Federal Financial Aid Eligibility Requirements
Who is eligible?
In order to receive and maintain federal financial aid students must adhere to the following criteria:
- Be a U.S. citizen, permanent resident, or other eligible non-citizen
- Have a high school diploma or its recognized equivalent.
- Meet all Satisfactory Academic Progress requirements.
- Be admitted to BYU as a 1) regular student in a degree-seeking undergraduate or graduate program, or 2) as a Post-Baccalaureate Student pursuing initial teacher certification or taking prerequisite courses for admission to a graduate degree-seeking program (for current or future enrollment during the academic year). Post-Baccalaureate Students need a letter from their department verifying Post-Baccalaureate status.
What are eligible credit hours?
In order for you to receive federal financial aid, students must register for the required number of credit hours, which must be added by the semester or term add/drop deadline. The following types of classes are eligible to receive federal financial aid:
- On-campus classes
- BYU Salt Lake classes (if admitted to BYU)
- Evening classes (if admitted to BYU)
- Study abroad and Jerusalem Center (if admitted to BYU)
- Second-block classes
The following types of classes are NOT covered by federal financial aid:
- Classes added after the semester add/drop deadline*
- More than one repeated class
- Classes taken through another university, college, or program
- Independent Study courses (exceptions do exist, see Independent Study and BGS)
- Classes that are audited
- Challenge Exams
*Note: Federal Loans you may add classes after the add/drop deadline which will be counted towards the minimum credit requirement.
How many credit hours do I need for my federal financial aid?
| Pell Grant Disbursement Breakdown | |
|---|---|
| Enrollment | Disbursement Amount* |
| 12+ credit hours | Full semester award amount |
| 9–11.5 credit hours | ~3/4 of semester award amount** |
| 6–8.5 credit hours | ~1/2 of semester award amount** |
| < 6 credit hours | ~1/4 of semester award amount** |
**EFCs greater than 3300 with disbursments amounts of less than $278 do not
strictly follow 3/4, 1/2, and 1/4 ratios.
| Stafford Loan Enrollment Requirements | |
|---|---|
| Enrollment (Fall/Winter and Spring/Summer) | Student Type |
| 6+ credit hours/semester | Undergraduate/Post-Baccalaureate Students |
| 6+ credit hours/term | Undergraduate/Post-Baccalaureate Students |
| 4.5+ credit hours/semester | Graduate* |
| 4.5+ credit hours/term | Graduate* |
be considered full-time with less than full-time enrollment.
What happens if I drop my class(es)?
When you are considering dropping a class(es) it is important to consider the importance of the add/drop deadline.
Dropping classes BEFORE the add/drop deadline
Classes dropped before the add/drop deadline may not be eligible to be paid for by federal financial aid. Proof of attendance may be required in some cases. Students must be registered for the minimum number of credit hours required to receive federal financial aid (see charts above).
Dropping classes AFTER the add/drop deadline
Classes dropped during the semester MAY result in a federal financial aid being recalculated. Since this a very complicated process to determine how dropping classes after the add/drop deadline, we highly recommend that students make an appointment with their financial aid counselor (call 801-422-4104).
Second Block Classes
Students who register for a second block class by the semester add/drop deadline will have their registration rechecked by a financial aid processor after the second block add/drop deadline. If a student drops their second block class and/or any other semester class after the proper add/drop deadline, these hours will no longer count toward their required financial aid eligibility. In some instances, students may have to pay back some or all of any federal financial aid funds received.
Discontinuing (Dropping all classes)
Students who drop ALL their classes must contact the Discontinuance Office. In addition, you may be required to pay back some or all funds received depending on when classes are dropped. Depending on the date of request for discontinuance, a Return of Title IV Funds calculation may be performed to determine how much federal financial aid you would be eligible to keep. For federal loans that have disbursed, any future disbursement(s) will be cancelled. For federal loans that have not disbursed, the entire loan will be cancelled.
Walk-away (stop attending registered classes)
For students who are still registered for classes and decide to walk-away from all classes, you may be required to pay back some or all of the federal financial aid received for that specific semester/term. Please visit the Walkaway webpage for more details.
Other Important Eligibility Requirement Topics
- Satisfactory Academic Progress
- FAQ: Withdrawal and Discontinuance
- Financial Aid Repeat Policy
- Undergraduate Scholarship Policies
