Summer Aid

Application Requirements

• Complete the 2023-24 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). If you have already done this, you do not need to do another one. If UNC was not listed as a school, please add 001349 school code to your FAFSA. 
• Enroll in classes. See Enrollment Requirements below for minimum credits needed. We will identify any student who has enrolled, has a FAFSA, and remaining eligibility. Awards will be based on these conditions.
• The FAFSA deadline for summer awarding is June 30, 2024. 

Enrollment Requirements

• In most cases, summer aid will consist of any Federal Pell Grant (undergraduate only) eligibility and any remaining yearly Federal Direct Loans (Subsidized, Unsubsidized, PLUS and Grad PLUS). 
• If you enrolled in any previous terms and have exhausted your annual limits for financial aid, federal aid may not be available. A counselor can help you determine this. If you have exhausted current year limits or just need additional aid, Private Alternative Loans may still be available. The exception to this rule is for undergraduate Pell grant recipients. This regulation allows a student to receive 150% of the Pell grant eligibility in one academic year.
• Undergraduate students must enroll in a minimum of 1 credit (Federal Pell Grant) and 6 credits (Federal Loans).
  • Pell eligibility is determined based upon the FAFSA year that has the lowest EFC. THIS DOES NOT EFFECT LOAN ELIGIBILITY.
    • If the current year has the lowest EFC, you must be enrolled in 6+ credits. 
    • If the lowest EFC is on the following year FAFSA (2024-25), the student can be enrolled in just 1 credit to qualify. 
    • If the student is graduating in summer, they will need to be enrolled in 6+ credits to receive the additional Pell Grant, unless they file a FAFSA for the following year (even if they will not be attending classes in the following year).
• Graduate students must enroll in a minimum of 5 credits (Federal Loans).
• Courses must be applicable to your degree program to count as eligible credits for financial aid purposes.

Eligibility Requirements

• Be admitted to a degree seeking program.
• Complete all requirements, both for the FAFSA and anything additional required by UNC. 
• Meet Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) standards as defined by UNC. (See the "Maintaining your aid" section)
  • If you’re a continuing student, your awards for summer may have been offered prior to SAP being measured from the prior Spring term.
  • If you become ineligible for aid due to Spring classes, any future financial aid (including Summer) will be canceled. 

Summer Disbursement

• New Stafford loans accepted for summer will require completion of a Direct Loan Promissory Note and Loan Entrance Counseling.
  • If you received aid in the previous term and have remaining eligibility, your requirements (promissory note and counseling) may already be complete. Please review Ursa on a regular basis to be sure.
• New PLUS loans will require a credit check/application at www.studentloans.gov.
  • Parents with a previous loan may require a new credit check, depending on the length of time since the last credit check.
• New Graduate PLUS loans will require a credit check/application at www.studentloans.gov.
• Summer aid will pay toward tuition and fees no earlier than 3 days before the first summer term you attend.
• Receipt of financial aid may not coincide with your billing due date.

Note: Students who enroll but fail to attend class will have their aid canceled or adjusted to reflect engagement and will need to repay funds received.

If you have any questions about summer financial aid please contact our office at ofa@unco.edu, by phone at (970) 351-4862 or by visiting us is Bear Central at Campus Commons.