Undergraduate degree-seeking students at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign are required to register for a minimum of 12 credits for Fall and Spring semesters. Prior approval from a student’s college is required before initiating a drop action which would result in less than full-time status (below 12 credit hours).
This requirement encourages all students to be full-time in order to make satisfactory progress towards their degrees. Failure to comply with this regulation may result in cancellation of your enrollment status next term.
Dropping classes that result in a change of status will affect your Tuition Assessment and Financial Aid. For more information, contact the Office of Student Financial Aid.
Dropping classes which meet specific college, program, or University requirements (for example, Comp I) without prior permission of the student’s college may result in probation or drop status due to inadequate progress towards a degree. Contact your college office for more information on requirements and drops that require special approval.
International students in F-1 and J-1 status must receive authorization from the Office of International Student Affairs or their J-1 program sponsor before dropping below full-time status. International student eligibility is governed by different rules than U.S. students for purposes of Student Exchange and Visitor Information System (SEVIS) reporting. Students should contact the Office of International Student Affairs for more information. All students should also consult with their college office or department prior to dropping any class.
Graduate students may be required to maintain full-time enrollment for several reasons. Many academic programs require registered students to maintain a full-time load. Full-time status may also be required for certification related to student loans, fellowship and traineeship appointments, and certain types of non-University medical insurance policies.
Full-time status for Graduate students is calculated based on credit enrollment for a term combined with consideration of requirements for any assistantships, fellowships, traineeships, or "stand-alone" tuition waivers that may apply for a particular graduate student. For more information on full-time status calculations that combine credit enrollments, assistantships, fellowships, or “stand-alone” tuition waivers, students may contact the Graduate College.