Summer Financial Aid
Undergraduate
In order to be awarded aid for summer, you must be enrolled at least half-time. To be eligible for summer aid, you must have a completed the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and have satisfied all other aid requirements. All students receiving aid are expected to be familiar with all financial aid policies.
Grant Aid
Eligible undergraduate student may receive a Pell Grant year-round - that is for Fall, Spring, and Summer. Year-round Pell Grant may provide eligible students an excellent opportunity to accelerate program completion, and possibly limit student loan debt by graduating earlier.
Pell Grant eligible students can receive up to 100% of the scheduled award for which they are eligible in the Fall and Spring, and then if enrolled at least half-time (6 credit hours) in the summer, can receive up to 150% of the scheduled award. This means that even if you received a Pell Grant for full-time enrollment in both Fall and Spring you may still be eligible in the summer.
If a student is enrolled less than half-time in the summer and did not use 100% of the scheduled award in the Fall and Spring, the student may be eligible for a less than half-time Pell award.
Example: Student is eligible for a scheduled Pell award of $5545.
| Fall | Spring | Summer |
% Total | |
| Student attends full-time (12+ credits) and receives $2773 (50%) | Student attends full-time and receives $2772 (50%) | Student attends full-time and receives $2772 (50%) | ||
| Student attends full-time (12+ credits) and receives $2773 (50%) | Student attends full-time and receives $2772 (50%) | Student attends 6 hours and receives $1387 (25%) | ||
| Student attends full-time (12+ credits) and receives $2773 (50%) | Student attends full-time and receives $2772 (50%) | Student attends 3 hours and receives $0 (0% because student is not enrolled half-time) |
| |
| | Student attends half-time (6-8 credits) and receives $1387 (25%) | Student attends full-time and receives $2772 (50%) | Student attends 6 hours and receives $1387 (25%) |
Note: The maximum Pell Grant lifetime eligibility does not increase if a student receives year-round Pell. Each Pell recipient is still only eligible to receive the equivalent of twelve full‐time semesters (or 600%) and then is no longer eligible for Pell Grant funds.
If you want to know how much of your Pell Lifetime Limit you have already used, please log into StudentAid.gov using your FSA ID.
Many students use all of their annual federal loan eligibility in the Fall and Spring semesters, leaving nothing remaining for summer. If possible, students are encouraged to reserve some of their annual federal loan eligibility to use in the summer. Students that have been awarded Pell Grant for the Fall and Spring are encouraged to contact the Financial Aid & Scholarships Office for assistance with financial planning for the Summer.
Remaining Federal Direct Loan is awarded if the student hasn't received the annual limit in Fall and Spring semesters, and the Federal Parent PLUS Loan is offered to eligible dependent students to fill the gap. Independent students can apply for an Private Student Loan to cover their Summer educational cost. However, this loan requires a credit check. If you have any questions regarding what you could receive for Summer semester, feel free to contact the Financial Aid & Scholarships Office.
Graduate/Professional
Graduate and professional students who are enrolled at least half-time (Graduate: 3 credit hours and Professional: 5 credit hours) during the Summer semester could receive financial aid up to the Summer cost of attendance. Financial aid is awarded in the early May timeframe after you have registered for your Summer courses. Financial aid will be applied to your university bill the week before the Summer semester begins. Check your Academic Calendar to determine when your financial aid will be applied to your bill.
If you received the annual Direct Loan limit during the Fall and Spring semesters, you will be awarded a Grad PLUS Loan up to the Summer cost of attendance. For example, if your Summer cost of attendance is $18,832, you will be awarded a Grad PLUS Loan in the amount of $18,832.
If you received only a portion of the annual Direct Loan limit during the Fall and Spring semester, subtract what you received from the annual limit and the difference is what you will be awarded for the Summer semester. If the Summer cost of attendance is larger than the remaining Direct Loan, a Grad PLUS loan will be awarded to fill the gap.
REMEMBER: the Grad PLUS loan requires a credit check.