Enrollment Census at SDSU

One week after the semester's add/drop date, the Office of the Registrar officially verifies SDSU student enrollment and the number of units in which each student is enrolled. It is referred to as census.

The census date for your enrollment period is available from the Academic Calendar in the Class Schedule.

Initial Financial Aid Awards

If your initial award is made—

before census it is based on the assumption that you will be enrolled full time.*
*Full time: 12 units for an undergraduate
9 units for a graduate student
after census it is based on your actual enrollment status.

Enrollment Status for
Undergraduate, Credential, and Graduate Students
Enrollment Status	Undergraduate* and Credential Students Number of Units at Census***	Masters and Doctoral Students Number of Units at Census*
Full time	12 units or more	9 units or more
3/4 time	9 to 11 units	7 or 8 units
1/2 time	6 to 8 units	5 or 6 units
Less than 1/2 time	3 to 5 units AT SDSU	3 or 4 units AT SDSU
* If you are unable to register for courses that you need at SDSU, you may be able to attend the courses at a community college or through the SDSU College of Extended Studies and have the units count towards your financial aid eligibility at SDSU. For more information, see Concurrent Enrollment. Graduate level units are those numbered 500 and above. -Graduate students enrolled in Thesis 799A are considered to be enrolled full time. -Graduate students enrolled in Thesis 799B or 799C are considered to be enrolled half time. -Doctoral students enrolled in Doctoral Research 897, Doctoral Dissertation 899, or Clincal Internship (Psycology 894) are considered to be enrolled full time. Find more information about financial aid for graduate enrollment. You must pay the part-time registration fee if your total units are 6.0 or less, regardless of enrollment status. * The census date is usually one week after the semester deadline for adding a course. The official census date is published in the SDSU General Catalog and Class Schedule.

Enrollment and Award Adjustments

Census enrollment information is used to make award adjustments.

Adustments are based on the number of units you take at SDSU.
Units taken concurrently (at the same time) at a community college may be included with your units at SDSU. To be considered—
- you must submit a Concurrent Enrollment Agreement, and
- it must be approved.
Audited courses do not count towards your financial aid units.
Some enrollment changes do not affect award amounts.

The Effect of Enrollment on Financial Aid Programs

The table below lists some of the financial aid programs that may be affected by your enrollment status. Your eligibility for aid programs other than those listed in this table may also be affected.

Financial Aid Programs Affected by Enrollment
Student's Class Level	Programs Canceled or Reduced if Enrolled 7 to 12 Units	Programs Affected if Enrolled 6 Units or Less
Undergraduate or Teaching Credential	Pell Grant Academic Competitiveness Grant National SMART Grant Cal Grant B Access Educational Opportunity Program Grant Future Scholars Program Presidential Grant	Cal Grant A or B Fee Assistance Cal Grant B Access Pell Grant State University Grant Presidential Grant Educational Opportunity Program Grant Future Scholars Program Loans when the amount is affected by student's total Cost of Attendance
Graduate	Not applicable for graduate students.	State University Grant Loans when the amount is affected by student's total Cost of Attendance
Note: You must be enrolled at least half time to receive most aid programs, including student loans.

Before dropping units, we encourage you to consult with a Financial Aid and Scholarships counselor to see how your aid may be affected.