Wintermester
Baylor's Wintermester is an intersession term offered between the Fall and Spring semesters during which students may complete an accelerated course.
Dates & Deadlines
- Wintermester Term: December 27, 2023 - January 13, 2024
- November 1, 2023 - Registration opens
- December 1, 2023 - Deadline to complete outstanding financial aid requirements and any loan requests
- December 17, 2023 - First financial aid disbursement date for Wintermester
- December 26, 2023 - Last day to register for Wintermester
- January 2, 2024 - Wintermester Billing Date (Wintermester charges can be viewed online in the E-Bill System prior to the official billing date)
- Please note the cost of the Wintermester is an additional tuition charge added to the Spring 2024 semester bill and is not included in the flat-rate tuition amount for the Spring term.
- January 5, 2024 - Last day to Withdraw or Drop to receive any refund
- January 8, 2024 - Last day to Withdraw or Drop
- Wintermester Bill Due Date: January 31, 2024
Wintermester Spring 2023 Withdrawal Refund Rates
Tuition & Fees
Wintermester tuition and fee rates can be found on the Undergraduate Tuition and Fees webpage. Please note, Wintermester tuition will be included on your Spring 2024 bill, however, the Wintermester hours will not be included in the flat rate tuition. For example, if a student takes 3 hours in the Wintermester, and 12 hours in the Spring, the student will be charged $4,554 ($1,518 per credit hour) for Wintermester Tuition + the Regular Flat Rate Tuition of $27,422 for the Spring semester.
If you will be attending the Spring semester full time (12 or more hours) and will also be taking a Wintermester course, you can contact Baylor One Stop to request an increase to your spring cost of attendance if your tuition cost exceeds it.
Students will need to use personal resources to purchase books for the Wintermester prior to disbursement of aid for the Spring semester. Please contact Baylor One Stop prior to 4:00pm on Wednesday, December 21 to discuss options if you are unable to purchase your Wintermester book. One Stop is also available by phone during regular office hours at 254-710-2611.
Financial Aid Resources
Financial aid is available to eligible students. Federal financial aid is dependent on half-time or greater enrollment (Wintermester + Spring semester enrollment), and dependent on completion of the FAFSA and verification process (if applicable). Baylor aid is available to students who meet the specific requirements as outlined in the aid requirements for each fund. Alternative, or private loans, are available based on lender terms and conditions and may be subject to credit worthiness.
The Wintermester is an add-on to the Spring semester and any aid associated with the Wintermester term will be disbursed with the spring semester aid, which is scheduled to disburse 10 days prior to the start of the spring semester. Please note, all verification and/or outstanding hold items must be resolved prior to aid disbursing. Check BearWeb to confirm you have no outstanding requirements so that your disbursement is not delayed.
Course Information
Students can enroll in one course of study during the Wintermester. Generally, these courses will have 3 or 4 credit hours. You may review the course schedule here or speak with your academic advisor. Wintermester courses should have a "WM" displayed in the course number to alert you.
The credit hours completed during the Wintermester will be counted as part of the Spring semester credit load. University policy does not allow for concurrent enrollment during a fall or spring term (i.e. you may not concurrently enroll at Baylor and another institution during Wintermester). A student can contact their academic dean’s office about petitioning for an exception to allow for this.
The Wintermester is considered an add-on to the spring semester. If you are a graduating senior, and the course taken during Wintermester completes your academic requirements, your graduation term will be Spring, with graduation in May.
If you drop a class during the Wintermester, your Spring semester total enrollment hours must meet any minimum requirements to maintain financial aid. The combination of credit from Wintermester and Spring are used to determine enrollment level for financial aid. For example, for undergraduate academic scholarships, which require full-time enrollment, you will need to take 12 or more hours in the Spring to maintain eligibility for your scholarship, along with meeting all other scholarship requirements such as cumulative GPA.
Veteran Benefits
Planning to receive VA benefit payments for both the Wintermester and the regular Spring semester? Enrolling in the Wintermester will not count toward your registered Spring semester hours for VA benefit purposes. To be considered full time as a VA beneficiary for both the Wintermester and Spring semester, you will need to register for at least 3 degree applicable hours for the Wintermester and for at least 12 degree applicable hours for the regular Spring semester.
The VA considers these sessions as separate from one another. For example, registering for 3 hours during the Wintermester and 10 hours during the Spring semester will not be considered full time for the Spring semester for VA purposes. For additional questions, contact VA_Benefits@baylor.edu.