Summer Financial Aid FAQs

Graduate Students

Loans

If you are a Marywood University student attending at least half time (3 credits for graduate students), you are eligible for Graduate PLUS loans by applying at studentaid.gov.

You may also apply for private loans at elmselect.com.

Undergraduate Students

Pell Grant

  • Students who are undergraduate students and are Pell eligible could receive a Pell grant.
    • Students enrolled in 3 summer credits will only be eligible for a summer Pell grant if their full eligibility was not used during the previous fall and spring semesters.
    • Students enrolled in 6 or more summer credits could be eligible for a summer Pell grant as part of the year-round Pell award. Using a summer Pell grant will not affect your Pell grant for the following Fall and Spring unless you are reaching your six year full-time limit on Pell eligibility.

Pennsylvania State Grant

  • Students can also apply for a summer Pennsylvania State Grant if they are PA residents on pheaa.org.

Loans

  • If you have used all of your student loan eligibility for the year (see annual loan limit chart), you will not regain eligibility until the fall semester. However, your parents may apply for the Parent PLUS Loan at studentaid.gov.
    • Students in a 5-year dual degree program may qualify for Federal Direct Student Loans to use in the summer.
  • A variety of private alternative loans are available for students who have exhausted their Federal and State aid eligibility. You can find a list of lenders at elmselect.com.

You must have the correct year’s FAFSA on file. We recommend doing both the current academic year and the following academic year FAFSA.

State grants have a separate application on the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency website at pheaa.org for summer grants.

Pell Grants and Direct Subsidized/Unsubsidized Loans for undergraduates will be automatically applied if you are eligible.

PLUS Loans must be applied for at studentaid.gov.

If you are seeking aid for summer enrollment at another school, submit a completed copy of the Consortium Agreement Form with the requested documents attached.

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

If you are in a 5-year undergraduate to graduate degree program, 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

Students can receive Federal PLUS Loans or private loans up to the amount they request or their summer cost of attendance, whichever is less.

Pell: If you are an undergraduate student who is Pell eligible based on your FAFSA, you could receive a Pell grant for the summer, and it is prorated based on the number of credits you're registered for. You could 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: Students who already reached the annual maximums, or are not enrolled in the undergraduate portion of a 5-year dual degree program, won't be able to use Federal Direct Subsidized or Unsubsidized Loans to fund a summer semester. If that happens, shop around for a private student loan to cover summer enrollment costs or a Parent/Graduate PLUS Loan.

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.

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.

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.