Eligibility

On this page:

Eligibility Criteria

You, the student, must meet certain criteria in order to be eligible or maintain eligibility for Federal Student Aid:


Enrollment Requirements

The chart below lists the number of credit hours used to define your enrollment status for a given term.

Your Award Notice displays your awards based upon full-time enrollment. If you enroll less than full-time, the amount of financial aid that credits to your account may be less. Visit our Receiving Your Aid page for more information.

Enrollment Status by Semester

Enrollment Status

Undergraduate Students

Graduate Students

Full-time

12 or more undergraduate credit hours

6 or more graduate credit hours

Three-fourths time

9 to 11 undergraduate credit hours

n/a

Half-time

6 to 8 undergraduate credit hours

3 to 5 graduate credit hours

Less than half-time

1 to 5 undergraduate credit hours

1 to 2 graduate credit hours


Certificate Programs

Wright State University is not permitted to offer federal or state financial aid for students enrolled only in a certificate program.


Licensure Programs

Undergraduate and graduate students who are pursuing a licensure or endorsement from the State, may be eligible to receive federal student aid provided they are enrolled in a financial aid eligible program. In order to be eligible for federal student aid, the program must meet the following criteria:

  • Initial teaching license,
  • Renewal of teaching license that is required by the State where the student currently has their teaching license,
  • Teaching license earned in one State but needs a different license for another State; or
  • Additional teaching license that is required by the State for the student to teach in a different subject area.

Licensure programs that lead to an education-related occupation other than a teacher are not eligible for federal financial aid. This includes programs that prepare students to become principals, superintendents or other administrators, counselors, librarians, nurses or other health professions, or other types of nonteaching professionals in an elementary or secondary school classrooms. This also includes licensure programs that students may choose to complete for professional advancement or recognition in the teaching field, but are not required by the State to receive or maintain a teaching license.

Typically, students pursuing licensure or endorsement who apply for federal student aid are only eligible to receive Federal Direct Loans based on undergraduate annual and aggregate loan limits.


Second Bachelor’s Degree

If a student has earned a bachelor’s degree and intends to enroll at Wright State University for a second bachelor’s degree, federal financial aid options are limited to Federal Direct Student Loan programs (subsidized and unsubsidized) at the undergraduate level. Annual loan levels range from $5,500 to $12,500. Aggregate loan limits also apply, and students will be held to the undergraduate aggregate loan limits of $31,000 for dependent students or $57,500 for independent students. Aggregate loan limits include loans previously borrowed as an undergraduate student. To be eligible for a loan, the student must file a FAFSA, be enrolled at least half-time (6 credit hours) each semester in degree-applicable coursework, and complete all loan requirements. Dependency status also is key to determining the Direct Student Loan amounts that you may be eligible for. To learn about dependency status, please refer to our Dependency Status webpage.


Graduate Level Coursework

Students pursuing a graduate or doctoral degree (excluding Boonshoft School of Medicine and School of Professional Psychology) are limited in federal financial aid to Federal Direct Student Loan programs (unsubsidized and Graduate PLUS). Graduate level students may borrow up to $20,500 in the Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan program per academic year and up to the cost of attendance in the Federal Direct Graduate PLUS Loan program. Borrowers will be held to the graduate aggregate loan limit of $138,500 for the Direct Unsubsidized Loan program. Acceptance of the Graduate PLUS Loan is conditional based upon a credit check. To be eligible for a loan, the student must file a FAFSA, be enrolled at least half-time (3 credit hours) each semester, and complete all loan requirements.


Courses that Count Towards Your Degree

You are only eligible to receive financial aid for courses that are required for degree completion. If your degree program requires you to take courses that are outside your program, ask your Academic Advisor or Program Director to contact Raider Connect for more information.