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+--- Thread: Overload and Capped Tuition (/Thread-Overload-and-Capped-Tuition)
Overload and Capped Tuition - PreLawCoastie - 11-06-2025
Is anyone aware of a state or brick and mortar graduate school which caps semester tuition and also allows an unlimited overload of credits per semester?
I am wrapping up an MS at Troy University, which offers a schoalrship that lowers tuition for $250/credit for military, but it still charges per credit and there is a cap on overloads. Penn State used to allow this with a petition, but now if you go over a certain number of credits they still charge you more.
Specifically looking at schools with good name recognition. UT Austin has some great programs that come out to just $10k total but only in AI, CS, or Data Science. Arkansas State is pretty cheap too but still charges per credit and has somewhat limited options. Hoping to do Finance or perhaps a hard science of some kind and diversify.
Looking forward to the discussion!
(11-06-2025, 09:37 PM)PreLawCoastie Wrote: Is anyone aware of a state or brick and mortar graduate school which caps semester tuition and also allows an unlimited overload of credits per semester?
I am wrapping up an MS at Troy University, which offers a schoalrship that lowers tuition for $250/credit for military, but it still charges per credit and there is a cap on overloads. Penn State used to allow this with a petition, but now if you go over a certain number of credits they still charge you more.
Specifically looking at schools with good name recognition. UT Austin has some great programs that come out to just $10k total but only in AI, CS, or Data Science. Arkansas State is pretty cheap too but still charges per credit and has somewhat limited options. Hoping to do Finance or perhaps a hard science of some kind and diversify.
Looking forward to the discussion!
It looks like ASU online caps out at $6470 for 11 credits, but the fees on top of that keep going up and I don't know if they'd approve much of an overload.
RE: Overload and Capped Tuition - FireMedic_Philosopher - 11-09-2025
Some schools USED to offer what you are asking for with regard to undergrad courses, but I haven't seen any since COVID hit. I have never seen it with regard to grad schools.
RE: Overload and Capped Tuition - PreLawCoastie - 11-11-2025
(11-09-2025, 08:02 PM)FireMedic_Philosopher Wrote: Some schools USED to offer what you are asking for with regard to undergrad courses, but I haven't seen any since COVID hit. I have never seen it with regard to grad schools.
I have confirmed ASU online at least will do it.
RE: Overload and Capped Tuition - bjcheung77 - 11-13-2025
Hmm, IIRC, If you're looking at a community college for example, there are a few that allow you to take more than the 15-18/semester and the pricing remains the same as the 15/18 credits. Having said that, you need permission to take up to 21-24 credits each semester, and have a relatively high GPA, plus, you need to retain that GPA in order to continue overloading the next semester...
RE: Overload and Capped Tuition - FireMedic_Philosopher - 11-13-2025
(11-13-2025, 11:18 AM)bjcheung77 Wrote: Hmm, IIRC, If you're looking at a community college for example, there are a few that allow you to take more than the 15-18/semester and the pricing remains the same as the 15/18 credits. Having said that, you need permission to take up to 21-24 credits each semester, and have a relatively high GPA, plus, you need to retain that GPA in order to continue overloading the next semester...OP was specifically looking for a grad school that offered this BJ... do you know of any ?
RE: Overload and Capped Tuition - ss20ts - 11-14-2025
(11-13-2025, 11:18 AM)bjcheung77 Wrote: Hmm, IIRC, If you're looking at a community college for example, there are a few that allow you to take more than the 15-18/semester and the pricing remains the same as the 15/18 credits. Having said that, you need permission to take up to 21-24 credits each semester, and have a relatively high GPA, plus, you need to retain that GPA in order to continue overloading the next semester...
I had 19 credits in a semester at a community colleges years ago. I paid full time tuition for credits 12-18. Credit 19 I paid part time tuition and fees on. I had to have permission from the Dean. I had a high GPA so it wasn't a problem getting approval. I did it once and said never again because of how much work there was in 6 classes over 15 weeks. I also had 6 final exams in 1 week. That was AWFUL.
When it comes to a grad program you'd need a CBE program who has a flat rate for tuition per term such as UMPI and WGU. If you're looking for name recognition you're not likely to find a CBE program or a cap on grad tuition along with unlimited credits in a term. Grad courses are nothing like undergrad so I can see why the cap limits remain. I completed 4 grad courses in 1 term and it was....a lot. It was a rough 10 weeks. I had to have approval from the Dean and was only approved because I had a 4.0 from my first term at the university. Once was enough for me!