Student Status & Financial Aid

Once an undergraduate has been accepted into a Five-Year Masters Program, several factors will determine the timing of her change in status from undergraduate to graduate. PLEASE NOTE: a shift in status from undergraduate to graduate student may impact a student’s eligibility for financial aid. Students should consult with a financial aid counselor prior to entering the Five-Year Masters Program in order to determine the impact that a change in status will have on her financial aid. No student will be considered for graduate student financial aid status until she has completed a minimum of 102 credits. After completing 102 credits, a student may choose to maintain her undergraduate status for financial reasons. However, a student in the Five-Year Masters Program will automatically become a graduate student when all of the following conditions have been met:

• Student has completed 120 credits;
• Student has been enrolled in at least seven semesters of University coursework (not counting interim/Maymester sessions);
• Student is enrolled in graduate courses for a minimum of three credits.

During the course of her undergraduate studies, a student may need to take an academic overload during one or more semesters in order to accelerate the undergraduate degree and complete the program in five years. Any student taking more than 18 credits in a single semester is considered to be on academic overload. In order to register for more than 18 credits, students must complete the Academic Overload Petition available online on http://my.chatham.edu/ > Forms > Student Services. Students on academic overload may be required to pay a financial overload.