Does Summer Session enrollment status effect Fall financial aid?

Question

If you only enroll for 3 credit hours, does that effect the amount you'll receive (Pell grant) in the fall semester? Is summer session grouped with the previous school year or the upcoming (as in 2007-08 or 2008-09?)

Answer 1

If you are taking summer 2008, classes they will be on your 2008-2009 award letter. Yes, it could effect your fall financial aid package.  You need to talk to your financial aid department and your advisor.  If you exceed a certain number of credits you may not be eligible for grants in the fall.  This usually only happens if you are close to graduation.  My cousin made this mistake by taking an extra elective just for fun.  Come spring he had too many credits and had to pay the full tuition on his own.  

Make sure to cover yourself by asking a financial aid advisor.  I know waiting in that office sucks but don't give up.  They are employed by the school to help you.  The last thing you want to get stuck with is applying for huge private loans or not being able to attend school at all!

Good luck!

Answer 2

It depends on whether your school uses summer as a header or trailer semester.  As well as the type of school attend (traditional college or university OR a proprietary school). If it’s a trailer it would not affect fall. If it's used a header it will affect the entire 2008-2009 year.  Financial aid covers a student for X number of classes, units, credit hours or clock hours in one academic year. The potential funding is divided evenly among the regular sessions.  Funds not used during the regular sessions may be used during optional sessions.

Regardless of whether summer is a header or trailer for your school, you CANNOT use the entire year's worth of financial aid in one semester.  

For example:

If your school went by semester terms, you would have 3 terms (fall, spring & summer)within the 2008-09 academic year that U could potentially get financial aid for:

Using summer as a header, it would look like this:

     2008-09 total Pell eligibility $300

           Summer 08 for 3 credits $75

           Fall 08 (assumes full time) $113

           Spring 09 (assumes full time) $112

If you are not full time, your fall and spring amounts will be prorated.

***the dollar amounts are just for the illustration, they are not an actual pay scale***

You will still receive funding for the full year it is just adjusted so that you don't exceed your total eligibility.

Hope this helps until you can contact your financial aid office.