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PART-TIME STUDENTS
The Part-Time Student Support Program
Program Overview
Part-Time Award Criteria
Guidelines for Scholarship Award – Q&A
Part-Time Program Eligibility Table
Apply for Funding
Targeted Part-Time Student Support
Program Overview
More than 25% of Hunter students attend Hunter College on a part-time basis. Many part-time students share a common challenge — maintaining a successful balance between college studies, family obligations and work schedules. Most part-time Hunter students are unable to attend college full-time due to work, family commitments and/or limited financial resources. Despite the challenges noted above, a large number of part-time Hunter students maintain strong academic records while responding to a myriad of personal responsibilities. In order to address the needs of part-time students, and acknowledge both their accomplishments and challenges, Hunter has established the Part-Time Student Support Program.
The Part-Time Student Support Program’s primary goal is to provide financial, academic, and personal support services to individuals experiencing the situation described above and who meet the following criteria:
Part-Time Award Criteria
- Current part-time enrollment (11 ½ credits or less). Students must have part-time enrollment in the semester that they apply for the scholarship (the previous semester may also be considered, excluding the Summer and Winter sessions).
- Willingness to register for additional class(es), if financial support is awarded
- Matriculated status; includes BA/MA students
- Completed at least 60 credits toward first undergraduate degree. Second undergraduate degrees and graduate degrees are ineligible.
- Declared major
- Cumulative GPA of 3.0 or greater
- Fully-completed electronic (online) FAFSA and demonstrated need, as defined by Financial Aid/Scholarships
- U.S. citizens or documented international students*
- New York State residency. Applies to students who would take more than 11.5 credits per semester; program will pay up to NY State rate for eligible additional classes.
- Demonstrated other signs of academic success
NOTE: *Undocumented students and international students who are unable to fully complete, a current electronic (online) FAFSA are ineligible.
For the purposes of this program, part-time enrollment is defined as taking fewer than 11.5 credits.
Guidelines for Scholarship Award – Q&A
Information Session/Program Interview:
| Q. | I have met all of the requirements for eligibility, is there anything else that I must do to be considered for a Part-Time award? |
| A. | Information sessions will be held each Fall and Spring semester for eligible applicants. The sessions are designed to answer basic questions and help ensure that applicants understand the Program structure and expectations. Eligible applicants will be notified of the session dates when their application is received. Applicants unable to attend the session must meet one-on-one with Program Coordinator. |
Process:
| Q. | I have met all of the requirements for eligibility, what type of award will I receive? |
| A. | An award candidate may take up to 9 additional credits beyond their current semester (or previous) level of enrollment at no additional cost of tuition. (See Part Time Program Eligibility Table). |
Tuition:
| Q. | Will the Part-Time award pay for all of my classes next semester, including the additional courses I plan to take? |
| A. | Award recipients will continue to be responsible for the level of tuition that they paid prior to receiving the award. For example, an award recipient who took six (6) credits in Spring 2010 and plans to take twelve (12) credits in Fall 2010 would be responsible for the tuition cost of six (6) credits (or two courses) and the award would cover tuition for six (6) credits (or two courses). |
Award Restrictions:
| Q. | Is there a limit to the number of additional courses that I can take with the Part-Time award? |
| A. | Yes, the award will pay for a maximum of three (3) courses each Fall or Spring semester. The maximum number of courses covered by the award for Winter and Summer will vary. |
| Q. | How many semesters will I be able to receive a Part-Time award? |
| A. | The number of semesters that recipients will receive an award will vary based on the number of credits that you have earned. Eligibility will terminate after a certain number of semesters. (See Part Time Program Eligibility Table). |
GPA Requirement:
| Q. | What happens if my GPA falls below a 3.0? Will I still be able to receive a Part-Time award? |
| A. | Recipients are expected to maintain a 3.0 cumulative GPA; but will have a “grace period” of one semester. For example, if you received the award in Spring 2010 and your cumulative GPA falls below a 3.0 during that semester, you will be able to receive the award in the Fall 2010 semester. However, in order to receive the award in Spring 2011, your cumulative GPA must be a 3.0 or higher at the end of the Fall 2010 semester. |
| Q. | What happens if my GPA is less than 3.0 after the one semester “grace period”? |
| A. | If a student recipient is unable to raise their GPA after the one-semester grace period, the student must wait until their cumulative GPA is 3.0 or higher before re-applying after at least one semester. |
Withdrawal:
| Q. | What happens if I withdrawal/drop a course or course while receiving a Part-Time Award? |
| A. | Recipients who withdrawal/drop a course after the deadline for the 100% tuition refund are responsible for repaying the College all tuition charges related to the award courses/credits. |
Courses and Exclusions:
| Q. | Am I able to take any course that I want? And, are there any courses which would be excluded? |
| A. | An award recipient can take any course towards your degree. However, students can only take a maximum of four (4) CR/NC courses while receiving the award. |
Award Availability:
| Q. | If I have all of the requirements for eligibility, will I definitely receive a Part-Time award? |
| A. | All awards are subject to available funding and final decisions are at the discretion of the Program Coordinator. Awards for the Summer and Winter sessions/semesters will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. |
Part-Time Program Eligibility Table
| # of Cumulative Credits Student has when applying | # of Semester Credits Student is currently taking | # of Semester Student will be Eligible to receive scholarship | # of Additional Credits Student will take next semester |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60 – 74.5 | <11.5 | 7 | 1-9 |
| 75 – 104.5 | <11.5 | 4 | 1-9 |
| 105- 120 | <11.5 | 2 | 1-9 |
| 120.5+ | <11.5 | Varies according to student situation | 1-9 |
Apply for Funding
You must have a current, electronic (online) Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) on file for this academic year. If you do not have this on file, please complete one immediately — you may do so at www.fafsa.ed.gov.
The Part-Time Student Support Program’s primary goal remains to provide financial, academic support services and personal support to individuals currently taking 11.5 or less credits who would like to increase the number of courses they take and/or to become a full-time student.
To begin the process of applying for a Part-Time Student Support Program scholarship, complete the online Part-time Scholarship Application. Once your answers are submitted, you will be contacted by a part-time advisor.
The application contains the following questions.
If you have additional questions, or if you have difficulty submitting the online application, or you may email your responses to the questions below to parttime@hunter.cuny.edu.
- What is your full name, as it appears in Hunter College's records?
- How many credits have you earned to date?
- How many credits are you currently taking? How many credits did you take last semester (exclude Winter and Summer sessions/terms)
- If funding were provided, how many additional courses would you take next semester (maximum of three)?
- When would you like to take these additional take courses? (Indicate semester and year)
- What other resources for part-time students are you interested in?
- What degree are you working towards? When do you hope to graduate?
- What is the best telephone number and email to contact you?
Award candidates will be expected to attended one scholarship orientation session or one-on-one meeting with Program Coordinator; and write a brief thank you note to the donor at the end of each semester.
Targeted Part-Time Student Support
To enhance the representation of, and increase access of services for part-time students, the following supportive resources have been put in place for part-time students:
- A population-specific website created to address issues and concerns, and spotlight available services and resources
- Late evening and early morning advising hours with advisors who are familiar with the issues and concerns of part-time students.
- A committee charged with exploring options and developing troubleshooting solutions for part-time students.
To schedule an appointment with Ms. Myrna Fader, Part-Time Advisor, please call the Office of Advising Services at 212.772.4882.
Please check back to learn about additional resources and services for part-time students. For questions or for more information about part-time student support services at Hunter College, please email: parttime@hunter.cuny.edu or contact the Part-Time Support Program Coordinator, Patrice Anderson at 212-772-3281.
