Definitions
Required Courses in Program: These are the courses that are required for your degree program. Only courses required for your degree will count towards your enrollment status for financial aid purposes. For example, if you enroll in twelve hours but only six of those hours are courses that apply towards your degree, you will be classified as a half-time student for financial aid purposes.
Enrollment Status: The different enrollment statuses include full-time, three-quarter-time, half-time, or less-than-half-time, depending on your credit-hour work load per academic term. All levels are relative to full time.
At Wichita State University, during the regular Fall and Spring semester, the following measurements are used for enrollment status:
- Undergraduates: 12 or more hours is full-time, 8-11 hours is three-quarter-time, 6-8 hours is half-time, and 5 or fewer hours is less-than-half-time.
- Graduates: 9 or more hours is full-time, 6-8 hours is three-quarter-time, 5 hours is half-time, and 4 or fewer hours is less-than-half-time.
DegreeWorks Audit: Within your myWSU account, you can use DegreeWorks to audit your schedule and see how your courses are applying toward your degree program. You can also plan for future enrollment by using the "Look Ahead" feature in DegreeWorks.
How Does This Affect Me and What Do I Need to Do?
- Why does it matter if the courses are required for my degree?
The purpose of this federal policy is to ensure that students remain on track towards graduation and only receive the aid for which they are eligible. - What types of financial aid are affected by this requirement?
All federal and state aid funds are affected. This includes the Federal Pell Grant, other Federal grants, Federal Direct Student Loans, Federal Work Study, the Kansas Comprehensive Grant, and other State grants. Most institutional academic scholarships may also be impacted by this requirement. - Will my scholarships or other institutional aid be affected by this requirement?
Your enrollment status for most scholarships may be impacted by this requirement. - How do I ensure my classes are required for my degree?
Your personal DegreeWorks audit will show you your entire degree program and how each course is counting within your degree requirements. - What do I need to do to ensure my correct aid amount disburses?
Enroll in courses that are required for your degree program of study and declare your major or minor early. You can see how your courses are applying towards your degree program by reviewing your personal DegreeWorks audit through your myWSU account. You may also plan for future enrollment by using the “Look Ahead” feature in your DegreeWorks audit account. - What semesters are affected by this rule?
All semesters are affected (Fall, Spring, Summer, and pre-sessions).
Electives, Pre-Requisite Courses, and Retakes
- Do elective courses count as “Required Courses in Program?”
Elective courses that are specified by a degree program will be covered. General elective courses will be covered up to the number of elective credits required by the degree. - What if I am enrolled in electives but I have already met my program's electives requirement?
After the point in which all of your elective requirements have been met, any further elective credits will not count towards your enrollment status for financial aid purposes. - Are remedial courses eligible for financial aid, even if they aren't listed on my
degree plan?
Required remedial courses (i.e. you are required to take pre-algebra prior to enrolling in college algebra) are covered by financial aid, up to a maximum of 30 credit hours. After that point, remedial courses will not count towards your enrollment status. - Are prerequisite classes eligible for financial aid funding?
Yes, as long as the prerequisite class is listed as a required course for your degree program in your DegreeWorks audit. - I am retaking a class, can I receive financial aid for it?
Students receiving aid may repeat a previously passed course only one time. Keep in mind that a “passing” grade at Wichita State University is any grade of D- or better, even if your specific program requires a higher grade to count for that program. If you decide to repeat a course with a passing grade for a second time, then this course will not count towards your enrollment status for financial aid purposes.
Minors
- My major requires a minor, will my aid disburse for minor-required classes?
Yes, but make sure you have declared your minor before the beginning of the semester and that the required classes are listed as such in your DegreeWorks audit. - My major does not require a minor but I want to declare an optional minor, will my
aid disburse for these minor-required classes?
Yes, but in order for a minor or concentration to be considered part of your academic program, you must declare it before completing all other coursework for your primary degree program. In addition, the courses required for the minor must be listed as such in your DegreeWorks audit.
Examples/Scenarios
- I am in 12 credit hours and 6 of these hours do not count towards my undergraduate
degree program. Will my aid still disburse?
Yes, but only if the financial aid awards you are receiving allow for part-time enrollment. Some aid programs require full-time enrollment. However, your aid and Cost of Attendance total will be adjusted to reflect half-time enrollment at 6 hours. Your billing account statement will still reflect the total 12 hours of tuition and fee charges. - I am in 15 credit hours and 3 of these hours do not count towards my undergraduate
degree program. Will my aid still disburse?
Yes, since you will still be enrolled in at least 12 credit hours that count towards your degree, your aid will disburse on a full-time basis and no adjustments will be necessary for this reason. However, you will still be billed for the full 15 hours. - I want to change my schedule. How do I know if the classes I want to add still count
towards my degree program?
You should finalize your schedule no later than ten days prior to the start of term in order to ensure your aid disburses on time. Use the “Look Ahead” feature in DegreeWorks to see how the courses you are considering will apply towards your degree plan. - If I am not enrolled in classes that count towards my degree, can I change my enrollment
so that all of my classes will count towards my degree?
Yes, but you should ensure that all of your schedule changes are made no later than ten days before the start of the term to ensure your aid disburses on time and for the correct amount. Aid will not be adjusted for classes you add after the semester census date/recalculation date (also known as the 100% refund period at WSU). - But what if I really want to take that class, even if it does not count towards my
degree? Can I still take the class?
Absolutely you may still take the course, even if it does not apply towards your degree. However, the class will not count towards your enrollment status for financial aid purposes. - What if I swap into a class(es) not counting towards my degree after my aid has disbursed?
Depending on when the course change occurs, your aid may need to be reevaluated and funds may need to be returned, causing you to owe a balance with Wichita State University. We encourage you to visit with your academic advisor and a financial aid counselor before making any changes to your enrollment status after aid has disbursed. - What if I change my class schedule after my Federal aid has been disbursed?
Depending on when you make the schedule change and what changes you make, your aid eligibility may need to be reevaluated. After aid has disbursed for the semester in question, we encourage you to visit with your academic advisor and a financial aid counselor before making any changes to your enrollment. - What if I am on a waiting list for a class?
Wait-listed classes do not count as part of your enrollment status for financial aid purposes. You must be fully enrolled in the course to receive aid for the course. - I have an approved course exception from my advisor and the class will count towards
my degree, will my aid still disburse?
If you have an approved course exception you must ensure that the exception is listed in your DegreeWorks audit before your aid is to disburse. Otherwise you must wait for the course exception to be listed before your aid will disburse. The exception must be listed before the end of the affected semester; otherwise you may not be able to receive the aid amount for which you may have been eligible to receive.
Do These Rules Apply to Me?
- I have not yet declared a major, do these rules apply to me?
Usually students enrolled in their first 48 hours of coursework will be taking general elective courses that are required for any degree offered by Wichita State University. For this purpose, students who have not yet declared a major will be eligible for aid for no more than 48 hours. After the 48-hour mark students will be required to declare a major and enroll in courses required for that degree program in order to be eligible for further financial aid disbursements. - I am a graduate student, do these rules apply to me?
Yes, graduate students (as well as undegraduate students) must be enrolled in courses that apply towards their degree in order to be eligible for financial aid funding. - I am a student athlete, do these rules apply to me?
Yes, students receiving federal, state, or most institutional academic aid will be affected. You will need to check with your athletics advisor to know if your specific athletic scholarship will be affected. - I am an honors student, do these rules apply to me?
Yes, students receiving federal, state, or most institutional academic aid will be affected. - I am a Veteran, do these rules apply to me?
Yes, students receiving federal, state, or most institutional academic aid will be affected. However, actual Veterans Benefits (e.g. Post-9/11 GI Bill, Montgomery GI Bill, etc.) will be reviewed separately in accordance with VA regulations. - I am an International Student, do these rules apply to me?
International Students are not eligible for federal or state aid, but if you are receiving an institutional academic scholarship then you may be affected by this requirement. - I am a non-degree student, do these rules apply to me?
This requirement only affects students receiving federal, state, or most institutional academic aid. Non-degree students are not eligible for federal financial aid.
I Have Additional Questions, Who Do I Contact?
- I have questions specific to my enrollment, who should I contact?
You should direct any questions about your enrollment or your degree program requirements to your academic advisor. - I have questions specific to my financial aid, who should I contact?
You should direct questions specific to your eligibility for financial aid to the Office of Financial Aid.