Requirements

Are you considering financial aid to help you with your studies? If so, there are requirements to receive funding and keep it in good standing.

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Academic requirements

When you apply for student financial aid, academic requirements must be considered to keep your funding in good standing.

Academic progress

How does my academic progress factor into my student loans or other funding?

As a fundamental requirement of your student aid, you must successfully complete the academic requirements of your program of study to continue to be eligible for financial assistance.

In addition to unsatisfactory grades, these situations—incomplete courses, failure to attend, course extensions, withdrawals, multiple program switches, multiple repeats of a program, or taking multiple programs—may be considered insufficient academic progress. To be considered for further government financial assistance, it is in your best interest to maintain satisfactory academic progress. Even though you can complete your courses on your own schedule, it is important for you as a funded student to regularly attend your studies and submit coursework on a regular basis throughout your funding term to keep the funding you have received.

• Full-time and part-time externally funded students (government loans, sponsored students) are subject to the regulations and requirements of their external funding agency.
• Funded students are encouraged to submit assignments and complete course projects regularly. As a guideline for demonstrating academic progress, you should have submitted a minimum of 50 per cent of your course work and assignments within 60 days from your semester start date. The majority of course work needs to be submitted, and the final exams need to be booked to be written 1 month before the start of the second semester.
• Academic progress is monitored and will be confirmed 1 month before the start of the second semester. If satisfactory academic progress is not achieved by the contract end date, your second semester courses and continued funding eligibility may be negatively affected. If you do not demonstrate satisfactory academic progress, AU must report the status to the provincial funding agency. The funding for your second semester will likely be discontinued.

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Undergraduate students

Undergraduate course extensions

How do course extensions affect my government student funding?

• Full-time funded students are expected to attend and complete their courses within the 4-month funded term.
• Course extensions should be used cautiously as government funding agency regulations take precedence over related AU policies.
• Full-time funded students are granted one 2-month extension at no charge, plus up to 3 additional 2-month purchased extensions in each course.
• Course extensions do not extend full-or part-time status or funding eligibility.
• The extension begins on the first day of the month following your course contract end date.
• Course extension requests for student aid-funded courses must be received 1 month before the course end date.
• Full-time funded students are not able to extend courses via myAU. Printable Undergraduate Course Extension forms are available online.
• Email the completed course extension form(s) to sfa@athabascau.ca.
• If you are extending your courses at the end of your funding term, you will be unable to proceed in your second semester or start a new funding term until all the previous courses are completed.

Undergraduate course withdrawals

If I have to withdraw from a course, how does that work with my government student loan?

• The AU regulation applies to funded students. If a withdrawal changes your status from full-time to part-time or no longer attending, your funding agency will be notified accordingly.
• When a student loan is used to pay for courses, any eligible refund will be issued to the loan service provider to be applied to your loan balance.
• If you are withdrawing from a funded course, you may not be able to apply for funding to re-register in the course. Students are eligible to apply for full-time funding for the initial registration and 1 re-registration in each course provided they are eligible for subsequent funding.
• Withdrawals must be formally requested; simply not completing assignments or not attending class does not constitute a withdrawal.
• All withdrawal requests must be made in writing to the Office of the Registrar Student Financial Aid unit, and bear the student's signature.
• Full-time funded students are not able to withdraw from courses online.
• To formally withdraw from a course, complete and submit a Course Withdrawal Request form (individualized study) (grouped study).
• Please scan and email the completed Course Withdrawal Request form to sfa@athabascau.ca.
• Remember to include your name and AU ID number in your email.
• The withdrawal date will be the date and time on the emailed document.
• Withdrawal timeframes are important. You may withdraw from a course any time during the active study period unless the final examination is written.
• If you are expecting a refund, please refer to the Undergraduate Calendar.
• Please refer to the AU regulation for more detailed information on withdrawal timelines and what goes on a student's academic record.
• Nursing students: Please consult the Undergraduate Course Withdrawal regulation to explain the academic impact of a withdrawal from a nursing clinical and the process that must be followed.

Undergraduate course refunds and returns

How do refunds for undergraduate courses work at AU?

To be entitled to a refund, you must withdraw from the course (except for challenge courses) at any time up until 30 days after the course start date, and you must meet specific criteria found in the refunds section of the Undergraduate Calendar.

If returning course materials, please return to:

Materials Management
Tim Byrne Centre
Athabasca University
4001 Highway 2 South
Athabasca, AB T9S 1A4

Maximum undergraduate course load

What is the maximum course load I can manage?

AU intends to support your academic success. To ensure that students do not overburden themselves, AU imposes a course load maximum for each semester. We recommend starting with three 3-credit courses per 4-month semester if you are a first-time funded student. Use AU's Counselling Services resource to determine if you are ready for full-time studies.

Students may not be active in more than 6 courses at any time. Courses remaining incomplete by the second semester registration deadline may trigger the maximum course load, preventing registration and the release of student financial aid disbursements for the second semester.

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Graduate students

Graduate course extensions

How do course extensions affect my government student funding?

• Full-time funded students are expected to attend and successfully complete their courses within the 4-month funded term.
• Course extensions should be used cautiously as government funding agency regulations take precedence over related AU policies.
• The number and duration of allowable graduate extensions are noted in your specific program regulations program regulations.
• Course extensions do not extend full-or part-time status or funding eligibility.
• The extension begins on the first day of the month following your course contract end date.
• Course extension requests for student aid funded courses must be received 1 month before the course end date.
• Before full-time funded graduate students can apply for extensions, they must speak to their specialist because extensions will affect funding.
• If you are extending your courses at the end of your funding term, you will be unable to proceed in your second semester or start a new funding term until all the previous courses are completed.

Graduate course withdrawals

If I have to withdraw from a course, how does that work with my government student loan?

• Students who want to withdraw from a graduate course must follow the rules outlined in their program’s Course Regulations and Procedures section of the Graduate Calendar.
• If a withdrawal changes your status from full-time to part-time or no longer attending, your funding agency will be notified accordingly.
• When a student loan is used to pay for courses, any eligible refund will be issued to the loan service provider to be applied to your loan balance.
• If you are withdrawing from a funded course, you may not be able to apply for funding to re-register in the course. Students are eligible to apply for full-time funding for the initial registration and 1 re-registration in each course provided they are eligible for subsequent funding.
• Withdrawals must be formally requested; simply not completing assignments or not attending class does not constitute a withdrawal.
• Full-time funded students are not able to withdraw from courses online. Contact your graduate program office for more information.
• Graduate SFA students who withdraw should notify their student financial aid specialist.
• If you want more information on withdrawal timelines and what goes on a student’s academic record, or you are expecting a refund, please refer to the Course Regulations and Procedures section of your Graduate Calendar regulations page.

Graduate course refunds and returns

How do refunds for graduate courses work at AU?

Students will receive a refund of their full course fees minus the course withdrawal processing fee if they withdraw from their courses within the timeframes specified in the applicable course withdrawal regulations in their program’s Course Regulations and Procedures section of the Graduate Calendar.

Maximum graduate course load

What is the maximum course load I can manage?

AU intends to support your academic success. AU imposes a maximum course load for each semester to ensure that students do not overburden themselves. The maximum course load for graduate students is two 3-credit courses per 4-month semester.

Use AU's Counselling Services resource to determine if you are ready for full-time studies.

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Part-time and full-time status

Your status is a key component of your requirements when receiving government funding. Review the following information to ensure you stay in good standing.

Undergraduate funded

Full-time requirements for student aid purposes state that you must be:

• registered in a minimum of 60 per cent of a full course load, or
• 9 credits over 4 months for 1 semester, or
• 18 credits over 8 months for 2 semesters.

All courses in a semester must have the same start date. Funded students receive a shortened contract for their courses. 3-credit courses are compressed to 4 months (instead of 6), and 6-credit courses are shortened to 8 months (instead of 12).

Part-time status is given to students taking a minimum of one 3-credit course to a maximum of three 3-credit courses per 6-month semester.

Find out if you are ready for full-time studies

Graduate funded

Students must be registered in a minimum of 60 per cent course load (0.75 credits per month) in a 4-month semester at the graduate studies level to qualify for full-time status for funding purposes.

• This is equal to a minimum of one 4-month grouped study course per 4-month semester.
• One 3-credit, 6-month graduate course is part -time.

Status questions

If you are not a student receiving student financial assistance but require information about full or part-time status at AU, please contact Enrolment Services at acrec@athabascau.ca or by telephone at 1-800-788-9041, ext. 6822, or visit the full-time or part-time enrolment status page.