The Graduate College Handbook - 2009
C. Course Loads
- Maximum Enrollment:
The maximum amount of credit in which a graduate student may enroll without special overload approval from the Graduate College is 20 hours in fall and spring terms and 12 hours in the summer term. To request approval to register above the established maximum, a student must submit a Graduate Student Petition. Students in non-degree status have other restrictions, see chapter II.A.2 for more information.
- Minimum Enrollment:
The Graduate College places no rest riction on the minimum amount of credit for which a student may register. However, some departments have established a minimum amount of credit. Students should keep in mind that enrollment below a full-time course of study may jeopardize progress toward a degree, financial aid, fellowship, loan deferment, or the visa status of an international student (see Full-time Enrollment below).
- Full-time Enrollment:
There is no standard definition of a full-time course of study. The Graduate College does not require that students be enrolled full-time. However, graduate students may be required to maintain “full-time enrollment” for other reasons including departmental requirements, certification related to student loans or other financial aid, fellowship and traineeship appointments (see chapter VIII.B.1), certain types of non-University insurance policies, or tax requirements.International students on an F-1 or J-1 visa are required to maintain full-time enrollment for purposes of Student Exchange and Visitor Information System (SEVIS) reporting. For purposes of load, each required or recommended ESL course taken as a result of the English as a Second Language Placement Test (EPT) will count as the equivalent of 4 graduate hours, even if the course credit is recorded as zero hours of credit toward the degree. International students with questions about full-time enrollment should contact the Office of International Student and Scholar Services.
Simultaneous enrollment at another institution may not be added to hours enrolled at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in order to determine full-time status. For the Graduate College, enrollment in off-campus or online courses offered through the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign counts toward full-time enrollment.
Students with questions about registration load and loan deferment should consult their lenders (school, bank, or loan agency). Students may also contact the Office of Student Financial Aid, or finaid@illinois.edu, for advice or referral to the appropriate office or agency. Verification of full-time enrollment may be ordered online or from the Office of the Registrar’s Transcript Section.