Co-ops and Financial Aid
Tuition is not charged during the co-op semester unless a student requests and receives school permission to take additional classes while on co-op, in which case a per-credit charge for tuition will be assessed. Students request that permission by completing the credit overload form. While they'll typically pay no tuition, students may still be charged for health insurance (if not waived), room (if they decide to live on-campus), or food (if a meal plan is selected.) Students may have other educational expenses associated with their co-op experience including commuting, professional clothes, or general expenses.
Managing Your Financial Aid and Co-op
While students are on co-op, different types of financial aid are disbursed in different ways. Some funds can be divided between the fall and spring semesters, some are spread over all three terms (fall, spring, and summer), while others are only provided when you're enrolled in classes – not co-op. No matter how it's disbursed, just like with co-op earnings, it's up to you, as the student, to manage any extra money and refunds each semester so you have enough for the whole school year.
When reviewing your financial aid offer, if you find your anticipated co-op semester, as outlined by your degree program, does not match the semester you're planning to take your co-op, notify the Office of Financial Aid from your university email along with your Co-op & Career Advisor. Please include your WID number so we can update your financial aid plan. Your registration will ultimately cause your record to be updated, but early notification of your co-op plan allows for maximization of your aid and fewer surprises when aid is retroactively adjusted as required.
The chart below breaks down how aid is applied using an example of a spring mandatory Co-op semester.
Fall Academic Semester Enrollment: Full-time | Spring Co-op Semester Enrollment: Full-time | Summer Academic Semester Enrollment: Full-time | |
| Institutional Scholarships and Grants | 50% | 50% | |
| Federal Grants (Pell grant, Federal SEOG) | 33.33% | 33.33% | 33.33% |
| Federal Direct Loans (Student and Parent)* | 50% | 50% | |
| Private Loans** | 50% | 50% |
Full-time registration is a minimum of 12 credits for undergraduate students and 9 credits for graduate students. Students' co-op semester is considered full-time based on the number of weeks and hours needed for the co-op requirement.
Federal Work study, Leopard Work, or WIT Work cannot be used during your co-op semester because students will be working full-time to fulfill their co-op requirement. More information on federal work study, Leopard work, and WIT work can be found on the Student Employment page.
*Federal Direct Loans are automatically split between the anticipated academic semesters. If a student or parent would like to alter how the loan is split, they should email finaid@wit.edu from their university email (in the case of student borrowers) or the email used on the Parent PLUS loan application. Normally, we cannot disburse more than 50% in an academic semester, and if you are not attending the entire year due to graduation, we may be required to disburse less than 50%.
**Private Loans, if applied for the whole academic year (September-August) are automatically split between academic terms. If the borrower would like funds to be split differently to cover housing or other educational expenses while on co-op, they must email finaid@wit.edu from the student's university email (in the case of student borrowers), or the borrower's email used on the loan application.
Optional Co-ops
Optional co-ops (COOP3000 and COOP5000) are not degree requirements and are not eligible for financial aid. Students considering taking an optional co-op should meet with a Financial Aid staff member prior to enrolling in the class to discuss the impact to enrollment reporting and loan repayment, as well as options for paying for housing or additional expenses while taking an optional co-op.
Other Financial Considerations
Co-op earnings will be reported on a student’s FAFSA 2 years following their co-op as income earned from work. The FAFSA uses prior-prior year taxes (e.g. for the 2026-27 academic year 2024 taxes are used.) We recommend students consult a tax expert for advice on if they should file a tax return for their co-op earnings.
Time worked during a co-op does not count towards time accumulated towards unemployment benefits because a student maintains their student status while enrolled in their co-op. For more information, review Massachusetts Unemployment Eligibility information here.
Co-op earnings may impact eligibility for SNAP or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Social Security Disability Income (SSDI). We encourage students to confirm if they will be impacted for SNAP resources here and SSI or SSDI benefits here.