Enrollment Status Definitions & Requirements for Federal Student Aid (FSA)

If a student plans to use Federal Student Aid (FSA) to pay for their education, they will need to understand how enrollment status is defined and assessed for FSA.

Enrollment Status Defined

APUS defines and measures enrollment status by how many credit hours for which a student is enrolled in a 16-week semester.

Within the weeks of the academic year, a full-time undergraduate student would be enrolled for at least 24 hours (12 hours each semester) and a full-time graduate student would be enrolled for 12 semester hours (6 hours each semester). Enrollment status is the same for each program level, whether they are in a certificate or degree program.

Enrollment Status (per 16-week semester)	Undergraduate	Graduate	Doctoral
Full-Time	12+ credit hours	6+ credit hours	6+ credit hours or enrolled in dissertation course DOCT899
Three-Quarter Time	9 to 11 credit hours	4 to 5 credit hours	N/A
Half-Time	6 to 8 credit hours	3 credit hours	3 to 5 credit hours
Less than Half-Time	3 credit hours	N/A	1 to 2 credit hours

Enrollment Requirements for Federal Student Aid

Students using Federal Student Aid (FSA) to pay for any educational costs must take courses that fall within the semesters of their FSA academic year. A student's enrollment status (the number of credits registered for in a semester) will influence the amount of FSA they will receive.
Students must be half-time to be eligible for Federal Direct Loans or in-school deferment.
All registrations should be in place before the start of each semester and no later than "Census" (the second Monday of each semester). Students with no registrations in place by census will have their FSA adjusted or cancelled for the semester.
Any changes to enrollment status may impact aid eligibility or require an adjustment to the financial aid package and disbursements. Questions regarding enrollment status changes and FSA should be directed to Financial Aid Advising by emailing [email protected] or by calling 877-755-2787.

Important Notes

Enrollment for the Pell Grant is assessed uniquely for FSA. To learn more, please refer to the Enrollment Intensity Definitions & Requirements for the Pell Grant policy.

Student status for VA Benefits is assessed uniquely. For information regarding how student status is assessed for VA Benefits, please refer to the Enrollment Status Definitions and Requirements for VA Benefits