Full-Time Equivalency

Financial Aid Eligibility

Equivalency is used to help students retain full time status for loan and/or visa purposes. Full-time equivalency does not make a student eligible for scholarships that require full time enrollment. Thus, students awarded a Steinhardt scholarship, and are required to maintain full time status, should review the “pro-rating” scholarships page of the handbook, for more information. 

Students who receive equivalency may still be eligible to receive loans, however please note that loan amounts are based on total units enrolled, not equivalency. Please consult the Office of Financial Aid at 212-998-4444 for more information.  

Eligibility for Equivalency

MCC students who would like to receive Full Time Equivalency must

• Be enrolled in less than 12 credits (international students), or 4.5 credits (domestic students)

• Be in their final 1-2 semesters of the program

• Be enrolled in an approved culminating project. Students may request full-time or half-time equivalency under any of the following circumstances:

  • A student who is working full time on the thesis and is registered for Master's Thesis is eligible in the Fall and Spring semester

  • A student registered in Professional Writing is ONLY eligible for Full Time Equivalency for the Fall term. 

    • Domestic students in Professional Writing or Theoretical Synthesis who receive loans and/or need to defer their loan payments for the Spring term should review the important notes below and be sure to follow the instructions very carefully. 

Important Notes for International Students

• International students in Professional Writing or Theoretical Synthesis who need to maintain full time status for visa purposes should apply for FTE in the fall semester, and then apply for reduced course load through OGS  in the spring semester. The online form is available here. Information about pre-completion and post-completion Optional Practical Training (OPT) for F-1 students is available here.

How to Apply for Equivalency

• Applications should be submitted as soon as your semester schedule is finalized.  Please do not submit your form before it is finalized. 

• Read the Eligibility for Equivalency section above.

• Discuss your academic plan with your advisor.

• Register for your classes. Students must be registered before equivalency can be posted on their record.

• Update your expected graduation date on Albert.

• Make sure your anticipated credits on Albert reflect the actual amount of credits you plan to take for the semester. 

  • Failure to complete this step may cause an over disbursement of your loans. If you are awarded too much loan money the computer will eventually catch the mistake and ask you to pay back the difference immediately.

  • MCC will not be held liable for any loans returned to the lender as a result of late processing of the equivalency application; students are fully responsible for investigating the terms, conditions and deadlines related to their loans.

• If you need to pro-rate your scholarship, review the relevant information for eligibility criteria and instructions. 

• Complete the Full Time Equivalency Form

Please note:

• Students completing Professional Writing / Media Project or Thesis should select the "Thesis" option. See below for additional tips

  • Question 1- 40 hours a week

  • Question 2- List the semester you will graduate

  • Question 3- List your thesis title OR the title of your Professional Writing paper / Media Project