Course Loads

Financial Aid Awards

For financial aid awarding purposes, the following defines the number of semester hours for full and half-time:

Status 16-Week Semester 8-Week Session
Full-time..... 12 6

Half-time..... 6 3

Graduate students enrolled in fewer than 6 hours for fall and spring semesters or 3 hours for summer session are not eligible to obtain student loans.

Enrollment Certification

The following semester hours of credit are to be used to certify full-time and half-time attendance of graduate students.

Status 16-Week Semester 8-Week Session
Full-time..... 9 or more hours* 3 or more hours

Half-time..... 6 3

Less than half-time..... Less than 6 hours Less than 3 hours

*Students who hold at least a quarter-time (25% FTE) graduate assistantship are considered as full-time if they have a minimum of 6 semester hours.

Minimum and Maximum Course Loads

Maximum coursework for graduate students is 16 hours each semester; 12 hours is considered a normal load. The minimum and maximum loads for graduage students under various types of financial support are summarized below. To meet the minima below, a graduate student must enroll in graduate-level course(s) (typically a 400- or 500-level course; certain 400-level courses are not available for graduate credit.) Audit work will not qualify to meet the minimum load. However, audit work is calculated in determining a student's maximum course load. Exceptions to these minima and maxima are possible only with the written permission of the gradute dean. If graduate students' enrollments exceed the maximum or fail to meet the minimum of hours required by their type of financial support, their registrations will be withdrawn and financial support will be terminated.

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Type of Financial Support 16 Week Semester
Maximum 16 Week Semseter
Minimum 8 Week Session
Maximum 8 Week Session
Minimum
No financial support..... 16 - 9 -

Graduate Assistantships

Half-Time Appointment..... 12 6 6 3

Quarter-Time Appointment..... 14 6 9 3

Full-time University employees..... 8 6 -

Graduate Fellowships..... 16 9 9 3

Full Veteran's Benefits..... 16 9 9 3

SIUC Scholarships..... 16 9 9 3

All University employees who wish to use the employee tutition and fee waiver (faculty and staff) and are classified as graduate students must seek approval of the Graduate School to enroll in more than 6 semester hours of courses.

Questions regarding the Graduate School: Contact gradschl@siu.edu

Questions regarding the Graduate Assistantship\Fellowship Office: Contact gaoffice@siu.edu

*** last update 5-9-07 JH ***

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Last Update: May 9, 2007