Enrollment Status and Academic Year

Enrollment status is the number of credits students take per semester. Most Financial Aid programs whether they be Federal, state, institutional, or private have policies regarding the minimum number of credits students must be enrolled in and/or maintain in order to be eligible for financial aid.

The Pace University Financial Aid Office defines an Academic Year to be 24 semester credit hours and 30 weeks of instructional time.

For Financial Aid and enrollment reporting purposes, enrollment status is defined as follows for Pace University students:

Enrollment Status

Full-Time
Undergraduate - 12+ credits per semester
Graduate - 9+ credits per semester

3/4 Time
Undergraduate - 9-11 credits per semester
Graduate - 8 credits per semester

1/2 Time
Undergraduate - 6-8 credits per semester
Graduate - 6-7 credits per semester

Pace University offers classes in seven different academic terms throughout a calendar year (Fall, January, Spring, Early Summer, Summer 1, Summer 2 and Late Summer). The Financial Aid Office combines these terms into three Enrollment Periods for which financial aid is awarded:

• The Fall Enrollment Period includes only the Fall Term.
• The Spring Enrollment Period includes the January Intersession and Spring Term.
• The Summer Enrollment Period includes the Early Summer 1 (May), Summer 1, Summer 2 and Late Summer 2 (August) Terms.

For Federal financial aid purposes, a student's enrollment status is based on the entire Enrollment Period. Therefore, for example, an undergraduate student taking 3 credits in the January term and 9 credits in the Spring term, is considered to be a full-time student for Federal aid for the Spring Enrollment Period. Or, as another example, a student taking 3 credits in Summer 1 and 3 credits in Summer 2 is considered to be a half-time student for Federal aid for the Summer Enrollment Period.

Please know that you establish eligibility for Federal aid only if you actually show up for and participate in your classes.

For Pace Institutional financial aid purposes, a student's eligibility for Fall or Spring scholarships, grants and awards funded by Pace University can only be based on his/her enrollment in the Fall or Spring Term. Therefore, for example, an undergraduate student taking 3 credits in the January term and 9 credits in the Spring term, would not be considered a full-time student for Pace Institutional aid for the Spring Enrollment Period and would not qualify for Pace University scholarships, grants or awards requiring full-time enrollment. That student would have to be taking 12 credits in the Spring term to qualify. Most Pace Institutional financial aid is not available for the summer. Students enrolled in a combined degree, Undergraduate/Graduate program in which both degrees are received at the end of the program must be enrolled for at least 12 credits in each Fall and Spring term to qualify for Institutional awards.

For New York State financial aid purposes, a student's eligibility for Fall or Spring aid can only be based on his/her enrollment in the Fall or Spring Term. However, New York State does allow the Early Summer 1 (May), Summer 1, Summer 2 and Late Summer 2 (August) terms, together, to be treated as one Summer Enrollment Period. Therefore, for example, an undergraduate student taking 3 credits in the January term and 9 credits in the Spring term, would not be considered a full-time student for NYS aid for the Spring Enrollment Period and would not qualify for TAP or other full-time awards. That student would have to be taking 12 credits in the Spring term to qualify. However, if the student were otherwise eligible for Accelerated TAP in the Summer, his/her enrollment in all 4 summer terms combined would be used to determine his/her enrollment status.

For Alternative Loan processing purposes, a student's enrollment status is based on the entire Enrollment Period.