Enrollment Status

A student's enrollment status can determine eligibility for financial aid. Students are encouraged to view the following information and plan appropriately.

Non-Degree & DACC Admits

  • If you are admitted as a non-degree seeking student, you are ineligible for aid.
  • At times, students who apply for NMSU admission are admitted through DACC pending specific coursework. If this occurs, your financial aid is processed by the DACC financial aid office. Once you complete the course work, you must officially change your status from associate-degree-seeking to bachelor-degree-seeking and from a branch-admission-status to a regular-admission-status. Do this at either your college or the NMSU Records Office.

Hours Enrolled

  • Undergraduate, full-time status requires 12 or more graded credits, three-quarter status is 9 to 11 graded credits, half-time status is 6 to 8 graded credits, and less than half-time status is 1 to 5 graded credits.
  • Graduate, full-time status requires 9 or more graded credits and half-time is 5 to 8 graded credits.

Repeats and Audits

  • Financial aid cannot pay for audited classes.
  • Financial aid will pay for up to 3 repeated attempts in the event of a failed class.
  • Financial aid will pay for the 1st repeat of a class if you pass the 1st attempt but repeat it for a higher grade. Some courses (specifically music, master, and doctoral thesis hours) are repeatable for a maximum of credit hours. Refer to the NMSU course catalog for details of repeatable credit hours. If you are enrolled in these music or thesis hours, visit your financial aid advisor for assistance.

Graduate and Second Undergraduate Degrees

  • If you are a graduate student or are pursuing a second undergraduate degree, you are ineligible for grants. You may be eligible for work-study and/or Direct Loans.
  • Graduate students interested in assistantships should check with the individual departments or colleges for application procedures.

Summer Sessions

  • Loans and/or work study may be available if your financial aid file is complete and you enroll at least half-time (6 credit hours for undergraduates and 5 credit hours for graduate students). Check with your financial aid advisor for eligibility.