Financial aid is offered based on the number of units in which you are enrolled. By registering for the full number of units you intend to take you will be considered for the maximum amount of summer aid opportunities and receive the most accurate offer, helping you to plan ahead. 

*Undergraduates who enroll in less than six units may still be eligible for Federal Work Study (see Federal Work Study section below) and possibly, the Federal Pell Grant (see the Federal Pell Grant section below).

**Graduates who enroll in less than five units may still be eligible for federal aid. If you are enrolled in summer dissertation units, you may complete the Application for Advanced Status available through the Graduate College. 

Any changes in enrollment status, including adding or dropping units, could cause your aid offer to be adjusted. Read on to learn more about complete withdrawals and important considerations for Pell Grant and University Grant recipients. 

Complete Withdrawal

A complete (official) or unofficial withdrawal affects students’ current financial aid, eligibility for future financial aid, and personal finances. Federal regulations require Title IV financial aid to be offered under the assumption that a student will attend the University of Arizona for the entire period in which federal assistance was offered.

For more information review the Withdrawal Policy or reach out to our AskAid Team for individualized guidance.

Federal Pell Grant Requirements

Federal Pell Grant regulations apply to summer classes in the same way they do in the regular academic year. This means that students must begin (and maintain) attendance in all courses for which they receive a Pell Grant payment. On July 9, 2024, all Pell Grants will be reviewed for Pell Recalculation. Pell Recalculation refers to the process in which Pell Grant students - who make enrollment changes during the summer - will have their Pell Grant adjusted to reflect their current enrollment.  

Review our Pell Recalculation Policy and Summer Pell Grant information to learn more. 

University Grant Requirements

Undergraduates who display certain financial need and who enroll in at least six University of Arizona units by May 31, 2024 may be offered the summer University Grant. In cases where students are enrolled in at least six units and are awarded summer University Grant, but later drop to less than six units, the University Grant will be cancelled.

The following example is provided to illustrate this: 

A student initially enrolls in three summer courses totaling nine units over two summer sessions (one 3-unit 5 Week First course and two 3-unit 5 Week Second courses). The student is offered a summer University Grant and immediately drops their two 5 Week Second courses. 

The student would not be eligible to receive their summer University Grant payment unless they enrolled in an additional three units (for a total of six).

Once you enroll in summer classes and submit your 2023-2024 FAFSA, our review process typically takes about ten business days. Initial offers will be sent starting in mid-May. Check your CatMail for status updates on your summer offer.

See our FAQ ‘How many units do I need to enroll in to receive summer financial aid?’ for the minimum number of units you will need to enroll in to receive summer financial aid. 

You can expect to receive your aid disbursement four days prior to the start of your earliest summer class provided you are meeting eligibility requirements to receive financial aid.

For example, if you are taking one 3-unit class during the summer Pre-Session starting on May 11 and one 3-unit class during the second 7-week session starting on July 1, your aid will be released to your Bursar student account on May 9.

To ensure you receive your disbursement, you should also check that you are enrolled in the minimum number of summer units required and complete any UAccess Student Center to-do items as soon as possible. Learn more about our General Disbursement Policy and view summer session dates on the Office of the Registrar website. 

Your summer cost of attendance and aid offer will be determined based on the number of units and summer sessions in which you are enrolled. For instance, if your summer classes span two months, your cost of attendance will reflect a two-month budget.

We will also review financial need and aid eligibility from the academic year to determine the aid types and amounts you are eligible for in the summer semester. 

Federal Direct Subsidized and Unsubsidized Loans will be offered based on your remaining academic year loan eligibility. This means that aid received during the preceding fall and spring semester is taken into account when reviewing students for summer financial aid. These academic year limits are put in place by the Department of Education.

For example, a dependent first-year student who borrowed their full $5,500 in student loans during fall and spring will not be eligible for any additional student direct loans because they borrowed the maximum amount a dependent, first-year student can borrow.

For more information about academic year loan limits, visit our Federal Direct Loan Limits webpage.

Federal regulations do not allow students to receive federal financial aid from two schools at the same time. By completing a consortium agreement, you can attend the University of Arizona and another accredited school (referred to as the “visiting institution”) during the same semester and receive federal financial aid funding for the total combined units. This process most benefits Federal Pell Grant recipients who are enrolled in less than twelve summer units at Arizona.

You must be enrolled in a minimum of six University of Arizona units in order to request a consortium agreement or to receive summer University Grant funding. Review all Consortium Agreement policies prior to submitting.

You will be notified by email if you do not meet SAP standards. If your SAP status is "Suspension", summer financial aid offers or further disbursements of summer financial aid will be delayed pending approval of your SAP Appeal form.

For additional information about SAP, see Satisfactory Academic Progress Guidelines

Non-degree seeking students are not eligible to receive federal financial aid. However, if you are a graduate non-degree seeking student, you are able to submit the Graduate Non-Degree Seeking Federal Financial Aid Petition to be considered for federal financial aid. If approved, you will be notified of your summer aid eligibility in a separate email.

An overaward occurs when the financial aid you are offered exceeds your cost of attendance or if the amount of need-based aid you were offered exceeds your Expected Family Contribution (EFC).

You may be able to clear your overaward by:

• Submitting a Cost of Attendance Appeal 
• Declining all or a portion of your student loans (if applicable). You can contact our team for assistance with declining your student loans. 
• Declining all or a portion of your parent loans (if applicable). Parent PLUS loans can be declined in UAccess Guest Center.

Undergraduate Summer Loans

Federal Direct Subsidized and Unsubsidized Loans will be offered based on your remaining academic year loan eligibility. If you are a dependent undergraduate student, you may also be offered a Parent PLUS loan up to your remaining cost of attendance, provided you are enrolled in a minimum of six summer units.

Example: A dependent student was offered $3,500 in subsidized and $2,000 in unsubsidized loans during the 2023-2024 academic year (fall and spring) and only accepted $2,000 of their subsidized loan for fall and spring. For summer, they can be offered up to $3,500 in federal student loans ($1,500 subsidized and $2,000 unsubsidized)*.  Additionally, they will be offered a Parent PLUS Loan up to their remaining cost of attendance.

Graduate Summer Loans

Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loans are offered based on your remaining academic year loan eligibility. You may also be offered a Graduate PLUS loan up to your remaining cost of attendance, provided you are enrolled in a minimum of five summer units. 

Example: A graduate student was offered the full $20,500 unsubsidized loan during the 2023-2024 academic year (fall and spring) and  accepted $15,000 of their unsubsidized loan for fall and spring. For summer, they can be offered up to a $5,500 unsubsidized loan and a Graduate PLUS loan covering their remaining cost of attendance. 

Loan Acceptance Deadlines

*Academic year loan amounts are determined by dependency status as determined by the FAFSA, grade level and cost of attendance.

If you are eligible for the Federal Pell Grant, you might be offered it in the summer too, depending on the amount you received during the 2023-2024 academic year and the number of units you are enrolled in for the summer. Refer to sections 1 and 2 below for Pell Grant eligibility based on your enrollment in the fall 2023 and spring 2024 semesters. 

Visit our FAQ 'What happens if I change my enrollment or withdraw from my summer coursework?' for important information on adding and dropping summer courses as a Pell Grant recipient. 

1. Pell-Grant Eligibility (enrolled in 12+ units in Fall 2023 and Spring 2024)

Students who are eligible for the Federal Pell Grant may receive up to 150% of their scheduled Pell award for the year. This means that if you received two semesters of full-time Pell Grant payments during the 2023-2024 academic year (100%), you may be eligible for an additional payment in the summer (50%) if you enroll at least half time (six units). Only students who enroll in at least 6 units for the summer semester will be evaluated for the additional summer payment of up to 50%. Actual Pell award will be based on the student's actual summer enrollment. 

Pell Grant Example #1:

Student A is eligible for a $2,000 Pell Grant for the 2023-2024 academic year. They are enrolled full-time for both the fall and spring semesters. 

Student A enrolls full-time (12 units) for the summer semester. Their summer Pell Grant payment would be: 

This student has received 150% of their scheduled Pell award. They were eligible to receive this amount because they enrolled in at least six summer units (and met all other Pell Grant eligibility requirements).

Pell Grant Example #2:

Student B is eligible for a $2,000 Pell grant for the 2023-2024 academic year. They are enrolled full-time for both the fall and spring semesters.

Student B enrolls less than half-time (three units) for the summer semester. Their summer Pell grant payment would be: 

This student received 100% of their scheduled Pell award during the fall and spring semester. They were not eligible to receive the Year-Round Pell during the summer because they were enrolled less than half-time. Year-Round Pell awards require students be enrolled at least half-time or a minimum of six summer units.

2. Pell-Grant Eligibility (enrolled in less than 12 units in Fall 2023 and/or Spring 2024)

Students who are eligible for the Federal Pell Grant—but who did not receive their full scheduled Pell award for the academic year—may be eligible for a summer payment at less than half-time enrollment (five or less total units). This includes Pell payments received at other institutions for the same academic year. The summer Pell payment amount will be equal to the remaining scheduled Pell award, or the less than half-time amount for their EFC, whichever is less. This amount may not exceed the scheduled Pell award (100% annual eligibility) unless enrolled at least half-time. 

Pell Grant example #3:

Student C is eligible for a $2,000 Pell Grant for the 2023-2024 academic year. They are enrolled full-time during the fall and three-quarter time (nine units) during the spring semester. 

Student C enrolls less than half-time (three units) for the summer semester. Their summer Pell grant payment would be: 

This student has received 100% of their academic year eligibility. 

The University Grant is a need-based, institutional grant designed to assist Wildcats with the cost of tuition.

Students who meet the following requirements will be reviewed for eligibility University Grant through May 31, 2024: 

• Arizona resident
• Pursuing their first undergraduate bachelor's degree
• Enrolled in at least 6 Arizona summer units through June 1st and have a completed 23/24 FAFSA on file
• Demonstrate certain level of financial need as determined by their 23/24 FAFSA

Students who are eligible for the University Grant will be awarded through May 31, 2024. Students who were offered Summer University Grant but later drop below 6 units and have not received the Summer University Grant disbursement will have until the end of day July 9th to re-enroll in 6+ units or their Summer University Grant will be canceled.

Summer University Grant funding is offered based on the availability of funds and financial need. Financial need for summer University Grant eligibility is determined on a yearly basis, so eligibility in previous years does not guarantee future eligibility.

Students participating in UROC and Med Start Programs, graduate students, second bachelor’s degree students, non-degree seeking students, students enrolled in the Arizona Online campus and students not enrolled in at least six University of Arizona summer units are not eligible to receive summer University Grant funding.

For more information about summer Federal Work-Study, please read our frequently asked questions below.

Private educational loans are credit-based loans that require a credit check and generally, a co-signer. They are not part of are not a part of the Federal Direct Loan Program. 

The loan period for summer 2024 private loans is May 13, 2024, to August 7, 2024.

For more information about private educational loans, visit our Private Educational Loan webpage.

If you would like to start or continue working during the summer session, you will need to complete a Summer Federal Work-Study Application.

Undergraduate students who enroll in less than six units, and graduate students who enroll in less than five units, may still be eligible for FWS.

Follow the steps below to successfully utilize your FWS award:

1. Find a job: 

On Campus

• Student Engagement & Career Development
• Other Federal Work-Study Job Opportunities

Off Campus

• Off-campus employment is limited to federal, state and non-profit companies that we have established contracts with. Additional information about off campus employment can be found at Off-Campus Employment
• List of Non-profit Organizations

1. Activate Your FWS Award: When you are hired, give your FWS Authorization form to your employer. They must complete the Employer Information section and send the original form back to OSFA before you start working.
2. Start work: May 13, 2024 is the first day you can start utilizing your summer FWS offer.
3. Track your earnings: Keep track of your earnings using the FWS Balance Sheet.
4. Meet and maintain eligibility requirements: Eligibility For Financial Aid.

If you would like to continue working during the fall and spring semesters, make sure you complete the FAFSA for the following academic year and that you have been offered FWS on your academic year financial aid offer. If you have not been awarded FWS but would like to be considered, send a request to romerom@email.arizona.edu. Allow two weeks for review.

WordCats and MathCats Tutors

If you are interested in tutoring a child in reading or math, read about the WordCats and MathCats program. 

Contact the FWS Program at romerom@arizona.edu if you need further assistance.

Temporary loans are available to students who are waiting for their financial aid to release to their Bursar student account for a variety of reasons. Temporary loans are usually issued for limited amounts and are meant to be used to cover emergency expenses until financial aid can be released. Temporary loans are available on a case-by-case basis to students with special circumstances. There is a $25 fee assessed for each temporary loan issued. For more information, please contact our AskAid Team.

You may charge up to $250 worth of summer textbooks to your Bursar student account at the University of Arizona Bookstore using your CatCard. Check with the Arizona Bookstore for dates to apply summer purchases to your Bursar student account.

Your summer financial aid offer cannot be appealed, however, if your current financial situation has changed since you filed your 2023-2024 FAFSA, if you have additional expenses not reflected in your cost of attendance or have other extenuating circumstances, we encourage you to review our appeal information. 

Your summer aid is intended for the costs incurred during the summer, however, if you do have a remaining balance from the preceding spring semester, your financial aid will be credited to the balance on your Bursar student account (as long as you’ve completed the Financial Aid Authorization). Because of this, it is possible that your summer aid could be depleted with spring charges.

To avoid possible late fees and past due balance charges, we strongly recommend paying your balance by the stated due dates. Visit the Bursar's Office website for more information about your Bursar student account. 

The summer term is considered a part of the prior academic year and per the Department of Education, financial aid from a prior academic year cannot be used to pay charges for a future academic year.