Reduced Course Load Accommodation Policy

The purpose of this policy is to define the guidelines for students, staff, and faculty to follow with regard to a reduced course load accommodation.

For the purposes of this policy, a reduced course load shall be defined as: 
A course load of nine (9) or more credit hours in a Fall or Spring semester. Arkansas Tech University currently defines full-time enrollment as 12 or more credit hours per Spring or Fall semester.

  1.  A reduced course load accommodation permits a student to register and, for Arkansas Tech University purposes, be considered a full-time student. Students authorized for a reduced course load accommodation are entitled to all benefits and services afforded full‑time students.
  2. Students seeking a reduced course load must register with the Office of Disability Services (DS) by formally submitting an online request for the accommodation, and complete an intake interview with a DS staff member. The DS staff member will review and evaluate each request on a per semester and case-by-case basis. Supporting documentation may be required.
  3. The student’s request will be evaluated in terms of the impact of the disability and demands of the student’s proposed schedule for that semester.
  4. The Office of DS will issue a notification letter via One Tech indicating the approved course load minimum/maximum credit hours, to the appropriate University departments (for example, Office of the Registrar, Admissions, Residence Life, Athletics Director). 
  5. The DS staff member will review with the student the potential consequences of a reduced course load (for example, the impact upon financial aid, slower progress towards degree completion, changes in vocational rehabilitation funding).  Students will be referred to the appropriate department (for example, the Office of Financial Aid, appropriate academic department) for more information specific to the student’s needs/situation.
  6. Certain institutional programs and services cannot  be modified by this accommodation. For example, pursuant to federal regulations, federal financial aid will be reduced for students carrying less than twelve hours regardless of the reduced course load accommodation. For specific information, see http://www.finaid.org/educators/pj/disability.phtml.
  7. The reduced course load accommodation is valid for one semester only. Students must request renewal of the accommodation in subsequent semesters so that a determination can be made regarding the need for continued accommodation.

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