Office of Student Aid : Parents of Students : Parent Newsletter

Penn State Office of Student Aid Parent Newsletter
April 2007

Summer Aid Awards

If your student is considering attending Penn State this summer, you may have questions about aid eligibility to help cover costs. Summer student financial aid is handled separately from fall and spring awards, so read on if your student is thinking about enrolling in summer sessions to add a few credits to his or her transcript.

To be eligible for summer 2007 student aid your student must meet the following requirements.

• Your student must attend a minimum of half-time (six credits for an undergraduate student) to be eligible for most types of aid.
• For our office to determine your student's eligibility for summer aid, he or she must have completed the 2006-07 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The 2006-07 FAFSA must be received by the Department of Education by June 30, 2007. Also, Penn State must receive a correct and complete FAFSA prior to your student's last day of enrollment in 2006-07.
• Eligible Pennsylvania residents may apply for a Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA) State Grant. Please keep in mind that students are limited to a maximum of eight semesters of eligibility during undergraduate enrollment. Summer PHEAA State Grant awards are counted towards one of the eight semesters of available state grant funding.
• Your student may have limited financial aid eligibility during the summer session(s) depending on the aid he or she received during the preceding fall and spring semesters. Many Penn State parents borrow a Federal Parent PLUS Loan. Alternately, your student may decide to borrow using an alternative loan to pay for summer session costs.
• To determine the cost of attending summer session(s) at Penn State, you and your student can access College Cost Estimate from the Tuition Web site.

First-Year Student Notes

First-year students who have paid their acceptance fees for summer admission to Penn State **and** submitted a 2006-07 FAFSA will be automatically reviewed and notified of their eligibility for summer Federal Pell Grant and summer Federal Stafford Loan. First-year students who want to apply for a summer PHEAA State Grant (Pennsylvania residents only) need to contact our office. Students may be eligible--even if they have received a notice from PHEAA stating they are ineligible. Summer PHEAA State Grant consideration requires completion and submission of a separate paper application.

Current Student Notes

Current students will automatically be considered for any remaining Federal Pell Grant eligibility for the academic year--as long as they have submitted a 2006-07 FAFSA. Current students can request consideration for a Summer PHEAA State Grant (Pennsylvania residents only) and a Summer Stafford Loan by accessing the "Students" menu on eLion.

Note: In addition to completing the Summer PHEAA State Grant request on eLion, students also need to print, complete, and return PHEAA's 2007 State Grant Summer Application to PHEAA's Grant Division (the address is listed on the application).

Step-by-Step Instructions

For detailed step-by-step instructions concerning summer financial aid, please access the applying information on our Web site.