Graduate College Policy
Full-Time Course of Study for Graduate Students
Graduate students may be required to maintain full-time enrollment for several reasons. Many academic programs require registered students to maintain a full-time load. Full-time status may also be required for certification related to student loans, fellowship and traineeship appointments, and certain types of non-University medical insurance policies. International students may be required to maintain full-time status for purposes of Student Exchange and Visitor Information System (SEVIS) reporting.
Graduate students with 25%-67% assistantships, except Fellows (see below)
- Fall and spring terms: a minimum of 8 graduate hours; individual programs may set higher requirements.
- Summer term: a minimum of 4 graduate hours in thesis units or a course that meets for at least eight weeks (enrollment in a four-week course in the summer term will not fulfill the requirement for full-time registration)
Graduate students with waiver-generating traineeships or fellowships (regardless of whether the student holds a concurrent assistantship) and graduate students with courtesy fellowship tuition waivers
- Fall and spring terms: a minimum of 12 graduate hours
- Summer term: a minimum of 4 graduate hours in thesis units or a course that meets for at least eight weeks (enrollment in a four-week course in the summer term will not fulfill the requirement for full-time registration)
Graduate students with 1%-24% assistantships and graduate students without assistantships
- Fall and spring terms: a minimum of 12 graduate hours
- Summer term: a minimum of 6 graduate hours in thesis units or a course that meets for at least eight weeks (enrollment in a four-week course in the summer term will not fulfill the requirement for full-time registration)
Important Notes
Fellows are required to maintain a full course load each term of registration unless a reduced course load has been approved by the Graduate College Fellowship Office. Fellows who are international students must also have a reduced course load approved by International Student and Scholar Services.
For purposes of load, each required or recommended ESL course taken as a result of the English as a Second Language Placement Test (EPT) or the SPEAK Appeal will count as the equivalent of 4 graduate hours, even if the course credit is recorded as zero hours.
International students whose first term of study is the Summer term must carry a full course load. In some cases, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services considers a student to be full time at a reduced enrollment. International students should check with International Student and Scholar Services for details or go to isss.illinois.edu/students/guidelines.shtml.
Continuing international students are not required by the campus to enroll for the summer terms, although their departments may require enrollment. Those who do enroll do not need to carry a full course load for SEVIS purposes.
International graduate students who have completed all credit requirements (course work and thesis research) for their degree programs may register for zero hours of 599 until completion of study. This registration will be considered full-time for purposes of SEVIS reporting. International students seeking any exception to the full-time credit requirements should contact the International Student and Scholar Services before registering for the reduced credit load.
For purposes of loan deferral only, zero credit registration in GC 599 will count as full time registration.
Graduate students not registered for at least a half-time load in a particular term will be subject to Social Security and Medicare deductions for that term.
Students with specific loan repayment questions should consult their lenders (school, bank, or loan agency). Students with questions about their fellowships or traineeships should consult the Graduate College Fellowship Office or the funding agency. Students with questions about certification of full-time status should contact the Office of Admissions and Records. Questions about the requirements of specific academic programs should be directed to the graduate office for that program.
Adopted by the Graduate College Executive Committee
March 20, 2003; Revised April 19, 2005 and October 23, 2007