NC State uses a uniform Schedule of Full-Time Status of Graduate Students for Loan Deferment, Financial Aid, Payroll Tax Withholding and Veteran's Benefits Purposes. To maintain consistency throughout the university system, faculty members do not have the authority to submit individual letters verifying the status of a graduate student. This schedule will be the only resource used to determine a student's status for these purposes.
Registration and Records in Room 1000, Harris Hall processes all student loan deferments. The Graduate School will not be directly involved in preparing loan deferment letters.
These definitions apply to all graduate students, U.S. and international, participants and non-participants in the Graduate Student Support Plan.
Fall and Spring Semesters
| Classification | Full-Time | Half Time |
| Non-Thesis Master's |
Registration for nine (9) or more credit hours per Fall or Spring semester, or a minimum of three (3) hours per semester during the semester in which the student is completing the last course(s) required to complete the degree. Students who have completed1 all credit hour requirements for their degree must register for three (3) hours of XXX 689 (Non-Thesis Master Continuous Registration – Full Time Registration). Students may register for this course a maximum of one semester. |
Registration for 3-8 credit hours per Fall or Spring semseter, or one (1) hour of XXX 688 (Non-Thesis Master's Continuous Registration-Half Time Registration) for students who have completed3 all credit hour requirements for their degree. |
| Thesis Master's |
Registration for nine (9) or more credit hours per Fall or Spring semester, or a minimum of three (3) hours per semester during the semester in which the student is completing the last course(s) required to complete the degree. For thesis students, this could include XXX 695. Students who have completed2 all credit hour requirements (including research credits) for their degree except for completing their research and/or writing and defending the thesis should register for three (3) hours of XXX 699 (Master's Thesis Preparation) each semester until graduation. |
Registration for 3-8 credit hours per Fall or Spring semester, or one (1) hour of XXX 699 (Master’s Thesis Preparation) for students who have completed4 all credit hour requirements (including research credits) for their degree and are completing their research and/or writing and defending the thesis. |
| Doctorate |
Registration for nine (9) or more credit hours per Fall or Spring semester until the student completes all credit hour requirements for the degree, including research credits, and the oral preliminary examination, or three (3) hours per semester of XXX 899 (Doctoral Dissertation Preparation) for students who have completed5 all credit hour requirements for their degree (including research credits and the oral preliminary examination) except for completing their research and/or writing and defending the dissertation. |
Registration for 3-8 credit hours per Fall or Spring semester, or one (1) credit of XXX 899 for students who have completed6 all credit hour requirements for their degree (including research credits and the oral preliminary examination) except for completing their research and/or writing and defending the dissertation. |
1Students with an IN grade who have successfully completed all of the remaining degree requirements that are listed above are also eligible to register for three (3) hours of 689 and be considered full time.
2Students with an IN grade who have successfully completed all of the remaining degree requirements that are listed above are also eligible to register for three (3) hours of 699 and be considered full time.
3Students with an IN grade who have successfully completed all of the remaining degree requirements that are listed above are also eligible to register for one (1) hour of 688 and be considered half time.
4Students with an IN grade who have successfully completed all of the remaining degree requirements that are listed above are also eligible to register for one (1) hour of 699 and be considered half time.
5Students with an IN grade who have successfully completed all of the remaining degree requirements that are listed above are also eligible to register for three (3) hours of 899 and be considered full time.
6Students with an IN grade who have successfully completed all of the remaining degree requirements that are listed above are also eligible to register for one (1) hour of 899 and be considered half time.
Summer Sessions
Graduate students are not required by the University to be registered during the summer. However, students who receive a stipend but who are not enrolled in the University during a period of five weeks or more are subject to Social Security tax withholding. In particular, this means that Social Security taxes will be withheld from the paychecks of Graduate Research Assistants (RAs) who do not register in the summer. Specifically, Social Security taxes will be withheld in June for RAs who are not registered in Summer Session I and in July for RAs who are not registered in Summer Session II. The source of funds that pays the stipend must pay the same amount of Social Security tax as is withheld from the student's paycheck during these months.
Two special registration categories are available for Graduate Research Assistants who would not otherwise take courses in the summer: XYZ 696 (Summer Thesis Research) and XYZ 896 (Summer Dissertation Research), where XYZ represents the course prefix of a specific department or program. Each of these courses is for 1 hour of credit, with registration for 10 weeks, beginning the first day of Summer Session I. Social Security taxes will not be withheld from the June or July paychecks of RAs who register for either 696 or 896.
Please note that student who are not registered during the summer do not have access to financial aid during that period, nor do they have access to the Student Health Service unless they pay the student health fee for each of the two summer sessions.