By STEVE STAEGER

Senior Reporter

Oakland University’s move to a trimester schedule was made to benefit students applying for financial aid, according to Vice President of Student Affairs Mary Beth Snyder.

The change in scheduling, announced last week, will combine the spring and summer semesters into one 15-week semester.

“In the financial aid world, you can’t award aid that bridges over two defined semesters or terms,” Snyder said.

According to Snyder, some nursing classes over the spring and summer take place over a 15-week period, which previously hindered students from getting financial aid since the classes took place over two separately defined semesters.

Another reason for the change was to give departments the opportunity to offer more classes that students need and want, according to Snyder.

“By doing this, we will be in line with other doctoral and research universities around the country,” Snyder said.

The summer semester, as it will now be called, will consist of different periods of classes.

“Within that umbrella, you can have different sections so that as long as you define them in your calendar, students are qualified for aid during the time they are enrolled,” Snyder said.

Full 15-week classes will be offered during the summer semester, along with seven-week, four-week, and two-week classes.

Snyder said that during the first year of this change, she estimates that approximately 90 percent of the classes will remain in the seven-week system.

According to Snyder, the change will make it easier for students with special schedules and those who have a hard time scheduling classes over the summer, like school teachers.