Financial Aid
Students must be registered a minimum of Six (6) credits per semester to be eligible for prorated federal financial aid.
Students must be registered a minimum of Twelve (12) credits per semester to be eligible for full federal financial aid.
Students should contact the Office of University Scholarships and Financial Aid to determine the minimum number of enrollment credits per semester to be eligible for state and institutional aid.
Dropping Hours After Drop/Add
If a student drops credits after the end of the add period, their financial aid may be adjusted based on their course load and date they drop a course.
An important fact to keep in mind, if they are a current or previous Federal Direct Loan (subsidized/unsubsidized loan) borrower with an in-school deferment status and drop to below half-time (five (5) credit hours or below) as an undergraduate student, they will go into the six-month grace period to repay the Federal Direct Loan(s).
If students have further questions, they should be directed to speak with:
| Department | Phone | |
| Office of University Scholarships & Financial Aid | finaid@vt.edu | 540-231-5179 |
International Students
International students at Virginia Tech must be enrolled in 12-credits for undergraduate students to be considered full-time to maintain legal status. International students are not allowed to drop below full-time without prior authorization from the Cranwell International Center and only under very limited circ*mstances.
If students have further questions, they should be directed to speak with:
| Department | Phone | |
| Cranwell International Center | international@vt.edu | 540-231-6527 |
The student will need permission to drop below full-time status by completing and submitting a reduced course load request online through IntlHokies.
IntlHokies is an abbreviation for International Hokies, Virginia Tech’s online immigration services portal for international students. Through IntlHokies, international students are able to access a wide range of immigration resources and services from Cranwell International Center. More specifically, IntlHokies enables international students who are advised by Cranwell International Center to submit immigration-related requests, upload related documents, and track the status of the request.
IntlHokies can be found at https://international.vt.edu/immigration_services/IntlHokies.html.
On-Campus Residence
To qualify for on-campus housing, undergraduate students must be currently enrolled, full-time (12 or more credit hours), and have paid all applicable charges related to campus housing. If the student falls below full-time status, they will not be automatically released from their contractual obligations and may be permitted to remain in the residence hall as long as the student is not in violation of any University policies and/or regulations.
If students have further questions, they should be directed to speak with:
| Department | Phone | |
| Housing and Residence Life | housing@vt.edu | 540-231-6205 |
Student-Athletes
Student-athletes must be enrolled "full time" (12 credits for undergraduates) each semester to maintain NCAA eligibility for practice and competition. If student-athlete wishes to drop below 12 credits, permission must be obtained from the University Registrar and consultation with a Student Athlete Academic Support Services (SAASS) counselor.
Unless a student is enrolled in the final credits needed during the term of graduation, a drop below "full time" status will immediately render them ineligible to compete and practice and may have financial aid consequences.
Please note that a student's use of VT's Course Withdrawal policy does not affect full-time status.
| Department | Phone | |
| Student Athlete Academic Support Services | saass@vt.edu | 540-231-6165 |
Study Abroad
All students studying abroad for a semester are required to be enrolled in at least the equivalent of 12 or more Virginia Tech credit hours to maintain full-time status. Students will also need to follow the minimum full-time enrollment requirement for their host university/program which in many cases will be more than 12 credits.
If students have further questions, they should be directed to speak with:
| Department | Phone | |
| Global Education Office | vtabroad@vt.edu | 540-231-5888 |
Veterans
All beneficiaries withdrawing or resigning from a semester or reducing their course load must notify, in writing, the Office of Veteran Services. This may have an adverse impact on their eligibility for benefits.
| Department | |
| Office of Veteran Services | veteran@vt.edu |
Tuition & Refund
Tuition is the primary charge for educational services leading to degree credit. Tuition is determined by a number of factors, including the student’s residency status (in-state/out-of-state resident), the number of credit hours for which the student is registered, the student’s course of study, and the student’s classification level.
| TUITION & FEE RATES BY ACADEMIC SEMESTERS | |
| Tuition & Fee Rates | https://www.bursar.vt.edu/tuition-fee-rates/tuition-fees.html |
The Bursar's Office provides a refund schedule for withdrawals, resignations, and reduced course load for the fall/spring semesters. These are published on the Bursar’s website under Refund Policy. Students considering reducing their course load or resigning should always review examples of the calculation of any refund before actually dropping the course or resigning.
If students have further questions, they should be directed to speak with:
| Department | Phone | |
| Bursar’s Office | bursar@vt.edu | 540-231-6277 |
