Illinois Tech understands that some students may need to enroll in fewer than 12 credit hours in a semester in order to meet their academic plans, graduation timeline, outside responsibilities, or overall educational needs. Please note that co-op and audited courses do not count toward enrollment levels for financial aid purposes.
Students enrolled less than full-time will be charged a reduced tuition rate, which affects institutional scholarships as well as federal and state financial aid eligibility. Because students in fewer than 12 credit hours have a lower cost of attendance, the total amount of financial aid for which they qualify may be reduced.
All tuition and fees are subject to change by Illinois Tech’s Board of Trustees.
Institutional Scholarships
Students must complete a Scholarship Proration Request Form to be considered for a prorated institutional scholarship for any semester in which they are enrolled less than full-time. If approved, the prorated scholarship will cover the same percentage of tuition as the student’s full-time institutional scholarship.
Scholarship proration requests are reviewed at the start of each semester and may take several weeks to process.
Half-Time and Three-Quarter-Time Enrollment
- Half-time: 6–8 credit hours
- Three-quarter-time: 9–11 credit hours
For students in this enrollment range, the Office of Financial Aid makes the following adjustments:
- Illinois MAP Grant: reduced to $268.80 per undergraduate credit hour
- Federal Pell Grant: prorated based on enrollment (e.g., 9 credit hours = 9/12 of the full award)
- Federal SEOG: reduced to $500 per semester
- Loan Eligibility: Students remain eligible for Federal Parent PLUS, Federal Stafford Loans, and private student loans
Less Than Half-Time Enrollment
Defined as 1–5 credit hours. The following adjustments apply:
- Illinois MAP Grant: reduced to $268.80 per undergraduate credit hour
- Federal Pell Grant: prorated based on enrollment (e.g., 4 credit hours = 4/12 of the full award)
- Federal SEOG: not available
- Federal Parent PLUS and Stafford Loans: not available
- Private student loans: may be available from select lenders
Additionally, the grace period on federal and institutional loans begins once a student drops below half-time enrollment. Students who have already used part of their grace period may enter repayment shortly after the semester begins.
Impact on Outside Scholarships
If a student enrolls in fewer than 12 credit hours, the Office of Financial Aid will verify whether any outside scholarships require full-time enrollment. If full-time status is required, Illinois Tech must return the scholarship to the awarding organization. Students are encouraged to contact the scholarship provider to discuss the requirement or inquire about a possible appeal.