Nebraska's Half-Time Student Option: University Flexibility

At the University of Nebraska, a student's course load is measured by the number of credit hours they are enrolled in. Full-time undergraduate students typically take 12 to 16 credit hours per semester, while half-time status requires a minimum of 6 credit hours. Graduate students need a minimum of 9 credit hours to be considered full-time and 4.5 credit hours to be considered half-time. The University of Nebraska offers flexibility with part-time and full-time options, catering to students' varying needs and commitments.

Half-time status at the University of Nebraska requires 6 credit hours

At the University of Nebraska, half-time status requires a student to be enrolled for at least 6 credit hours. This applies to both the University of Nebraska Omaha and the University of Nebraska at Kearney. This is a common definition of half-time status, with other universities such as the University of North Carolina also defining half-time enrollment as 6 credit hours for undergraduates.

Full-time status at the University of Nebraska requires a minimum of 12 credit hours for undergraduates and 9 credit hours for graduate students. A normal course load for a full-time student is 12 to 17 credit hours, and up to 18 credit hours can be taken without petitioning for an overload. Students wishing to take more than 18 credit hours must meet certain requirements, such as having a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 for 19-21 credit hours or 3.2 for 22 or more credit hours.

Graduate students at the University of Nebraska must be enrolled in a degree program in the Graduate College to receive federal financial aid. To be eligible for full-time certification, graduate students must have been enrolled at least half-time (5 credits) in the fall and spring terms prior to initiating full-time certification status. Master's students may utilize full-time certification for up to 12 months, while doctoral candidates may utilize it for up to 24 months.

The University of Nebraska also offers audit courses, which are available at half-price tuition rates during the first week of the semester. However, audit courses do not count towards full-time or half-time status, and students taking audit courses cannot participate in recitation, submit papers, or take examinations. Additionally, the university has policies in place to support students who are called into military service, offering options such as receiving a grade of Incomplete or Withdrawal for the course.

Full-time status is 12 credit hours

At the University of Nebraska, full-time status for undergraduates is defined as a minimum of 12 credit hours. This is a common standard across the university's campuses, including the University of Nebraska at Kearney and the University of Nebraska Omaha.

Full-time status is an important consideration for students as it often impacts their financial aid packages. Students who are enrolled less than half-time are typically not eligible for federal loan programs. At the University of Nebraska, undergraduate students enrolled for 6 credit hours or less are also excluded from health services unless they make special arrangements.

The number of credit hours assigned to a course reflects the expected outcomes, the amount of time spent in class, and the amount of outside preparatory work expected. At the University of Nebraska, a semester credit hour is the unit used to measure coursework. The university adheres to the Carnegie unit for contact time, which equates to a minimum of 750 minutes or 15 contact hours for each credit hour awarded.

For graduate students, the requirements for full-time status differ. At the University of Nebraska, graduate students need to be enrolled in at least 9 credit hours during an academic semester and at least 9 credit hours during summer sessions to be considered full-time. It is important to note that graduate students must be admitted to a degree program in the Graduate College to be awarded federal financial aid.

Students must be admitted and pay fees to attend classes

To be considered a half-time student at the University of Nebraska, a student must be enrolled for at least 6 credit hours. This is the same for the University of Nebraska Omaha, where a full-time student must be enrolled for at least 12 credit hours. At the University of Nebraska at Kearney, a full-time undergraduate student is expected to take on 12 to 16 credit hours each semester.

For graduate students, the University of Nebraska Omaha considers 9 credit hours to be full-time. The University of Nebraska–Lincoln also considers 9 credit hours to be full-time for graduate students, and 12 credit hours for undergraduates. The University of Nebraska at Kearney considers 9 credit hours to be full-time for graduate students, and 12-16 credit hours for undergraduates.

All persons who attend classes at the University of Nebraska must be admitted and pay the established fees. Students who are regularly enrolled in any class or program at the University of Nebraska Omaha are eligible for certain benefits if they are part of a military unit that is called into active duty or are drafted and not eligible for deferment. If a student's learning experience is negatively impacted by statutory leave, the instructor and student will determine whether the student should receive a grade of Incomplete or Withdrawal for the course. If a grade of Withdrawal is chosen, the student should receive a prorated refund of tuition and fees paid for the course.

Students who are enrolled for 6 credit hours or less are excluded from health services unless they make special arrangements. They can either pay the non-subsidized service rates or pay the health services fee and then pay the subsidized rates.

Half-time students are not eligible for federal loan programs

At the University of Nebraska, a half-time student is defined as one who is enrolled in at least six credit hours for undergraduate students and five credit hours for graduate students. Half-time students are not eligible for federal loan programs. This is because federal student loans require students to be enrolled at least half-time, which is six credit hours for undergraduate students and five credit hours for graduate students.

Federal student loans are available to undergraduate and graduate/professional students to cover educational expenses, but they must be repaid. To be eligible for federal student loans, students must file the FAFSA every academic year, meet federal student aid eligibility requirements, be admitted into a degree-seeking program, and be enrolled at least half-time.

There are different types of federal student loans available, including Direct Subsidized Loans, Direct Unsubsidized Loans, and Parent PLUS Loans. Direct Subsidized Loans are awarded to undergraduate students with financial need who are enrolled at least half-time, and the federal government pays the interest on these loans while the student is enrolled. Direct Unsubsidized Loans are non-need-based loans available to undergraduate and graduate/professional students, and interest accrues on these loans while the student is in school. Parent PLUS Loans are borrowed by a parent, stepparent, or legal guardian of a dependent undergraduate student, and they can borrow up to the cost of attendance less any other financial aid.

It is important to note that students who are not eligible for federal loans may still qualify for alternative private loans, which have different eligibility requirements set by the lender. These loans may have different terms and conditions than federal student loans, so it is important for students to carefully consider their options and understand the requirements and implications of each loan type before making a decision.

Full-time students must be enrolled for at least 9 credit hours to receive financial aid

At the University of Nebraska, full-time undergraduate students are expected to take on a course load of 12 to 16 credit hours each semester. To be considered a full-time student, undergraduates must be enrolled for a minimum of 12 credit hours. Graduate students, on the other hand, are considered full-time with a minimum of 9 credit hours per semester.

Full-time status is important for financial aid eligibility. Financial aid is typically awarded to full-time students, and enrollment status is determined based on the number of credit hours a student is enrolled in on the last day to add classes (census date) for each semester. Students enrolled for 6 credit hours or less are not only considered part-time but are also excluded from health services unless they make special arrangements.

The University of Nebraska considers various factors when determining full-time status. For instance, at the University of Nebraska Omaha, while the minimum requirement for full-time status is 9 credit hours, students enrolled in audit courses should be aware that these do not count towards full-time status. Additionally, courses with a grade of "Incomplete" from a prior term cannot be used to determine full-time status for the current term.

At the University of Nebraska at Kearney, the semester credit hour is the standard unit used to measure coursework. The university adheres to the Carnegie unit, which equates to a minimum of 750 minutes or 15 contact hours for each credit hour awarded. This means that for every credit hour earned, a student can expect a minimum of one class hour of classroom instruction and a minimum of two hours of out-of-class student work per week for approximately 15 weeks.

Graduate students at the University of Nebraska must be admitted to a degree program in the Graduate College to receive federal financial aid. To be eligible for full-time certification, graduate students must have previously been enrolled at least half-time, which equates to at least 5 credits. It's important to note that master's students can utilize the full-time certification for no longer than 12 months, while doctoral candidates have a limit of 24 months.

Frequently asked questions