Current through Register Vol. 46, No. 12, March 20, 2024
(a) For programs at degree-granting
institutions which measure study in terms of credit hours or a comparable
measure, the following definitions shall apply:
(1)
(i) For
State student financial aid programs, except the supplemental tuition
assistance program (STAP), full-time study, where required by law, shall mean
enrollment in credit-bearing courses applicable to the students' program of
study, for at least 12 semester hours for a semester of not less than 15 weeks
or 100 calendar days, inclusive of examination periods; or eight semester hours
a quarter; or, in programs not organized on a semester or quarter basis, 24
semester hours for an academic year of not more than 12 months or the
equivalent, as determined by the commissioner. Provided, however, that for the
2020-2021 academic year, a student shall meet the definition of full-time study
in accordance with this subparagraph where a student is unable to enroll in
credit-bearing courses applicable to the student's program of study for at
least 15 weeks for a semester due to the COVID-19 crisis, provided that the
student is enrolled in such credit-bearing courses for a minimum of 12 weeks
for a semester and otherwise meets the semester hour requirements prescribed in
this subparagraph .
(ii) A student
shall be considered full-time for a program organized on an academic-year basis
only if the student has filed a plan of study with the institution for the
entire academic year. Except as otherwise defined in paragraph (4) of this
subdivision, part-time study, for general awards, other than tuition awards for
veterans and tuition awards for part-time undergraduate students, and for
academic performance awards, shall mean enrollment in credit-bearing courses
applicable to the students' program, for at least 6, but less than 12, semester
hours or the equivalent for a semester of not less than 15 weeks or 100
calendar days, inclusive of examination periods; or at least four, but less
than eight, semester hours a quarter. Provided, however, that for the 2020-2021
academic year, a student shall meet the definition of part-time in accordance
with this subparagraph where a student is unable to enroll in credit-bearing
courses applicable to the student's program for at least 15 weeks for a
semester due to the COVID-19 crisis, provided that the student is enrolled in
such credit-bearing courses for a minimum of 12 weeks for a semester and meets
the semester hour requirements prescribed in this subparagraph.
(iii) The definition of the term semester
hour shall be that provided in section
50.1(o)
of this Title. Independent or individualized study, practice teaching, graduate
assistantships, thesis or dissertation research, preparation for language or
qualifying examinations, and noncredit or remedial courses, may all be
considered as contributing toward full-time or part-time study on an
hour-for-hour equivalent basis, if the student effort required is the same as
would be required for a credit-bearing course in conformity with section
50.1(o)
of this Title, and if required or approved by the school, in a plan of study
prefiled by the student with the school, as an integral part of the student's
program. Credit for independent or individualized study shall be computed in
accordance with full-time or part-time requirements. Effective for academic
terms beginning after January 1, 1978, a student carrying a full-time program
that includes noncredit remedial courses shall carry at least six semester
hours a semester, except that in the first semester of study such a student
need carry only three semester hours. Effective for academic terms beginning on
or after July 1, 1984, a student carrying a part-time program that includes
noncredit remedial courses shall carry at least three semester hours a
semester. A combination of such credit and remedial work shall equal the
minimum student effort requirement for full- time study or part-time study,
respectively, in nonremedial programs. However, courses taken solely to meet
teacher certification, licensing, or other external requirements, and not
recommended or required by the school as an integral part of the student's
program, shall not contribute to full-time or part-time study.
(iv) Except as otherwise provided in
subdivision (e) of this section, when determining full-time or part-time
status, credit-bearing courses must be applicable to the student's program of
study as a general education requirement, major requirement, or specified or
free elective. Credit-bearing courses not applicable to the student's program
of study cannot be included as part of the minimum full-time or part-time study
requirement.
(2) For the
supplemental tuition assistance program (STAP), full-time study shall mean, in
programs organized on a semester basis, enrollment for at least 12 remedial
hours of noncredit study in a session of summer remediation immediately
preceding and/or immediately following the initial year of matriculated study;
or in programs organized on a quarter basis, enrollment for at least eight
remedial hours of noncredit study in a session of summer remediation
immediately preceding and/or immediately following the initial year of
matriculated study. The student effort required for a remedial hour shall be
the same as would be required for a semester hour in conformity with
subdivision (o) of section
50.1 of this
Chapter.
(3) For the supplemental
tuition assistance program (STAP), an approved program of noncredit-bearing
remediation shall mean the student's entire noncredit course load taken in the
summer immediately preceding and/or immediately following the initial year of
matriculated study, subject to the following conditions:
(i) such course load shall have been approved
as educationally sound by an institutional official familiar with the student's
academic deficiencies; and
(ii)
such course load shall consist of noncredit remedial work designed to remedy
academic deficiencies which, if not addressed, might prevent the student from
successfully completing a degree or certificate program at the
institution.
(4) For
purposes of section
661(d)(4) of the Education
Law, for a student with a disability, as defined in
42 USC
12102(2) (United States
Code, 1994 edition, volume 23; Superintendent of Documents , U.S. Government
Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402; 1995-available at the Office of Higher
Education, Education Building Annex, Room 979, Albany, NY 12234), part-time
study or attendance shall mean enrollment in credit-bearing courses applicable
to the students' program, for at least three but less than 12 semester hours
per semester or the equivalent, or at least two but less than eight semester
hours per quarter.
(b)
In noncollegiate programs which measure study solely in terms of instructional
hours as defined in subdivision (j) of section
126.1 of this
Chapter, such as nondegree two-year business programs and nondegree nursing
programs, the equivalent of a semester or quarter of full-time study shall
require at least 24 instructional hours a week and part-time study shall
require at last 12 instructional hours a week.
(c) In schools not organized on a semester or
quarter basis, four months of full-time attendance shall be considered the
equivalent of a semester.
(d)
Full-time or part-time status, respectively, must be established independently
for each separate semester or term of attendance, except where the measure of
full-time is 24 semester hours for an academic year of not more than 12 months
as provided for in subdivision (a) of this section.
(e) A student will be deemed to meet the
full-time [or part-time study] requirement in their last semester of
eligibility in their program of study if the student takes at least one course
needed to meet their graduation requirements and the student enrolls in at
least 12 semester hours or its equivalent. A student shall be deemed to meet
the full-time study requirement in the semester prior to their last semester of
eligibility in their program of study if the student takes at least six
semester hours needed to meet their graduation requirements and the student
enrolls in at least 12 semester hours or its equivalent.
(f) Upon presentation of satisfactory medical
evidence to substantiate that serious illness or mental or physical disability
precludes attendance on a full-time basis, work performed during two or more
terms of study may be approved as equivalent to a regular term for scholarship,
tuition assistance program or other benefits.
(g) Upon presentation of satisfactory
evidence that the commissioner has granted approval for the institution to
maintain a statement of academic standards that defines the considerations
which establish equivalency of instruction of study and such statement has been
adopted by the institution as a result of a disaster as defined in section
50.1(w)
of this Title, a semester hour of credit may be granted by an institution for
fewer hours of instruction and study for purposes of a scholarship, tuition
assistance program or other benefits.
