To be eligible for financial aid through MCAD, you must meet the following requirements.
Students must:
- Be a United States citizen or eligible non-citizen
- Be registered with Selective Service, if required
- Be taking at least 6 credits per semester
- Be making satisfactory academic progress toward an eligible degree or certificate
- Maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0
- Not be in default on a federal education loan
Financial Aid Enrollment Status
Enrollment status is determined by your program and the total credit hours you are enrolled in per semester.
| Master of Arts (MA) Status | |
| Full-time | 6 or more credits |
| Half-time | 3–5 credits* |
| Less than half-time | 2 or fewer credits** |
| Master of Fine Arts (MFA) Status | |
| Full-time | 12 or more credits |
| Three-quarters time | 9–11 credits |
| Half-time | 6–8 credits |
| Less than half-time | 5 or fewer credits** |
*MA students qualify for financial aid through the FAFSA while attending half-time (3 credits). For the MA program, full-time is 6 credits and half-time is 3 credits. This allows students to borrow the federal Stafford Loan if they take one 3 credit class.
**If you drop below half-time status or withdraw during a semester, all or part of your financial aid for that semester may be prorated or canceled. No financial aid is available through MCAD if you are enrolled less than half-time.