Summer Financial Aid

Summer Financial Aid applies to students who have remaining financial aid eligibility. When a student is initially offered a financial aid package each year they are packaged for an entire academic school year. At Howard, the summer sessions are considered a ”trailer” to the fall and spring semesters. If you have borrowed your annual maximum amount under the William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan (Direct Loan) Program during the fall and spring terms, you are not eligible for a direct loan during the summer term.

Often students can choose to extend their current Parent PLUS Loan or Graduate PLUS Loan to cover summer school expenses. If a student only attends Howard for one of two semesters, they may have remaining eligibility, they would have the possibility to use the funds from the semester they were not enrolled at Howard, provided they did not attend another institution within the academic school year.

In order to be eligible to receive Summer Financial Aid students must first complete a Summer Financial Aid application and keep abreast of the deadlines for receipt. Decisions on the status of applications are on BisonWeb for students to review. Summer options for financial aid are limited. Please plan your finances carefully. To be eligible for aid, you must be admitted to a degree or eligible certificate program at Howard University. In addition to meeting eligibility requirements, you must:

• Complete the separate Summer Financial Aid Application.
• Register for at least half-time (six credit hours for undergraduate students and four credit hours for graduate students). Credit requirements for aid eligibility may vary for students enrolled in Pharmacy or Dentistry. Please refer to the Summer Financial Aid Application for credit loan requirements.
• If you do not have remaining eligibility and still wish to attend summer school, you will need to prepare to do so at your own expense and be prepared to pay your balance in full. There are no payment plans established for summer school courses.

Note: The Financial Aid year ends with the spring term. To receive summer aid, the Central Processor must receive your FAFSA no later than May 1.

Types of Available Summer Aid

• Federal Pell Grant is awarded to eligible undergraduate students. If you received the maximum allowable Pell Grant during the fall and spring terms, you are not eligible for a Pell Grant during the summer term.
• Student Employment is awarded to eligible graduate and undergraduate students. Funds are however limited. Students must complete a separate Student Employment Summer Financial Aid Application by the established deadline.
• Scholarships are not awarded by the Office of Financial Aid during the summer but may be awarded through your school/college or outside agencies.
• Tuition Remission and Veteran’s Benefits are available during the summer term and are considered as financial aid. However it is the responsibility of the student to ensure they have completed their remission paperwork by the proposed deadline and submitted it to the proper office with the necessary signatures.
• Student Loans are available during the summer term. The Direct Subsidized, Unsubsidized, Direct Parent PLUS, Graduate PLUS and Private Loans are available. The amount and type of Federal Direct Loans you are eligible to borrow each year is limited by federal regulations.