how many credits over 120 can you have?

College Life
1

<p>Hello. I have been admitted to the university of Montana (a transfer). I have 78 credits which transferred.</p>

<p>The problem is I want to major in computer science (which has tons of math and science requirements). Only 4 of my transfer credits are math (precalculus). I got a B… I’m not extremely good with mathematics, but probably above average.</p>

<p>I also want to get a certificate in GIS… I’d need to take 18 credits to get that.</p>

<p>Here is are the degree requirements for CS:</p>

<p>Computer Science. CSCI 106 (CS 121), CSCI 135-136 (CS 131-132), CSCI 232 (CS 241), CSCI 205 (CS 242), CSCI 361 (CS 281), CSCI 332 (CS 332), CSCI 460 (CS 344), CSCI 323 (CS 346), CSCI 340 (CS 365), CSCI 315E (CS 415), CSCI 426 (CS 441), CSCI 427 (CS 442), CSCI 466 (CS 488), and nine credits of CSCI (CS) electives selected from courses numbered 300 and above.</p>

<p>Mathematics. M 171-172, 221 or 325, 225 & STAT 341 (MATH 152-153, 221or 325, 225, and 341).</p>

<p>Writing/Communication. Students must take WRIT 222 (FOR 220). Students must also take COMM 111A or COMM 242.</p>

<p>Science. Students must take one of the sequences BIOB 170N-171N, 160N (BIOL 108N-109N, 110N); CHMY 141N, 143N (CHEM 161N, 162N); or PHSX 215N/216N and PHSX 217N/218N (PHYS 211N/213N and 212N/214N). </p>

<p>I’m not sure how to read that, but it appears to be at least 50 credits… 78+50+18= 146</p>

<p>I’d graduate in like 2015! My question: will financial aid continue to pay beyond 120 credits?</p>

<p>I suppose it would be more reasonable to just major in CS… no minor. I could return and pick up the certificate as a graduate student.</p>

2

<p>I really think it depends on the school. I know that things like Pell is limited by semesters, not credits- but I do not know the semester limit. Whether or not your U will pay beyond that is up to your U. I am graduating with almost 180 credits (120 required for one degree, 150 required for me since I’m getting 2 degrees) and I will continue to receive FA. YMMV- ask your school.</p>

3

<p>ahh, my advisor just told me FA " may or may not stop" at 120, depending on the source.</p>

<p>Well, does it sound like I should just work my ass off majoring in CS, with no minor?</p>

4

<p>No one here can tell you that. Go talk to the fin. aid. office at your school; there’s a reason why your advisor had no clue. It’s the same reason no one here does.</p>

5

<p>I just want to hear “yeah, that’s a great idea” or “that’s a bad idea.” I’m not ganna believe anything anyone here says… I’m just trying to inspire pointless discussion.</p>

6

<p>I have read that there are credit limits but I don’t know to what forms of financial aid they are applicable. Something like it would only cover up to a certain percentage (maybe 150%?) of a program? Otherwise in theory they would just keep paying for you to go to college forever and ever and never graduate and never go into repayment. My friend has dyscalculia and has been trying to pass her math requirement for years and she ran out of financial aid eligibility because she had too many credits from retaking math over and over again. I am pretty sure there was just a thread about this issue within the last couple of months where something to the effect of this was confirmed.</p>

7

<p>In Florida you can only go up to 120% of the required credits( in this situation it’d be 144) before they start charging 50% extra for tuition. But I dunno bout Montana.</p>

8

<p>I had this problem in community college… I accumilated too many credits, and I had to just leave without even getting my AA. It’s all because I went to a foreign 4 year university… but immigration beureau (SP), refused to renew my visa… and I went back to the stateside community college. For the past year I’ve just been waiting to get in-state status. I sure wish I had planned this better. I wish I could have about 18 of my credits deleted from my transcript. (18 of the credits I earned abroad)… is that possible?</p>

<p>I’ll probably be ok though. I won’t know for sure until I meet an advisor in person (I’m not currently enrolled or even in the same city as my college… I start soon.)</p>