<p>After finishing the upcoming 2011 Spring Semester I will only have 15 units left to get my degree. I could do all the remaining units and graduate a semester early in Fall 2011 but i have no idea what i would do during the spring . I'm planning on applying to Law School but i'm unsure whether it would be beneficial to graduate early. I 'm wondering if i could split those 15 units to last the entire final year. Could I spend my last year doing 12 units each semester by taking (6 required units and 6 extra units)and (9 required units and 3 extra units) and still qualify for the full financial aid or would this not be kosher. If i followed my plan i would graduate with 131 units in four years.</p>
<p>Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated.</p>
<p>Check with the financial aid office of your college, but most financial aid is contingent upon 12 credit hours per semester or more, which is what you propose. Most financial aid is limited to 8 semesters, which would be OK.</p>
<p>Many people have the ability to graduate early, but don’t want to because they like college. These people often take a double major.</p>
<p>You might also think about getting your bachelor’s early and then taking some graduate level courses the 8th semester. Hopefully, the college would offer separate financial aid for the graduate courses. Or, your college may allow you to take grad level classes while still an undergrad (although you would probably only get undergrad credit). </p>
<p>Taking grad level classes might look better for law school, and you could study subjects that are useful in law school and that might count towards an eventual masters in law (which some people get after their law degree).</p>
<p>* I 'm wondering if i could split those 15 units to last the entire final year. Could I spend my last year doing 12 units each semester by taking (6 required units and 6 extra units)and (9 required units and 3 extra units) and still qualify for the full financial aid or would this not be kosher. If i followed my plan i would graduate with 131 units in four years.</p>
<p>*</p>
<p>That should be ok since you’re taking **at least **12 credits per semester (even if some are not needed for major/degree). It’s ok that you’ll have “extra” credits when you graduate. Many kids have extra credits…because of APs or because they changed their majors. My son will graduate in May and he’ll have about 170 credits from 8 semesters and AP classes. My son has no required classes next semester…all will be fun or just interesting classes.</p>
<p>I still wonder whether the college I attend would refuse to give me financial aid for both semester because I could finish all my classes in one semester. My plan of taking twelve units both years would involve me taking some completely unnecessary units along with my degree units.</p>
<p>I don’t think I can get into double major and minor and graduate in four year now so the units I would take would be superfluous.</p>
<p>I don’t think the FA office looks at your schedule like that. The FA office’s job is not to guess/determine whether classes you’re taking are needed or not-needed for your major…that’s none of their business.</p>
<p>When you’re a junior and you’re applying for aid for senior year, you’ll get an award based on 2 semesters.</p>
<p>I agree, you’re probably fine though I hope you don’t have to borrow to achieve this. FA cutoffs start much higher than 131 credits and at many schools all of the remaining classes you need probably aren’t offered in the same semester anyway. But you can always go talk with your advisor…he/she should be able to tell you if there would be any issues with your plan or not.</p>
<p>I just have one last query.I’m worried about my plan because of this section in my college’s financial aid satisfactory academic progress requirement for financial aid. Does anyone know if I would fall under this?</p>
<p>“Students who enroll in classes inconsistent with their academic program, or students who exceed the University’s policies related to change of major, will be held to the maximum unit cap without exception. Should a review of a student’s record reveal that the student is enrolling in courses for financial aid purposes and not because the coursework is required for the degree, the student will be considered to be failing to make satisfactory academic progress for financial aid”</p>
<p>I think that clause is geared toward the perpetual student, not someone like you who will actually meet his expected graduation date after the standard 8 semesters. In any case, the maximum unit cap is likely at least 150 credits and failure to meet SAP criteria usually results in a semester of probationary aid…after which you would graduate anyway.</p>
<p>^^^
Exactly…a FA office isn’t going to keep issuing aid for a student who just keeps going and going and going to school…semester after semester…just accumulating credits, but never graduating.</p>