STUDENT LOANS & GRANTS
COURSE LOAD
Full-time or part-time status is determined by the number of credits you take each term. 9 credits per term is considered full-time for the purpose of student aid funding. Most courses are worth 3 credits.
You must enrol in the appropriate course load in all terms before we can confirm your enrolment with your loan provider.
Read the university’s Classification of Registered Students policy to learn more about full-time and part-time status at MacEwan.
Full-time funding
You must maintain full-time status for the entire funding period to keep your student aid funding for the year.
A minimum full-time course load for Fall or Winter term is 9 credits. This is typically 3 courses.
A minimum full-time course load for Spring/Summer term is as follows:
- 3 credits in a one-month session (e.g., one 3-credit course in May session)
- 6 credits in Spring session (e.g., two 3-credit courses May through June)
- 6 credits in Summer session (e.g., two 3-credit courses July through August)
- 9 credits in regular session (e.g., three 3-credit courses May through August)
For the Spring/Summer term, we encourage students to enrol in their classes first, then reach out to a financial aid advisor before applying for funding.
If you have a documented permanent disability, you may be considered a full-time student with a reduced course load of at least 40 per cent of your program’s regular course load.
Contact Access and Disability Resources to discuss your needs and arrange the appropriate documentation for financial aid applications.
If you drop courses and become a part-time student during your funding period or if you withdraw from your studies entirely, MacEwan notifies your lender and the following actions are taken:
- Any unreleased funding is cancelled
- Any grants you’ve received may become repayable
- If this occurs in the Fall term, you need to reapply for funding for the Winter term.
- If you don’t return to full-time studies within six months, you must start making loan payments.
If you cash a loan and/or grant and then withdraw from studies within 30 days of your program start date, you must:
- Repay grant funds in full before further funding is issued.
- Repay calculated overpayments in full before further funding is issued.
If you completely withdraw more than once during a funding period, you are not eligible for further funding for 12 months.
If there are extenuating circumstances, such as a family or medical emergency, submit a letter to the funding agency for your province/territory indicating the reason for your withdrawal and attach documentation (e.g., doctor’s note, letter from counsellor, etc.).
Part-time funding
If you are enrolled in fewer than 3 courses or less than 9 credits, you are considered part time.