How many credit hours per semester for a scholarship covering "tuition"

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Alabama
1

If a student is awarded one of the scholarships that give a number of years of tuition (rather than a dollar amount), how many credit hours per semester does that cover? I assumed 18, simply because that is what I have had experience with-- but then I found the following on UA’s Division of Financial Affairs:
"Full Time Rates – per semester

Hours Resident Nonresident
12-16 $5,390.00 $14,615.00
Enrolled hours over 16 are assessed an overload fee per hour of $440.00 for undergraduate residents and $1,225.00 for undergraduate nonresidents."
https://studentaccounts.ua.edu/tuition-rates/#undergrad

If a scholarship student wants to take 18 hours, do they have to pay the overload fees, or is it just covered as part of tuition? I might just have to call and ask, but thought someone here might know.

Thanks!

2

I would call and ask. DS17 has the Presidential (free tuition) last spring he registered for 18 credits and the scholarship covered it. But I don’t know how it works for future students.

3

@MichiganGeorgia Thanks for the reply! I’m glad to hear your experience (it is what I was expecting)–but you have a good point that new students might have different rules. We’ll be sure to clarify before DS makes any decisions.

4

I am a National Merit scholarship and any charges over 18 credits are covered by the university. I am planning on 18.5-20.5 credits next semester, but either way the charges for credits over 18 will be covered.

5

@cjoseph123 Thanks for the info. My DS is a semifinalist now and will likely be a national merit finalist too, so I’m glad to hear the extra credit charges are taken care of for you

6

I just wanted to circle back and let everyone know what we found out on our visit two weeks ago–like @cjoseph123 said, if you have a scholarship that covers “tuition” (e.g., National Merit, Presidential Elite) then the scholarship covers the tuition charges regardless of the number of credits you are taking. The scholarships that are for a specified dollar amount (e.g., Presidential) will cover that dollar amount, and if you take more credits then you will have to pay the additional credit charges.

We talked to a director in the admissions office about it while he was explaining the ins and outs of the National Merit scholarship.