Winter Session Financial Aid
Students may be eligible to receive federal student aid for Winter Session courses which apply towards their degree program. For financial aid purposes, Winter Session is considered part of the fall term for financial aid awards. Units taken during the Winter Session are combined with completed units from the fall term to determine financial aid eligibility. Specific information is listed below by student career.
Undergraduate Students
All undergraduate students enrolled in the Winter Session who have completed a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form and have an official Student Aid Index (SAI) will automatically have their fall cost of attendance (COA) increased to include estimated expenses for Winter Session tuition and fees. If you would like to be reviewed for additional loans* based on your increased COA, you should contact the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid (OSFA) after beginning attendance in a Winter Session course.
*Note: Federal Direct Loans require at least half-time enrollment, which is 6 units for undergraduate students. Students cannot exceed annual loans limit on student loans.
Federal Pell Grant recipients only
Federal Pell Grant will be recalculated for the fall term on students who start in a Winter Session course. Please visit our Pell Recalculation Policy page for this year’s Winter Pell Recalculation Date (PRD). The recalculation will be based on total fall enrollment at the end of the date posted.
Total enrollment is based only on active Winter Session and completed units for the fall term. This recalculation could result in either an increase or decrease to the fall Pell payment based on current enrollment on the PRD.
Refer to the chart below for Pell Grant eligibility based on total current units:
| Federal Pell Grant | CREDIT HOURS |
ENROLLMENT LOAD *prior to the 2024-2025 academic year |
ENROLLMENT INTENSITY *effective for the 2024-2025 academic year |
| 12 (or more) | Full-Time (100%) | 100% of the scheduled award | |
| 11 | Three-Quarter Time (75%) | 92% of the scheduled award | |
| 10 | 83% of the scheduled award | ||
| 9 | 75% of the scheduled award | ||
| 8 | Half Time (50%) | 67% of the scheduled award | |
| 7 | 58% of the scheduled award | ||
| 6 | 50% of the scheduled award | ||
| 5 | Less Than Half Time (25%) | 42% of the scheduled award | |
| 4 | 33% of the scheduled award | ||
| 3 | 25% of the scheduled award | ||
| 2 | 17% of the scheduled award | ||
| 1 | 8% of the scheduled award | ||
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A scheduled Federal Pell Grant payment is based on the Student Aid Index (SAI) as calculated by the FAFSA. You may only be eligible for a partial award, an amount less than what your enrollment intensity requires, if you are close to your Pell Grant Lifetime Eligibility Used (Pell LEU). If you drop or withdraw from courses before beginning attendance, you are subject to the Pell Recalculation Policy, the Non-Attendance Policy*, and/or the Withdrawal Policy. *Pell Recalculation for Non-Attendance: This is required when a student doesn't begin attendance in all classes for a payment period, resulting in a change in the student's enrollment intensity. The Institution is required to recalculate the student's award for that payment period based on the lower enrollment intensity (i.e., the new enrollment not including the course(s) for which the student did not begin attendance. |
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Graduate Students
By request, graduate students enrolled in the winter session, who have completed a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form and have an official Student Aid Index (SAI) may have their fall cost of attendance (COA) increased to include expenses for Winter Session tuition and fees. If you would like to be reviewed for a COA adjustment and additional loans** based on your increased COA, you should contact OSFA after the start of the Winter Session.
**Note: Federal Direct Loans require at least half-time enrollment, which is 5 units for graduate students. Students cannot exceed annual loans limit on student loans.
Find the cost per unit for your program with the Bursar's Tuition Calculator.
Please note these calculated costs only cover the details listed on their website and do not include course-specific fees, supplies, or living expenses. The tuition calculator is updated each semester with actual costs to help you plan ahead.
No. Tuition scholarships can only be used for Fall and Spring semester charges. Winter Session charges can not be covered by your tuition scholarship.
Review the complete terms and conditions of your scholarship for full details. Select your cohort based on your first academic year attended.
No, these grant programs can only be used for Fall and Spring semester charges.
Students can search for additional scholarships by creating a profile on Scholarship Universe (SU), our online scholarship-matching tool for admitted University of Arizona students.
SU connects Wildcats to millions of dollars in both school and private donor scholarship opportunities. Scholarships that are available come from a variety of academic and professional interests. These scholarships are based on a range of items in your profile responses including degree plan, academic performance, financial need, grade level, enrollment status, and more! For more information, review our SU FAQ section and videos.
For financial aid purposes, the winter session is not a standalone semester and is considered part of the fall semester. Units taken during the winter session are combined with completed units from the fall semester to determine financial aid eligibility, including eligibility for federal student and/or parent PLUS loans.
Students who have not received the fall portion of their loan and who are enrolled at least half-time (6 units as an undergraduate student, 5 units as a graduate student) across both fall and winter can be eligible for the fall portion of their loan. Contact our office for more information.
Students who receive financial aid (grants, loans, scholarships, etc) are reviewed after each semester to ensure they are maintaining Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) standards. Winter session is not a standalone semester and is considered part of the fall semester. Students enrolled in winter session will have their fall SAP status review postponed until January 15th to allow for winter grades to be considered.
The Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid will be closed from December 24, 2024 - January 1, 2025 for University Winter Closure. If you contact our office during this time, please note there will be delays to responses.