Financial Aid for Summer Session Flyer

To be eligible for federal financial aid for Summer Session, you must apply for financial aid for the appropriate academic year. At the University of Maine, all Summer Sessions are considered to be part of the previous academic year. As a result, if you are interested in receiving any financial aid for Summer Session 2008, you must apply for financial aid for the 2007-2008 academic year.

If you have not already applied for financial aid by the start of the Summer Session, complete a 2007-2008 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and send it to the Federal processing center. Your application must be received at the Federal processing center no later than June 30, 2008. We recommend that you mail your completed 2007-2008 FAFSA by May 15, 2008 to allow enough time for processing. Further application instructions are available.

The number of credit hours you take, and even the length of each class, will determine your eligibility for each type of financial aid. Financial aid programs available during Summer Session include:

• Federal Pell Grants
 

These grants are awarded by the Federal Government to undergraduate students with a high level of need. If you have eligibility for a Pell Grant during the academic year, and if you were not enrolled full-time at any school during either the Fall 2007 or Spring 2008 semesters, you may have some remaining eligibility you can use. If eligible, you can receive a Pell Grant even if you are enrolled less than half-time.

As long as you have already applied for financial aid by completing the FAFSA (and listed the University of Maine as a school you wanted your FAFSA sent to), no additional paperwork is required to receive your Federal Pell Grant.

• Summer Federal Work-Study
 

Regardless of whether you received any Federal Work-Study during the Fall 2007 or Spring 2008 semesters, you can apply for Federal Work-Study for the Summer Session 2008. Offers are made based on financial need as determined by filing the FAFSA. The University of Maine Office of Student Employment can assist you with locating part-time or full-time employment, either on- or off-campus.

A separate application is required (typically available by early February) and must be completed by the posted deadline of April 11, 2008. Awards are made to eligible students who apply by the deadline. You can expect notification by the end of the Spring Semester whether you have been offered Summer Federal Work-Study.

You do not necessarily have to be enrolled for classes during the Summer Session in order to be eligible; however, some students may find that earning Work-Study during the summer affects their financial aid eligibility for the following academic year. The Summer Work-Study Application provides more details, or you may wish to speak with a Financial Aid Advisor.

• Federal Stafford Loans
 

Your eligibility for a Stafford Loan during the Summer Session will depend on your summer enrollment plans, and how much you have already borrowed during the Fall 2007 and Spring 2008 semesters.

• You must pre-register at least half-time in order for us to certify your loan eligibility, and you must maintain that status in order to remain eligible for your loan. Delays in registering will result in delays in the delivery of your loan funds to your student account. Your loan eligibility depends in part on the total number of weeks in which you are enrolled. Costs incurred during times you are not enrolled during the summer do not count towards your loan eligibility.
• Students who have already borrowed the maximum allowable at their grade level during the academic year may not have any remaining eligibility. On the other hand, if you earn enough credit hours by the end of the Spring Semester to advance to the next grade level, you may have some additional eligibility. This is true for students achieving sophomore or junior status, and for students matriculating into a graduate degree program beginning with the Summer Session.

Apply for a Federal Stafford Loan by completing a either a UMaine Stafford Loan Request Form available from the Office of Student Financial Aid or on-line by visiting the Financial Aid segment of WebDSIS.

• Other Education Loans
 

There are a variety of alternative loan programs available for helping to finance a college education, all of which will have to be repaid either upon disbursement of the loan funds, or once the student completes the degree or leaves school. Before applying for any loan, ask many questions and evaluate each loan program carefully to choose the one which is best for you. Some options for Summer Session include:
 

• Federal Parent Loan for Undergraduate Students (PLUS)
• Federal Additional Unsubsidized Stafford Loans
• Alternative Loans from Private Lenders Most are credit-based loans, and will require periodic payments of principal and interest once disbursed. Interest rates vary, and a separate application is usually sent directly to the lender, which is then forwarded to the Office of Student Financial Aid for certification of the student's status.

Students can meet with a financial aid advisor for an estimate of eligibility once they have pre-registered for Summer Session. Generally, the best time to discuss specific eligibility for summer is after Spring Break, but feel free to contact us any time to get the information you need in order to plan ahead.