Who is a nondegree-seeking student?
A nondegree-seeking student takes courses for personal interest or is a visiting student. He or she is not taking courses to fulfill a specific degree’s requirements.
Loans for Nondegree-Seeking Students
Loan tasks
The following topics may be helpful as you maintain your financial aid:
- Loan counseling
- Maintaining enrollment status
- Adjusting your loan amount
- Withdrawing or cancelling your aid
- Repaying your loan
- Loan limits
Financial aid eligibility
Federal financial aid funds are for degree-seeking students only by law. Nondegree-seeking students are only eligible to receive federal financial aid if the student falls into one of two categories:
- Teacher certification
- Prerequisite work
Teacher certification students
Teacher certification students are students who have previously earned a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university and now desire to obtain an initial teaching certificate. Teacher certification students wishing to receive federal financial aid assistance must be admitted as a teacher certification student and have undergraduate loan eligibility.
Prerequisite work students
Prerequisite work students are students who have previously earned a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university and are now enrolled in undergraduate courses needed to be admitted into a graduate program of study. Prerequisite work students wishing to receive federal financial aid assistance must be admitted as a nondegree-seeking postbaccalaureate student and have undergraduate loan eligibility.
If you fall into one of the categories described above, you may be eligible for a variety of loans for undergraduate students.
Private loans
Nondegree-seeking students may also be eligible for private loans. Private loans should be used only after all federal loan eligibility has been exhausted. Eligibility for private loans is based on credit approval. It is the policy of the Financial Aid Office at Missouri State University that a student MUST be enrolled at least HALF-TIME in current grade level courses at Missouri State before an alternative loan will be processed.