Summer Financial Aid Q&A — Student Financial Aid Office

What types of federal aid are available during summer?

During summer, federal financial assistance is available to eligible applicants who have Federal Pell Grant, Federal TEACH Grant, and/or Federal Direct Subsidized and/or Unsubsidized Loan eligibility remaining for the award year. Graduate and law students may also be evaluated for Federal Direct Graduate/Professional PLUS Loans. Parents of dependent, undergraduate students may also apply for Federal Direct Parent PLUS Loans. For undergraduate students with financial need who meet specific award criteria, a limited amount of Federal Work-Study funds will be made available.

I'm a Federal Pell Grant eligible student, how much do I get?

There are multiple factors that will be evaluated to determine if you are eligible for summer Federal Pell Grant funds and the amount you will potentially receive. In certain situations, an eligible student can receive up to 150% of his or her scheduled Federal Pell Grant award during an award year. Once you have received 100% of your scheduled Federal Pell Grant award during an award year, you must be enrolled at least half-time (minimally 6 credit hours) to receive additional Federal Pell Grant funds.

Below are some examples of summer scenarios and the corresponding determination of summer Federal Pell Grant award amounts. Please note these examples are based on the assumption you meet all Federal Pell Grant eligibility requirements and have not met your Pell lifetime eligibility used limit.

Example 1: Your expected family contribution (EFC) is zero, and you were enrolled full-time (12 credit hours or more) and received Federal Pell Grant funds based on full-time enrollment during the fall ($3,698) and spring ($3,697) terms. Since you have received 100% of your scheduled award ($7,395), in order to receive Federal Pell Grant funds during the summer term, you must enroll at least half-time (minimally 6 credit hours) during summer. Based on your zero EFC, if you enrolled half-time (6.0-8.9 credit hours), you would be awarded $1,849 in summer Federal Pell Grant funds.

Example 2: Your EFC is zero, and you were enrolled half-time (6.0-8.9 credit hours) and received Federal Pell Grant funds based on half-time enrollment during the fall ($1,849) and spring ($1,849) terms. Since you have not received 100% of your scheduled award ($7,395), you do not have to be enrolled at least half-time during summer to receive Federal Pell Grant funds. Based on your zero EFC, if you enrolled less-than half-time (0.1-5.9 credit hours), you would be awarded $925 in summer Federal Pell Grant funds.

Can I receive a federal loan during summer?

Only enrolled students who have submitted the Early Request for Summer Federal Aid will have their summer Federal Direct Loan eligibility evaluated. You must meet all eligibility requirements, including being enrolled at least half-time. For federal financial aid purposes during summer, half-time is defined as six credit hours for undergraduate students and three credit hours for graduate and law students. You will only be eligible for Federal Direct Subsidized and/or Unsubsidized Loan funds if you did not receive your full annual eligibility during the academic year, have not reached your lifetime loan eligibility, and meet all other eligibility requirements. Federal Direct PLUS Loan funds are also available during summer.

Below are some undergraduate examples of summer scenarios and the corresponding determination of summer Federal Direct Loan amounts. Please note these examples are based on the assumption the student meets all Federal Direct Loan eligibility requirements and has not reached any aggregate limits.

Example 1: An undergraduate dependent, freshman is eligible for a maximum of $5,500 in Federal Direct Subsidized and Unsubsidized Loan funds during an aid year. The student borrowed a total of $2,750 during the fall term and $2,750 during the spring term in Federal Direct Subsidized and Unsubsidized Loan funds. Therefore, he/she has no Federal Direct Subsidized nor Unsubsidized Loan eligibility remaining for summer. If interested, the student’s parent may apply for a Federal Direct Parent PLUS Loan. In addition, private educational loan options (through a private bank or other lending institution) can be explored.

Example 2: An undergraduate dependent, freshman is eligible for a maximum of $5,500 in Federal Direct Subsidized and Unsubsidized Loan funds during an aid year. The student borrowed a total of $1,500 during the fall term and $1,500 during the spring term in Federal Direct Subsidized and Unsubsidized Loan funds. Therefore, he/she has the potential to be offered up to $2,500 in Federal Direct Subsidized and/or Unsubsidized Loan funds during the summer term. If interested, the student’s parent may apply for a Federal Direct Parent PLUS Loan. In addition, private educational student loan options (not a federal student loan, but one through a private bank or other lending institution) can be explored.

If I used all of my annual Federal Direct Subsidized and/or Unsubsidized Loan eligibility during the academic year, what other loans can I consider?

You and/or your parent may be eligible for Federal Direct PLUS Loan funds. Federal Direct PLUS Loans are federal loans available to graduate or professional students and parents of dependent, undergraduate students to help pay for education expenses not covered by other financial aid. Eligibility is not based on financial need. Please note a credit check is required. If you are a graduate or law student, your eligibility for Federal Direct PLUS Loan funds will be evaluated if you submit the Early Request for Summer Federal Aid. If you are a dependent, undergraduate student, your parent may apply for a Federal Direct PLUS Loan if interested. Additional information can be found on our Direct Parent PLUS webpage.

A private educational student loan (also referred to as an alternative loan) is not a federal student loan, but one through a private bank or other lending institution. Please refer to our Alternative Loan webpage for additional information. If you have or are planning to apply for a private educational student loan for the summer enrollment period and are eligible to complete, please submit the Early Request for Summer Federal Aid once you have finalized your summer enrollment. A private educational student loan may require additional processing time, so once you have completed your research, if you decide to apply for this type of loan, we recommend you apply as soon as possible.

Can my fall and spring grades impact my summer federal aid eligibility?

You must maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) in order to be eligible for federal financial aid during the summer term. In order to have your SAP status applicable to the summer term evaluated, you must be fully graded for all prior terms for which you were enrolled at UofL. If applicable, this includes the spring 2024 term. A course with a grade of ‘Incomplete’ or ‘Deferred’ is still considered to be a graded course for SAP purposes.

If you are awarded summer federal financial aid prior to your SAP status applicable to the summer term being evaluated, your summer federal financial aid will not be reviewed for disbursement until your SAP has been evaluated. When your SAP is evaluated, if you do not meet the SAP requirements, your summer federal financial aid will be cancelled accordingly.

If it is determined you are ineligible for federal financial aid for failure to meet the SAP standards, you have the right to make a written appeal to the Student Financial Aid Office. Please note regardless of your decision to appeal, you are still responsible for settling any potential outstanding balance you have with the Bursar’s Office by the applicable due date.