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Federal Direct Loans (Subsidized/Unsubsidized)

You are eligible to receive a specific amount of federal direct loans per academic year (fall, spring, and summer). The amounts are based on your grade level and dependency status.

View Annual Borrowing Limits

You may be eligible for summer federal loans if:

• You haven't already borrowed up to your annual limit during the preceding fall/spring terms.*
• You are registered in at least 6 credits for the summer.

*If after your spring credits are posted you now have enough credits to advance a grade level (freshman to sophomore OR sophomore to junior), you can request the additional amount for summer.

Federal PLUS Loans (Parent and Graduate)

PLUS loans are available in the summer as long as you are enrolled at least half-time (6 credits for undergraduate students, 4.5 credits for graduate students).

Tips:

• If you already have a valid PLUS loan on file and the credit check has not yet expired, you can request a loan increase on
• During the summer the PLUS loan application is generally available for both the current and upcoming academic years. Please be sure you complete the PLUS loan for the current academic year.

Requesting & Receiving Federal Loans in the Summer

Processing of federal loans in the summer requires us to individually review each request to confirm eligibility. Please complete the form on the link below so we can take a look at your account.

When specifying the loan amount you would like for the summer, take into consideration that federal student loans have an origination fee which lowers the net disbursement applied to your bill. You can use the calculator tool below to assist with calculating the amount you need.

If you have never borrowed Direct Loans before, you will also need to complete the  and . PLUS loans will also require the borrower to complete an MPN.

The Pell Grant will automatically apply to your summer bill for the maximum amount available to you. Please allow a few days after registering for your summer courses for the Pell Grant to post to your account.

Important!: If you were a full-time student for both the fall and spring terms, you must enroll in at least 6 credits in the summer to receive your Pell Grant funding.

So how much Pell Grant you will receive for the summer? This is not a one-size-fits-all science but in general, if you were full-time (12+ credits) in your most recent term (spring for most students), take a look at your spring billing statement and see the amount of Pell Grant funding you received. If you enroll in 6 credits during the summer would likely receive half of the amount shown on your most recent billing statement since you are enrolled half-time. Contact our office if you want some help, we know it's kind of complicated.

If you received the TAG grant at ɫ������ during the preceding fall or spring terms, you can now qualify for TAG funding by enrolling in at least 6 credits for summer 2024*.

Once you enroll in at least 6 credits, your TAG grant will automatically apply to your summer bill for the maximum amount available to you.

Curious how your TAG grant will be calculated? Since the TAG grant requires you to enroll full-time during fall and spring to receive your funding, an easy way to calculate your expected TAG grant payment for summer is to look at the TAG amount paid to you during your most recent term. This is the amount you will get from TAG if you are full-time in the summer. If you only take 6 credits in the summer (half-time), divide your fall or spring TAG payment in half. Contact our office if you want us to take a look with you.

*HESAA has authorized the distribution of the TAG grant only for summer 2024. It is NOT guaranteed to be available for additional summer terms.

You may need to consider borrowing a private or a PLUS loan if you have exhausted your financial aid eligibility for the current school year (fall and spring). Students or parents may apply for private education loans. 

Please note: Approval for private loans is based on a credit review by the lender.

ɫ������ neither maintains a preferred lender list, nor we endorse/recommend private lenders. However, ELMSelect is a search tool that provides neutral lender and product comparisons for these types of loans.

If you choose to use a private loan for your summer classes, confirm with your lender if you need to take a minimum number of credits and ensure you are applying for the current academic year (summer is the last term of the current award year).

You do not need to complete our internal loan request for our office to use your private loan.

• Must be an accepted, matriculated student effective the summer term (new students starting in the fall are not eligible to receive federal/state aid for the summer).
• You must have filed the FAFSA for the current award year (summer is the last term of the current academic year).
• You must maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress.
• You must meet each award's minimum enrollment requirements. 

What types of aid are NOT available in the summer?

• ɫ������ Institutional Scholarships
• ɫ������ Opportunity Program/Garden State Guarantee
• Federal Work-Study*

The Federal Work-Study program typically exhausts its annual funding by the conclusion of the spring term. There are times when FWS could be available on a limited basis to students taking summer classes. Contact your FWS supervisor to inquire on your behalf.

• Federal Loans (Direct & PLUS): You must be enrolled half-time.
• Federal Pell Grant: Half-time enrollment is required for students who were full-time during the preceding fall and spring terms. Otherwise, the Pell Grant will pay a prorated amount based on enrollment.
• Tuition Aid Grant (TAG): New for Summer 2024 only! You must be enrolled at least half-time.
• Private Loans: Each lender has their own enrollment requirements. Please verify with your lender to confirm. 

Be cautious about registration adjustments that bring you below these enrollment requirements as your financial aid may be adjusted which would result in a balance due on your account. 

Financial Aid Enrollment Requirements

Watch this video for more information!

Financial aid may be used for off-campus living expenses. Please indicate your summer housing arrangements on the Summer Federal Student Loan Request Form, however, you may not be eligible for the entire amount you request.

If you have requested additional funds for living expenses, those extra funds will be issued by the Bursar’s Office after your financial aid has been finalized and credited to your account. You should be prepared to pay your expenses until you receive your refund check from the Bursar’s Office.

The summer enrollment term contains many mini sessions. You can enroll in courses in different sessions. Funds will be released (disbursed) once the course that brings you to at-least 6 credits begins*.

*Withdraws/dropping a course can affect your financial aid eligibility. Please consult our office before withdrawing/dropping a course to determine what may be effected.