multiple colleges at same time totaling 12 credits/semester = full time financial aid?

Paying for College
1

<p>In order to be classified as 'full time' FAFSA financial aid, will I need to be taking a full time credit count at at least one of the two schools? This could mean having to take 16-22 credits a semester. Ideally I'd be able to take say 5-9 credits at two colleges each at the same time, with the total credit count putting me at +12 credits and classifying me as a 'full time' student.</p>

<p>I may find myself in a situation where it would be necessary or strongly preferred to take courses at two community colleges at the same time, for a semester or two or three. This is for California, with the difficulty of getting lower division articulated requirements out of the way in order to transfer to a UC/CSU. </p>

<p>Any answers or directions on where to look for answers would be highly appreciated! (I've tried searching FAFSA, google, and collegeconfidential but no luck.)</p>

2

<p>Are you tying to get financial aid as a full time student? If so, I believe you need to be full time at one school.</p>

<p>However, some schools do have a “relationship” with other colleges whereby students can take courses as if they were at the college where they are actually a matriculated student. Check that.</p>

3

<p>You absolutely cannot get aid at more than one school at the same time … and you can’t add hours from more than one school to make full time. Even if the schools have a consortium agreement, you must be formally enrolled in both schools under the consortium agreement to have all hours count. </p>

4

<p>Thank you both!</p>