Beginning Fall Semester 1999, BYU students will need to register for at least 12 credits in order to be considered full-time students. This change will bring BYU’s policy into alignment with national norms.
“It really isn’t any big deal,” said Noel B. Reynolds, associate academic vice president for undergraduate studies. “Students will think it is and get excited, but there really isn’t anything to worry about.”
The university will also create a new “three-quarter time student” category to accommodate those who take 9-11.5 credit hours. Three-quarter time students will be fully eligible for basic university benefits, including student health insurance, on-campus housing and on-campus employment.
“We are integrated with several other organizations like the Church Educational System, NCAA and the Federal Student Loan,” said Reynolds, “and they all have 12 credits as their standard.”
There will be very little change in the lives of the students who are taking 9-11.5 credits, says Reynolds. All of the resources that were made available before are still there.
Before making this change, the Office of Assessment conducted a survey asking students their main concerns with the change. The top three student concerns were related to eligibility for health insurance, on-campus housing and on-campus employment.
The three-quarter time program will allow for all of those worries to be taken care of.
The only new difference is in the access to the P.E. facilities. Students that aren’t full-time will have to pay a little more.
Tuition for a three-quarter time student has been set at a slightly lower than full-time tuition.
“The set rate,” said Reynolds, “is actually less expensive than if students were to pay for each credit hour, as is done with part-time students.”
Monte Shelley, director of instructional applications, said PELL grants will be allotted according to credit load.
“Full-time students will receive full grants, Three-quarter students will receive three-quarter grants, and so on,” said Shelley.
Reynolds made it clear that all students in their last semester, regardless of credits taken, will be elligible for full-time student benefits. In addition, BYU’s policy regarding students with disabilities will remain unchanged.
The change in definition will also not affect BYU’s scholarship policy, which requires all scholarship recipients to be enrolled for a minimum of 14 hours.
