Summer Aid Options
Summer aid is limited, and is often times unique to each student's situation. Most students utilize their annual aid eligibility based on their enrollment during the three-quarter academic year. UC's summer quarter is at the end of the academic year. Therefore, aid eligibility for summer will be based on the previous year's FAFSA (which carries a June 30th deadline) and aid utilization during the academic year preceding summer.
NOTE: Students beginning in summer 2010 will need to complete the 2009-2010 FAFSA before June 30, 2010, to receive summer aid.
Awarding for summer quarter generally does not occur until March unless a student enters UC mid-year and their aid eligibility is sufficient enough to cover summer term.
Summer aid (except Federal Work-Study) requires summer enrollment. Summer work-study employment requires enrollment for the following fall if summer classes are not taken. Any summer work-study award will be made based on application and term of enrollment.
ELIGIBILITY DETERMINATION
Students interested in summer aid should contact One Stop Student Services (onestop@uc.edu; 513-556-1000; 2nd Floor University Pavilion). Staff can assess eligibility for renewable scholarships, the Federal Pell Grant, or additional loan funding. Co-op students may also have unique opportunities to move specific funds from a co-op term.
Renewable scholarships are generally capped at a set number of quarters of consideration. Speak with the coordinator for your renewable scholarship award to determine if you can utilize summer as one of your upcoming, qualifying terms.
The Federal Pell Grant program has adjusted its view of a year so that Pell-eligible students can utilize a fourth quarter if they attend during the summer. The Student Financial Aid Office will also attempt to identify summer enrollees who have Pell Grant-eligibility and make awards accordingly.
Planful students are eligible for summer loans because they did not utilize their full eligibility during the academic year. With an eye on the summer, students will reduce their academic-year loans so as to reserve eligibility for a fourth quarter of enrollment.
Three additional loan options can assist students attending summer school for 6 or more hours.
- Federal Stafford Loan – Students who advance from the freshman to sophomore level or sophomore to junior level may be eligible for additional funds due to a mid-year class level advancement.
- Federal PLUS Loans – Graduate students and parents of undergraduate, dependent students are eligible for Federal PLUS Loans based on their credit approval.
- Alternative Loans – While they should be explored on a limited basis, non-federal loans are available for summer students.
Finally, students who sat out a term, went part-time, or began mid-year may be able to tap into their unused academic year aid.
PLANFUL APPROACH
Again, summer aid is limited as most students exhaust their annual aid eligibility during the academic year. Please discuss options specific to you with a staff member at One Stop as you are thinking about summer school to better understand any funding resources that may be available to you for summer school attendance.
You also want to balance limited financial aid eligibility with your summer costs. Part-time attendance will adjust aid in some cases as well.
A thorough review of your individual case with knowledgeable staff at One Stop can give you the information necessary to make the best plan for summer enrollment.
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