Scholarship Petitions

Scholarships from the Financial Aid Office typically require full-time enrollment (12+ eligible credits). If your enrollment drops below 12 credits, your scholarship may be removed. You may petition to keep or defer your scholarship in special circumstances.

Before You Begin

Independent Study, audited courses, and challenge exams do NOT count toward full-time scholarship credit.
Retroactive withdrawal? Per University policy, scholarship petitions may only be submitted for the current semester. Prior terms are ineligible.
Scholarships cannot be moved to spring/summer (except for multi-year merit).
Combining spring and summer awards (e.g., half + half = full) is not allowed.
Petitions based on marriage, standard pregnancy, internships, or course difficulty are not typically approved.

Steps to Submit a Scholarship Petition

1. Determine Your Scholarship Source

View your My Financial Center to see who your scholarship was awarded by:

Financial Aid Office: Proceed with the petition.
Another BYU department: Contact them directly. You will find their information listed under "Granting Office."

2. Check Your Enrollment

Petitions for 9-11.5 credits: Often approved with appropriate documentation.
Petitions for fewer than 9 credits: Reviewed carefully and unfortunately not generally approved. Must show serious, documented circumstances like:
- Title IX-related situations
- Death of an immediate family member (parent, sibling, spouse)
- Major medical conditions with doctor verification
- Because scholarship petitions for fewer than 9 credits are rarely approved, consider submitting a Pro-Rated Tuition Exception Form as an alternative. This may help reduce your tuition cost for the semester, even if your scholarship petition is denied.

3. Gather Your Documentation

Your petition must include:

A signed statement from you explaining your situation.
Third-party verification, such as:
- University Accessibility Center (UAC) counselor letter (especially helpful for disability-related petitions)
- Medical documentation (via the Medical/Clinical Verification Form)

4. Submit and Sign Your Petition

To begin your online petition, visit the link below. After submitting your petition, you will receive a decision in one business week to your BYU student email.

Scholarship Semester Credit Requirement Petition

FAQ's

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How does scholarship proration work?
If your petition is approved to drop below 12 credits, your scholarship may be prorated based on your enrollment level (11.5 to 9 credits). Example below:
Full tuition award ($3,344) > 11.5-9 credit tuition ($3,168) > You receive $3,168
Half tuition award ($1,672) > 11.5-9 credit tuition ($3,168) > You receive $1,584
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What happens if I drop more credits after my petition is approved?

If you drop additional credits after your petition is approved, your scholarship may be removed.
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What is a scholarship contract?

If you are graduating and taking fewer than 12 credits, you may be eligible for a scholarship contract instead of petitioning.
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Can you add second-term classes instead of petitioning?

Yes. If we are still within the add period for the second term of fall or winter semester, you may be able to meet the credit requirement by adding second-term classes. This is often a simpler option than petitioning.
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Do spring/summer scholarships have a credit requirement?

No. Scholarships awarded by the Financial Aid Office for spring and summer terms do not require full-time enrollment. You do not need to petition for these terms.