Financial Aid While on Co-Op
This information is meant to be an informative guide only. Since Financial Aid is a function of many different factors, it is recommended that you consult directly with the Financial Aid Office regarding your individual situation.
A student may use financial aid to pay for co-op credits. However, additional enrollment may be necessary to reach minimum enrollment requirements. As a general rule, most scholarships require full-time attendance (12 credits) and most loans require half-time attendance (6 credits).
Undergraduate and Graduate students:
The Michigan Tech administration has declared that students participating in an official co-op program administered by Career Services will be considered continuously enrolled, when registered for a co-op, for purposes of student loan deferment and coverage under parents’ health insurance. Any student who receives notification of repayment while on co-op should contact Career Services immediately to resolve the situation.
The rules governing financial aid evaluate the number of credits a student takes in a particular semester. It is best to speak with a representative of the Financial Aid Office to determine how your aid will be affected by going on a co-op.
Federal, state, and institutional financial aid regulations require that financial assistance be provided based on the number of credit hours carried by the co-op student. If a student has Pell Grant eligibility, a less-than-half-time Pell Grant may be available while on co-op.
Other federal, state or institutionally funded aid will not be available during periods of co-op enrollment. University scholarships such as Presidential, National, etc... will not pay out for co-op. However, for these merit-based, renewable scholarships, the semester of funding is not lost, it is merely deferred to a future term with the maximum amount received per semester never exceeding one-half of the annual amount awarded.
In some cases, students receiving scholarships from outside agencies are allocated their funds while on co-op. This is dependent on the type of scholarship and the discretion of the awarding agency. Students should contact their granting agency for specifics.
Co-op students receiving Michigan Tech sponsored scholarships may request reallocation of their funds from a two semester to a one semester basis for that academic year only. The request will be granted if the scholarship criteria do not indicate otherwise. Examples include the Class of 1938, and the Robert and Virginia Anderson Endowed Scholarship.
When the Michigan Tech Financial Aid Office becomes aware of co-op registration for a student, the aid will be adjusted accordingly.
Wages
Wages earned while on co-op assignment may be treated differently than regular wages. Please speak to a financial aid representative to determine how your co-op wages are viewed by the Department of Education, and accordingly, how they affect your FAFSA results and future financial aid.
All co-op students apply for financial aid at the same time as they normally would. Students are responsible for acquiring and completing their financial aid applications (e.g. FAFSA).