (CPOS) or degree plan.
How can I view my Program of Study?
You can view your Program of Study on DegreeWorks. Some tips for using DegreeWorks when registering for courses:
- Look at your DegreeWorks plan before you register to know what courses you need to register for.
- After registering for a course, check DegreeWorks to make sure it does not fall in the “Extra Course” section. If it does show up there, and if you truly need that course, you must see an academic advisor to have that course count towards your Program of Study.
- If our records indicate you registered for a course not in your Program of Study, you will see a “Courses not in Program” label at the top of your DegreeWorks.
How does this impact Financial Aid?
The courses you register for can impact the calculation of your enrolled hours, which determines if you are full-time, 3/4 time or half time for financial aid purposes. As long as the courses you’ve enrolled in from your Program of Study is the equivalent of full-time status, then you will receive full time financial aid, even if you add additional classes on top of that which are not in your Program of Study.
You can review your Financial Aid portal to see if any courses you’ve registered for will impact your Financial Aid. We will also send email notifications.
- Financial Aid Portal — Accessed from your myUTSA account, you will see a section on your Financial Aid Portal homepage that will alert you if you have registered for a course that will impact your financial aid enrollment requirement. Please note it can take 24 hours for your portal to be updated based on any course registration activity.
- DegreeWorks – You’ll see a listing of courses not counting in your degree program in a small section of your DegreeWorks profile.
- Email Notification — During open registration for a given semester, students will be notified to their UTSA email account when a change to their registration impacts their financial aid.
Scenario: Minor or Certificate – If a minor or certificate is required for your degree program, then the courses needed for those are eligible for financial aid. If you are pursuing an optional minor or certificate that is not required for your degree program, then we advise that you leverage free elective hours in your program or stack these courses after you’re enrolled full time in degree-required courses.
Scenario: Free Elective – Required free electives are considered part of a student’s Program of Study. Students who do not have free electives remaining could opt to be full-time in Program of Study courses, and take additional hours to not impact full time enrollment. See example 3 below. This scenario helps students who wish to pursue a minor, complete the honors curriculum, or take prerequisites needed for graduate professional school.
Scenario: Last Semester Before Graduation – Students who are not able to reach full-time enrollment status based on the hours remaining for their degree in their last semester at UTSA should contact One Stop to discuss their aid options. Only courses that are part of the Program of Study can count toward federal financial aid eligibility.
Scenario: Exploratory Student or Major Change – Exploratory students or students who choose to change their major should be mindful of the courses they register for early on because the federal aid eligibility is heavily impacted by the Program of Study you are pursing to earn a degree in. We recommend you meet with your Academic Advisor to discuss your education and career goals to find the best fit major as early as possible to avoid impacts to their financial aid.
Scenario: Prerequisite Needed for Graduate/Professional School
– Students who need to take a course that is a prerequisite to attend Graduate or Professional School (i.e., medical school) can take these courses as long as they either have an available “free elective” slot in their Program of Study or if they’re already enrolled full-time in degree-required courses.Scenario: Special Programs (Honors, ROTC, Study Abroad, Internship) – Students who need to take a course that is related to participating in a special program (i.e., Honors, ROTC, Study Abroad, Internship, etc.) can take these courses as long as they either have an available “free elective” slot in their Program of Study or if they’re already enrolled full-time in degree-required courses.
Example 1: Student enrolls in 12 hours of coursework. Three of those hours count toward both the student’s special program (i.e. Honors, ROTC, Study Abroad, PreReqs for Medical etc.) requirements and the required free elective hours needed for their major. The student would be considered full time for federal aid purposes since all 12 hours count toward their general degree requirements.
Example 2: Student enrolls in 12 hours of coursework. Six of those hours only count toward the student’s special program (i.e. Honors, ROTC, Study Abroad, PreReqs for Medical etc.) requirements. Since the coursework does not count toward another degree requirement, the student would only be considered half-time for federal aid purposes based on the 6 hours that are counting toward their general degree requirements.
Example 3: Student enrolls in 15 hours of coursework. Three of those hours only count toward the student’s special program (i.e. Honors, ROTC, Study Abroad, PreReqs for Medical etc.) requirements. Even though the coursework does not count toward another degree requirement, the student is still considered full-time for federal aid purposes based on the 12 hours that are counting toward their general degree requirements.
What happens if my Financial Aid is impacted?
You may adjust your registration as needed, as long as the deadline has not passed to add a class or late register. Any adjustments needed to a student’s courses or Program of Study must be made before the Census date. Important deadlines, including the deadline to add a class and the Census date, can be viewed in the academic calendar for the given term.
Who can help me?
Students are encouraged to meet with their advisor prior to registration each semester to make sure the courses they plan to take will count toward their degree requirements. If you have questions about which courses to register for, undergraduate students should contact their Academic Advisor and graduate students should contact the departmental advisor/coordinator for their program.
Repeated Coursework
You can only receive federal aid for taking a previously passed course (grade D- or better) one additional time. Courses that exceed its repeat limits will not count towards your total enrollment hours for financial aid purposes. This is guided by federal aid regulations.
Impacts to Enrollment Hours
The biggest implications of repeated coursework could mean that you are not classified as full-time enrollment for financial aid purposes because the hours of repeated coursework do not count.
Example: If you are taking 12 credit hours, including the three credit hours that are considered as a third repeat. In that case, only nine credits will count toward your federal financial aid eligibility. This will affect your cost of attendance and reduce the amount of financial aid you are eligible to receive.
Scenario: Repeating a Course that You’ve Already Passed – You take a course and receive a passing grade of ‘D-’, but need a ‘C’ in this course to count toward your degree requirements. You take the course again the following semester and earn another ‘D-’. Although you need to retake the course for a third time to earn credit for your degree, you are no longer eligible to receive federal aid for that class.
Previously Failed or Dropped Courses
If a student has never earned a passing grade (D- or better) for a course, they may retake it in an attempt to earn credit for the course. Courses that are retaken that have a passing grade of D- or better are subject to repeated coursework policy.
Scenario: Repeating a Course You’ve Yet to Pass – You’ve taken a course and failed. You’ve taken the course again and withdrew. You’re taking the course again and although this is your third attempt, the course will still count towards your enrollment hours because you have not yet earned a passing grade.
Additional Questions
Why does the program of study impact financial aid?
UTSA is required to follow U.S. Department of Education Title IV regulations related to the payout of federal financial aid. Federal requirement mandates that only courses counting toward a student’s declared program of study will be used to determine that student’s eligibility for federal financial aid (federal grants, federal loans, and federal work-study). If you enroll in courses that are not required for your program of study, your financial aid may be prorated and/or canceled as required by federal regulations. You might see this referenced as “Course Program of Study” or CPOS. CPOS was designed, and has been found, to help students finish their degree program faster by focusing on the completion of coursework tied directly to their program of study. Timely degree completion also reduces student costs, including debt a student may choose to take on to graduate.
What types of Financial Aid are impacted by the enrollment requirements?
Federal aid, such as Pell Grant, TEACH Grant, Federal Work Study, and Direct Loans, will only be paid based on the courses that count towards the student’s degree plan. State aid, such as TEXAS Grant, TPEG, and College Access Loan, as well as private/alternative loans and scholarships, are not subject to the same rules and may be eligible to be paid for courses not included in the degree plan. However, these offers could be reduced if your overall cost of attendance is reduced due to courses not counting for federal aid. Contact One Stop if you have questions about your aid.
How is Cost of Attendance impacted by the enrollment requirements?
The Cost of Attendance is an estimate of what it could cost for students to attend school. It is based on a student’s enrollment status. Enrollment status for financial aid consideration is based on eligible courses only. If an undergraduate student is enrolled in at least 12 hours that count toward the degree plan, the student will be considered a full-time student for cost of attendance purposes. If a student is not enrolled in full-time hours based on eligible courses, the cost of attendance will be reduced.
Will I be notified if a course I registered for impacts my financial aid?
Once registration for an upcoming semester is open to all students, students will be sent an email notification to their myUTSA email address if a registration activity impacts financial aid eligibility. Please note this notification is not immediate upon registration activity. An automated process runs each night that compares course enrollment with financial aid eligibility.
Students should finalize their schedule as early as possible, as financial aid is normally disbursed 10 days before the first day of classes. If you make changes to your enrollment before the Census date, you can expect to see the updated financial aid status information in your myUTSA Account the next day. Any changes to your schedule after the Census date, such as dropping a class, will not impact aid eligibility.
Can I appeal for a course to apply to my program of study?
There is no financial aid appeal process for courses that do not count toward your program of study. However, if your academic department/college has approved a course to apply toward your degree requirements, your advisor will need to update Degree Works to reflect this approval before Census date. This will allow the course to count toward your federal financial aid eligibility. Please allow time for the updates approved by all necessary parties to reflect in the system.
What if I am making a change to my major, minor, or concentration?
Only the declared program of study (major, minor, and concentration) for the given semester will be used when evaluating courses for financial aid eligibility. Courses only counting toward majors, minors, or concentrations declared for a future term will not count for financial aid.
Changes to a student’s declared program of study should be made as early as possible to avoid impacts to financial aid, but they should be submitted no later than 10 business days before the Census date of the semester. Requests to modify a student’s program of study that are submitted after this date might not be processed before the final financial aid checks are run on Census date. Important dates, including the Census date, can be viewed in the academic calendar for the given term.
How are courses for double majors treated?
Courses required for a double major are eligible for financial aid. Double majors must be officially declared by the Census date for a term in order for the courses to count. Courses taken toward an undeclared second major will not count in the financial aid evaluation process.
Are prerequisite courses eligible for financial aid?
If a course must be taken as a prerequisite before taking a required course in a student’s degree plan, the prerequisite course could be approved for financial aid purposes. For instance, if a student’s degree plan requires Calculus I (MAT 1213) but they must complete Precalculus (MAT 1093) in order to satisfy the Calculus I prerequisite, the student’s Precalculus course can be included in their financial aid hours. If the Precalculus course does not apply toward the student’s degree requirements, the student’s academic advisor may need to verify that it must be completed as a prerequisite in order for it to count toward financial aid eligibility. A student may only have a maximum of 30 hours of prerequisite and/or remedial coursework approved to count toward their financial aid eligibility.