Term Structure

To remain eligible for Federal Student Aid, you must enroll in consecutive terms for at least half-time status. A term is 16 weeks; an academic year is 32 weeks, or two terms.

Half-time status for an undergraduate student is six credit hours per term, or 12 credit hours per academic year. Full-time status for an undergraduate student is 12 credit hours per term, or 24 credit hours per academic year. Graduate students are subject to slightly different standards. Half-time status for a graduate student is three credit hours per term, or six credit hours per academic year. Full-time status for a graduate student is six credit hours per term, or 12 credit hours per academic year.

The following table illustrates the credit hours required per term for each classification.

Once you have been enrolled into a JIU degree program, the start and end dates of your academic year are determined by when you begin taking courses and begin receiving FSA. For more information about term structure, please consult JIU's Student Handbook.