Maintaining Eligibility

Maintain at least half-time enrollment – in courses required for your program.

Classes taken outside of your degree program, as listed in your DegreeWorks degree audit, may not be covered by federal financial aid/ student loans or be counted towards your financial aid enrollment (credits per term).

Undergraduate Students:

6 credits/semester in courses required for your program of study

Graduate Students:

5 credits/semester in courses required for your program of study

Please Note:

• Undergraduate prerequisite courses for graduate programs are NOT considered part of the program of study for federal financial aid.

• Portfolio Assessment (PLA) credits are not eligible for federal aid and are not counted toward financial aid enrollment. If you have a PLA for the semester, you will need to be sure you are enrolled in at least 5 or 6 additional credits (depending on grade level) that are counted toward your degree program to be eligible for financial aid disbursement.

• Not all certificate programs qualify for federal student aid funding. See which certificate programs are eligible for federal financial aid.

• Students who withdraw from or cease to attend their classes may be subject to a Return of Title IV Funds (R2T4) calculation which may result in funds being returned to the federal government and a balance due to the university. Check Return of Title IV Funds (R2T4) policy for details.

• Some undergraduate students may receive a Pell Grant with less than six credits (this depends on the student's Estimated Family Contribution derived from the FAFSA).

Maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) – towards completion of your degree program.

To remain eligible for federal student aid, the U.S. Department of Education requires that students are monitored for Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP). You can always check your academic status in myWilmU by clicking on the "Progress" link located under your list of financial aid requirements.

Learn more about the financial aid SAP requirements for undergraduate and graduate students.

Monitor your Federal Aid History.

Federal Direct Stafford Student Loans and Federal Pell Grants are limited funds. Students are only allowed to receive Pell Grants for a total of six years at full-time status during the pursuit of their first bachelor’s degree. Federal student loans have annual and aggregate borrowing limits.  This means that students may only borrow up to specified amounts per academic year based on their grade level and dependency status (annual limits). In addition, there are aggregate borrowing limits based on dependency status and degree level. If you continually borrow more funds than you need each semester, or if you fail to complete the courses in which you enroll and receive aid, you run the risk of losing your eligibility to borrow federal student loans before you complete your degree.

Finally, your federal student aid does not always cover your entire tuition and fee charges each semester.  Therefore, it is important that you monitor your student billing account and make arrangements with Student Billing to pay any outstanding balance you may have.