A.7.d. Course Load and Overloads
Registering for more than 16 credits in any semester may put a student in an overload status and additional tuition may be due and payable. Students who are in a two-year degree program should complete it over the course of four terms by taking up to 16 credits each term. They will be charged four comprehensive fees to cover the tuition for such a program. For students who spend a semester at a C.V. Starr Middlebury School Abroad, that semester is treated as a semester in which the student paid a comprehensive fee to the Institute for purposes of this policy.
Students who wish to take more than 16 credits in a semester (defined as an overload) may either: (1) pay for the additional credits at the per-credit rate or (2) defer the overload credits to a subsequent semester in which they pay full-time tuition and take fewer than sixteen (16) credits. A student who has overload credits from previous terms may during another term (including the summer) combine these overload credits with other credits so that they can be charged a comprehensive fee rather than a per-credit fee, as long as the total number of credits falls within 12 to 16 credits.
Students will be limited to having a maximum of six credits as either outstanding overloads or underloads at any time. If a student incurs more than six overload credits, they will be required to get their Academic Advisor's approval for such an overload and may be required to pay for any credits in excess of six overload credits at the time they are incurred. Students are advised not to underload more than six credits as this may impact their ability to graduate in a timely manner and may result in their paying additional tuition if they have to enroll for an additional terms. Additionally, underloading or overloading may ultimately cost the student more than originally advised, as tuition tends to increase from year to year. Underloads can only be used to offset overloads when the student is either enrolled full time, or is paying the full time comprehensive fee. For example, the student cannot take 12 credits in one semester, (and therefore have four underloads) and then take four credits in a subsequent semester and expect not to pay tuition. For more examples on how overloads work, please visit our website.
Students who defer overload charges without an equivalent underload in a subsequent semester will be required to pay the current rate for the overload credits remaining when they register for their final semester.
Students with overload credits who wish to withdraw must pay all overloads prior to withdrawing. Students requesting a Leave of Absence can either pay any existing overloads before leaving the Institute, or they may petition to the associate dean of academic operations to defer the overloads until they return from their approved leave. Students who do not return as anticipated must pay the outstanding overload credits at the current tuition rate.
Middlebury scholarships will be applied to any overload charges.