Aid available for nondegree students
Qualifications
To qualify for loans as a nondegree student*, the following must be true:
- You are taking courses with the goal of being admitted to a degree-seeking or eligible certificate program at the campus you are taking coursework
- Your coursework is required to qualify for admission to the program (this must be verified by an advisor in the department or school for each semester you request aid)
- You haven’t exceeded the maximum period of eligibility for federal student loans as a non-degree student (one consecutive 12-month period)
- Your enrollment during the verified semester matches the coursework listed on your verification form
- Your prerequisite courses for each semester are equal to or greater than half time
- You have not reached your annual or lifetime borrowing limit for Federal Direct Loans
- You are meeting satisfactory academic progress
* Graduate students are not eligible for Grad PLUS loans while working on prerequisite courses.
Download prerequisite coursework verification
Nondegree students who are taking coursework required for admission into degree-seeking or eligible-certificate program, must work with your academic advisor to complete the nondegree prerequisite coursework form.
Meet with an advisor
Discuss your eligibility with the advisor in the school with the program you want to apply for. They will help you verify that:
- You are taking courses that are prerequisites (required) for admission to an eligible program.
- Your enrollment during the verified semester matches the coursework listed on your prerequisite form. You must be taking enough prerequisites to be equal to or greater than half time (6 credits for undergraduates and 4 credits for graduate students).
- Coursework that isn’t listed or verified won’t be included when we determine your enrollment status. If you enroll in additional coursework during the semester, you’ll still be eligible for aid only after the minimum half-time enrollment requirement is met with verified prerequisites. You would need to submit an updated form to our office with an academic advisor signature from the department or school where the program is located.
Submit your nondegree prerequisite coursework verification form
You must submit your completed pre-requisite form once it has been verified and signed off on by your academic advisor. Please allow 10 business days for review. Submit your form at least 30 days prior to the end of the term for which you’re seeking financial aid.
If your nondegree prerequisite form is approved and your enrollment verified, you’ll receive a Financial Aid Notification (FAN) at your IU email account. Note that if your form is incomplete, you’ll need to fill out a new form.
Once you begin the prerequisite process, you only have 12 consecutive months to finish your prerequisites and receive financial aid.
IU Indianapolis
Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships
420 University Blvd
Indianapolis, IN 46202
USA