Full-time/Half-time Equivalency

For Graduate Students Only

About Full-Time And Half-Time Equivalency

The Gallatin MA Program defines full-time status as enrollment in a minimum of 12 units in one semester, and half-time status as enrollment in a minimum of 6 units in one semester (the two summer sessions combined are regarded as one semester).

For the purposes of immigration and federal aid eligibility (student loans), NYU considers full-time status as enrollment in a minimum of 9 units in one semester, and half-time status as enrollment in a minimum of 4.5 units in one semester (the two summer sessions combined are regarded as one semester).

Graduate students may be certified as having full-time or half-time equivalency for an academic term under several conditions that are explained below under Eligibility for Equivalency. Generally, students are eligible for full-time or half-time equivalency for a maximum of four semesters. Students should also understand that equivalencies carry no unit value toward the degree.

Financial Aid Eligibility

Equivalency is used to help students retain their eligibility for loans, but it does not make a student eligible for scholarships. Scholarship funding can be used ONLY to cover the actual cost of tuition generated by enrollment in courses, that is, the actual number of units for which a student is enrolled. Thus, students awarded a scholarship for study in the Gallatin MA program would not be eligible to retain the scholarship based on equivalency. In addition, since the Gallatin MA program defines full-time status as a minimum of 12 credits, any Gallatin scholarship aid is predicated on this definition of full-time.

Please note that during a semester in which a student seeks equivalency while registered only for Master's Thesis II (2 units) or Thesis Advisement (1 unit), the student will be registered for fewer than six units and, therefore, not able to receive a Gallatin scholarship. Students may still, however, be eligible for loans. Please consult the Office of Financial Aid at 212-998-4444 for more information.

Eligibility for Equivalency

Gallatin may certify full-time or half-time equivalency under any of the following circumstances:

• A student who is working full time on the thesis and is registered for Master's Thesis II or Thesis Advisement may be granted full-time or half-time equivalency. Equivalency granted for any of these reasons counts toward the four-semester maximum for equivalency.
• A student who needs fewer than 9 units to reach 38 units may register for 8 or fewer units and will be eligible for equivalency; the student may not, however, be considered for equivalency if taking fewer units than needed to get a total of 38. This form of equivalency may be granted one time only, and if granted, would count as one of the four semesters maximum for equivalency.
• A student working as a Graduate Assistant or Research Assistant at NYU for at least 20 hours per week may be granted full-time equivalency if in the final semester the student is registered for at least 6 units, or half-time equivalency if she/he is registered for 3 to 5 units; a student is eligible for this equivalency for as many semesters as she/he works as a Graduate Assistant or Research Assistant.
• A student who is taking an approved graduate class at another university (external study) may be eligible for full-time equivalency, if the student is enrolled for a combined total of 9 units or more at both NYU and the other institution, or half-time equivalency, if the student is enrolled for a minimum of 4.5 units, but fewer than 9 units, at both NYU and the other institution. Equivalency may be required for eligibility for insurance, federal financial aid or visa status. Keep in mind that NYU financial aid grants and scholarships are awarded on the basis of courses taken at NYU only.

Application Procedures

Students who wish to apply for equivalency must submit this form no later than two weeks before the first day of classes in the semester for which equivalency is requested. Students must be registered before equivalency can be posted on their record. The Gallatin School will not be held liable for any loans returned to the lender as a result of late processing of the equivalency application; students are fully responsible for investigating the terms, conditions and deadlines related to their loans.