Schedule of Reductions for Part-Time Enrollment

For Federal Student Loans

Federal legislation passed on July 4, 2025 provided new directions for how universities must calculate federal student loan eligibility, called Schedule of Reductions (SOR). Your annual federal student loan limit may decrease if you enroll less than full-time. Instead of qualifying for the maximum annual amount, your borrowing limit will be based on the credit hours you take each semester and throughout the academic year. No more than 50% of the annual loan amount can be applied to any fall or spring semester.

Use our SOR Calculator to estimate your student loan amount based on anticipated part-time enrollment.

Half-time Enrollment

Half-time Enrollment: Students must be enrolled at least half-time in financial aid-eligible courses to receive a Federal Direct Loan in any given semester. 

• Undergraduate Students: Half-time enrollment is 6 hours in the fall, spring, or summer semesters.
• Graduate Students: Half-time enrollment is 4.5 hours in fall or spring semesters; 3 hours in a summer semester.
• Law Students: Half-time enrollment requires 6 hours in fall or spring semesters; 4 hours in a summer semester.

Full-time Enrollment

• Undergraduate Students: Full-time enrollment requires 12 credit hours per semester, totaling 24 credit hours per year.
• Graduate Students: Full-time enrollment requires 9 credit hours per semester, totaling 18 credit hours per year.
• Law Students: Full-time enrollment requires 12 credit hours per semester, totaling 24 credit hours per year.

Less Than Full-Time Enrollment Formula for Loan Eligibility

Federal loan eligibility must always consider limits within the cost of attendance as well as if you have met the lifetime aggregate limits.

The formula below will be applied using your specific annual limit and credit hours enrolled each semester.

Timeline for Schedule of Reductions

Once your federal loan(s) has disbursed, the credit hours used to determine eligibility are “frozen.” If you add or drop classes after your loan has disbursed, the change in hours will not impact your eligibility unless:

• You were less-than-half-time and change to half-time or greater, in which case your loan eligibility will increase.

If you were full-time at the time your fall loan was disbursed but you later withdraw from one or more credit hours during the fall semester, your spring loan eligibility will be calculated using the reduction in fall hours.  Meaning, your fall loan amount will not change, but your spring loan amount may be reduced, depending on your annual enrollment hours.

SOR Calculator

Choose your enrollment level (undergraduate, graduate, or law) and then enter the amount of your subsidized and/or unsubsidized loan(s) as it appears on your official financial aid offer. Then, enter the number of credit hours you anticipate enrolling in for the term. This calculator assumes the same credit hours for fall and spring.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS
This calculator provides an estimated Federal Direct Loan eligibility amount for illustrative purposes only. Results are not a guarantee of eligibility, loan approval, or amounts. Actual eligibility is determined through a review of your FAFSA, enrollment status, academic level, financial aid record, borrowing limits, cost of attendance, and federal regulations.

Withdrawing from courses, F grades, and other unearned grades may also result in reduced loan eligibility for the year.