Adjustments Based on Enrollment | Financial Aid

The financial aid cost of attendance (COA) and financial aid awards for the fall and spring semesters are usually estimated based on anticipated full-time enrollment in courses needed for the student's degree.

If a student enrolls less than full-time, their cost of attendance must be adjusted so it will reflect their actual cost instead of full-time costs.
Financial aid may also be adjusted.

What Is Considered Half-Time or Full-Time?

See the Enrollment Standards for Financial Aid webpage for specifications.

What Will Be Adjusted in the Cost of Attendance?

If a student does not enroll full-time, the following components will be adjusted in their financial aid cost of attendance based on enrolled hours. These will be adjusted to the “cost per credit hour” multiplied by enrolled credit hours.

University tuition
College tuition
University fees
Books, course materials, supplies and equipment
Transportation

Personal expenses are only adjusted if a student’s enrollment is below half-time. If enrollment is above half-time, the personal expenses component of the financial aid COA remains the same. If enrollment is below half-time, personal expenses are adjusted to $0.

Housing and food estimates within the COA are not adjusted, even if a student is only enrolled in one credit hour. They will have full-time housing and food cost estimates.

What Will Be Adjusted in the Financial Aid?

Financial aid may need to be adjusted to fit within the reduced cost of attendance or reduced financial need. Financial aid cannot exceed a student’s cost of attendance.

In addition, financial aid programs have their own enrollment requirements:

Scholarships and Waivers

Institutional scholarships require full-time enrollment. Institutional scholarships could disburse for less than full-time enrollment if the student is in their last year of eligibility and has an approved Scholarship Exception Request. In these cases, students would need to be enrolled in at least 6 credit hours during their last year of eligibility.
The Promise Scholarship requires full-time enrollment. It can only disburse for less than full-time enrollment if the student is in their last two semesters of eligibility.
Some waivers may also require full-time enrollment. It depends on the criteria of the waiver and the provider.

Grants

The Federal Pell Grant and the Federal TEACH Grant disburse at a prorated amount per credit hour. For example, a full-time student may receive the full amount, but a student enrolled in six credit hours would receive a reduced amount.
The Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant will not disburse if the student is enrolled less than half-time.
The West Virginia Higher Education Grant will not disburse unless a student is enrolled full-time.
The Mountaineer Connection Grant will not disburse unless a student is enrolled full-time.
The WV HEAPS Grant will only disburse if a student is enrolled less than full-time.

Federal Work-Study

Students can still receive work-study as long as their reduced cost of attendance has not reduced their financial need for work-study.

Loans

Federal Subsidized, Unsubsidized, Parent PLUS, and Graduate PLUS Loans require at least half-time enrollment to disburse.
Private loan enrollment requirements vary by lender. Contact the lender with any questions regarding enrollment requirements for their loans.