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Add/Dropping Classes

Adding and Dropping Credits

Financial Aid Determination Date (FADD): The Department of Education requires universities disbursing federal aid to have a posted date when a “screenshot” is taken of a student’s enrollment. Each university is required to adjust students’ awards based upon the credits the student is enrolled in at that moment.

Enrollment Credit Levels

University and Federal Aid awards are based on a student's enrolled credits during each semester. Federal awards are based on enrolled Program Applicable (PA) credits while University awards are based on both enrolled PA and non-PA credits. A student planning to add or drop credits before the FADD should take these levels into consideration as it may or may not affect the amount of aid being awarded to them. When adding or dropping classes, students always risk the chance of previously disbursed aid being returned. It is strongly recommended that any student dropping credits should contact the financial aid office prior to dropping to determine how the student’s federal aid will be affected. Students contacting the office should know which courses specifically they are planning to drop.

Number of Enrolled Credits*Credit Level
0.5 - 5.5Less Than Half Time (LTHT)
6 - 8.5Half (1/2) Time
9 - 11.5Three Quarter (3/4) Time
12+Full Time

*If the number of enrolled credits is a combination of PA and non-PA credits it may affect the actual credit level that a student is awarded based off of depending on the type of aid they are awarded.

How Does This Affect Financial Aid?

Federal Aid

Dropping credits before and after the FADD may affect your federal financial aid. Because of the complexities involved, it is highly recommended students contact the Financial Aid Office prior to dropping credits.

University Aid

All students receiving a BYU-Idaho Scholarship or Talent Scholarship will have their scholarship award amount finalized at 11:59 pm on the advertised FADD, based upon the number of total credits (PA and non-PA) the student is enrolled in at that moment. Waitlisted courses do not count as enrolled courses and will not be looked at on the FADD.

BYU-Idaho and Talent Scholarships will be taken away/added back and adjusted on a student's account until the FADD. Dropping credits before the FADD may affect these scholarships, while dropping credits after the FADD will not. Awards may take 24 hours to update after courses are added or dropped.