Summer Aid

Summer 2026 Session 

For undergraduates who plan on taking summer courses:

Limited financial aid may be available for summer coursework, which is considered a non-standard (“trailer”) term of the academic year.

To be considered, students must:

• Have a completed FAFSA on file
• Be enrolled in degree-required coursework
• Be meeting Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)

Planning for Summer Enrollment for Undergraduate Students:

• Available funding is limited and awarded on a first-come, first-served basis.
• Because tuition is charged at a flat rate for 12–18 credits during fall and spring, summer courses are an additional expense.
• Students are strongly encouraged to plan their coursework during fall and spring terms to maximize available funding.
• Summer aid packages are significantly different and often lower than fall and spring awards. Students should be prepared to cover a portion of summer costs out of pocket if needed.
• If you are receiving Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) support, be sure to check with your VR counselor to ensure they are aware of your summer enrollment and can advise on available support. Also, confirm any credit enrollment requirements that may apply.
• To apply for a federal student loan, at least 6 credits is required. Eligibility depends on annual loan limits used during the fall and spring. If those limits have been reached, additional summer loan funding may not be available.

Summer financial aid packaging begins in the spring, after registration opens.

Financial Aid will not cover:

• On-campus housing expenses for students who remain on campus but are not enrolled in degree-required summer coursework
• Meal plan expenses for students who are not attending degree-required summer coursework
• Coursework offered through other departments or colleges that is not degree-applicable
• Repeated coursework
• Immersive Programs

Undergraduate Students Beginning a Graduate Program in Summer

Undergraduate students who plan to begin a graduate program in Summer 2026—and who were enrolled as undergraduates during the 2025–2026 academic year—must update their 2025–2026 FAFSA to reflect graduate-level status.

Example: A student enrolled as an undergraduate in 2025–2026 who begins a graduate program in Summer 2026 must update their 2025–2026 FAFSA accordingly

Students will have new annual loan limits as graduate students; however, any loans already borrowed as an undergraduate within the same academic year will be applied toward (and reduce) that graduate limit

Example: If an undergraduate borrowed the full $12,500 annual limit and then begins a graduate program in the same academic year (graduate limit: $20,500), they would have $8,000 in remaining loan eligibility for that year

Summer Graduate PLUS Loan

Beginning July 1, 2026, federal law will eliminate the Graduate PLUS Loan for new graduate student borrowers.

This nationwide change applies to all colleges and universities.

The Graduate PLUS Loan currently allows students to borrow up to their cost of attendance, supplementing any remaining costs after reaching the Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan limit. For Fall and Spring, this is based on the full academic year, while summer is treated as a separate term with its own cost of attendance.

Students who have not had a Graduate PLUS Loan disbursed to their account before July 1, 2026 will be limited to Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loans only, which have:

• A maximum of $20,500 per year
• A $100,000 lifetime aggregate limit
• No access to additional funding through Graduate PLUS loans

Summer 2026 Graduate Students (Incoming and Continuing):
You still have the opportunity to request a Graduate PLUS loan and maintain eligibility under the current program for up to three years before the federal changes take effect.

To ensure your loan can be processed and disbursed before July 1, 2026, you must submit all of the following by June 15, 2026:

• A completed FAFSA (or updated FAFSA if you are transitioning from undergraduate to graduate status)
• The Graduate PLUS loan application
• A Graduate PLUS Master Promissory Note (MPN) – note that this is separate from the Direct Subsidized and Unsubsidized Loan MPN

Additional Requirement:
To be eligible for Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loans and the Graduate PLUS Loan, students must be enrolled in at least 6 credits for the term.

Apply for Graduate PLUS Loan

Complete Grad PLUS MPN (2nd tab – I’m a Graduate/Professional Student)