Impact of Dropping a Class

Students who drop classes early enough in the semester to receive an adjustment in tuition may also receive an adjustment in financial aid.  If a student plans on adjusting their enrollment hours, they should first contact a financial aid counselor to determine the impact on their financial aid.

The following undergraduate specific aid programs require full-time enrollment each semester and will be cancelled if the student enrolls and is charged for less than 12 semester hours:

    • Freshman, Upperclass, Transfer and Community College Tuition Scholarships
    • National Scholars Award
    • Iowa Heritage Award
    • Academic Competitiveness Grant
    • National Smart Grant
    • Iowa Pathways Grant
    • Iowa Promise Grant
    • Certain Private Scholarships

The amount of Federal Pell Grant awarded will vary depending on a student's enrollment status:  6-8 hours (half-time); 9-11 hours (three-quarter time); or 12 or more hours (full-time).  Students whose enrollment and, subsequent tuition charges, change will also experience a change in the amount of their Federal Pell Grant if they change enrollment status (i.e. full-time to three-quarter time).

The following financial aid programs require half-time enrollment each semester and will be cancelled if the student enrolls and is charged for less than 6 hours (5 hours for graduate students).  Students charged for enrollment below full-time (12 hours undergraduate and 9 hours graduate), will have costs adjusted according to enrollment and, if necessary, aid will be adjusted to remain within the student's financial need.

    • SEOG
    • Perkins Loan
    • Iowa Grant
    • Nursing Loan
    • Work-Study

Students who drop hours may need to add additional hours during the upcoming semester or summer session in order to meet the minimum semester hour requirement of the Reasonable Academic Progress Standards (22 hours undergraduate and 12 hours graduate during fall, spring and subsequent summer session).

Students who drop hours while on Reasonable Academic Progress (RAP) probation still must meet their probation requirements or future financial aid will be denied without an accepted RAP appeal.