What kind of financial aid is available for Summer Classes?
If you are a Marywood University student attending at least half time (6 credits for undergraduate students and 3 credits for graduate students) you are eligible for federal direct loans. Parent plus loans (parent borrowers) and graduate plus loans (graduate students only) are also available and you or your parent can apply on studentaid.gov.
Students who are undergraduate students who are Pell eligible can receive a Pell grant and students can also apply for a summer Pennsylvania (PA) state grant if they are PA residents.
There are private student loans for undergraduate and graduate students at elmselect.com
How do I apply for financial aid?
You must have a FAFSA on file. In addition there is a Summer Loan Form on the Financial Aid web page if you are interested in receiving federal loans. While fall and spring semester loans are processed automatically if you have a FAFSA, the summer sessions are treated differently and you must complete the loan form to be considered for loans.
State grants have a separate application on the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency website at pheaa.org for summer grants.
Pell Grants are automatically applied if you are eligible.
How much financial aid can I receive?
Pell grants and Pennsylvania State grants are based on the FAFSA information and the number of credits taken. There are certain restrictions for the PA State Grant and that information is available at PHEAA.org
Loans are based on the academic year that you are in at the start of the summer session. The maximum loan amounts you can receive for the summer sessions if you are attending at least half-time are as follows:
Freshman - $2,750 for dependent students and $4,750 for independent students
Sophomores - $3,250 for dependent students and $5,250 for independent students
Juniors & Seniors - $3,750 for dependent students and $6,250 for independent students
Graduate Students – up to $10,250, depending on number of credits and sessions attended
If I use financial aid in the summer, does it count toward my annual limits?
No. You can receive the same financial aid for the summer that you do in the Fall/Spring semesters, based on the number of credits you are taking without it counting against your annual financial aid limits. But it can count against your overall financial aid ability.
Pell: If you are an undergraduate student eligible for Pell grants, based on your FAFSA, you can receive a Pell grant each summer session and it is prorated based on number of credits. You can receive a Pell grant for up to 12 semesters. Students rarely run out of Pell grants before they graduate, if eligible.
PA State grant: If you meet the qualifications for a PA State Grant and you opt to apply for a summer PA State Grant, you will most likely run out of state grant eligibility. Unlike the Pell grant, PA residents can only receive PA State Grants for the equivalent of 8 full time semesters. If you use even 1 summer state grant, you may not have enough state grants to complete your degree. Students are advised to meet with a Financial Aid Counselor before accepting a summer PA State Grant.
Loans: You can receive up to your maximum loan amounts for the fall, spring, and summer sessions without it counting against your annual limit.
However, it can affect your aggregate loan limits. There are maximum limits set by the Department of Education and it is possible that you will run out of your loan funds earlier if you use your maximum loans and also use loans for summer.
For example, an undergraduate dependent student can only borrow up to 31,000 in federal loans toward an undergraduate degree. If you use your maximum loan amounts for the four years of attendance (or 8 semesters), you will use $27,000. That doesn’t leave much room for additional loans for summer or for additional semesters.
Aggregate loan limits for:
Dependent undergraduate students - $31,000
Independent undergraduate students - $57,500
Graduate Students – $138,500 (includes loans used during undergraduate degree)
Losing my summer aid eligibility after Spring grades post:
Your summer aid is typically awarded before spring semester grades post in May. Once spring grades post, we are required by federal regulations to determine if you are meeting Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP). If you are not meeting the SAP requirements and have already received a SAP warning, you will lose your federal financial aid eligibility until you are meeting SAP requirements again. This includes the summer semester.
At Marywood University, we check SAP after every semester, including summer.
When will my financial aid be disbursed?
Your financial aid is disbursed during the first session you are attending, after the add/drop period.
For example, if you register for classes in Summer I and Summer II, aid will be disbursed after the add/drop period in Summer I.
What if I withdraw from all or some of my classes during the summer?
Just like fall and spring semesters, dropping courses can result in a reduction or total loss of your financial aid and you will be responsible for any funds owed, even if you complete other courses during the summer sessions. You should contact financial aid before you drop any classes.
