Student Financial Aid

Summer Financial Aid

Financial Aid Information for Summer Session 2013

The Summer Session starts with May Term and includes all sessions through August.  The amount and type of financial aid available to you will depend on what financial aid you have already received during the previous fall and spring semesters, as well as what your enrollment plans are for the summer. Contact our office if you plan to attend summer courses and need information about financial aid.

**IMPORTANT NOTICE**
ANY changes to your summer enrollment could result in changes to your financial aid eligibility and you could be required to return financial aid funds to the Bursar’s Office. Federal regulations require us to review ALL changes in enrollment. Even if you have already completed a course or courses in the summer, the financial aid office may still be required to adjust and/or retract financial aid funds from your student account.  We strongly recommend that you speak with a financial aid advisor if your summer enrollment plans change after your summer aid has been awarded.

Summer Financial Aid Programs

Federal Pell Grants (undergraduates only)

If you were eligible for a Federal Pell Grant and you were not enrolled full-time during the previous fall and/or spring semesters, you may be eligible for a Pell Grant for summer.  Some students may be eligible even if enrolled less than half-time.

Federal Direct Stafford Loans

The most common source of financial aid for students who require assistance while attending Summer Session is the Stafford Loan.  To be eligible you must be enrolled at least half-time.  We can only recognize the actual number of weeks you are enrolled.

UMaine Summer Work Program

Because Federal Work-Study funds will not be available for the summer of 2013, a new program called the UMaine Summer Work Program has been created.  The University reviewed the needs of the campus community and created this limited program for students who want to work at UMaine over the summer.

Applying for UMaine Summer Work Program:

• You must first apply for a job with an employer on campus.  To find a summer job, talk to employers directly and visit the Office of Student Employment’s website at umaine.edu/studemp to search for summer jobs on CareerLink.
• Before an employer can officially hire you for summer, you will be given an application for the UMaine Summer Work Program and the Office of Student Employment will determine if you qualify for the new program.  Criteria include financial need and at least part-time enrollment for either summer 2013 or fall 2013.

Please contact the Office of Student Employment at 581-1349 for more information.

Other Financial Aid

If you received a scholarship, waiver or benefit during the fall and spring semesters, check with the source of that assistance to see if could receive it for Summer Session.  If so, you must notify the financial aid office.  You may also explore alternatives such as Federal Direct PLUS Loan, Federal Additional Unsubsidized Stafford Loans (for independent or dependent students whose parents were denied a PLUS Loan) or private education loans.  Contact the Office of Student Financial Aid for further details.

Satisfactory Academic Progress and Summer Financial Aid

The Office of Student Financial Aid measures Satisfactory Academic Progress once each academic year, normally after the spring semester. If you are not meeting the measures set forth in the Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy, you will lose your financial aid eligibility. If you are enrolled in summer classes and receiving financial aid, your summer financial aid will be cancelled if you are not meeting the standards. For more information on the University of Maine’s Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy and on the appeal process visit umaine.edu/stuaid/sap.

The following checklist is available to help you prepare for Summer and determine your financial aid eligibility:

 Apply For Federal Financial Aid
Be sure to file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).  Eligibility for the Summer Session 2013 is based on information provided on the 2012-2013 FAFSA.  Your FAFSA must be received by the federal processing center no later than June 30, 2013 to be eligible for financial aid for the Summer 2013 semester.

Also, don’t forget to file the 2013-2014 FAFSA by our March 1, 2013 Priority Filing Deadline.  If you have not already done so, click here for more information about filing the 2013-2014 FAFSA.

 Plan Ahead
A financial aid advisor can help you put together a plan at any time during the year.  In fact, you may need to adjust your financial aid plans for the fall and spring semesters to ensure that you have some remaining eligibility for the summer.

 Decide How Many Classes You Will Take
Most financial aid programs have certain requirements regarding the minimum number of credit hours you must take in order to be eligible. The definition of “full-time” or “half-time” during the Summer Session is typically the same as during any semester.* Your enrollment level is determined by your total number of credit hours for the entire summer, including May Term.  Use the table below to help you determine your enrollment status based on how many credits you will be enrolling in:

* Summer graduate enrollment level is calculated differently than in the academic year.

 Register for Classes
Delays in registering for all of your classes will cause delays in the processing of your financial aid. For some sources of funding (e.g., Direct Stafford Loans) processing will not occur until you are registered at least half-time.

 Meet With a Financial Aid Advisor
The best time to meet with an advisor for a specific estimate of your summer financial aid eligibility is in March, after you have registered for Summer Session. If you cannot register early, at least determine which classes you plan to take before meeting with a financial aid advisor for an estimate of your financial aid eligibility.

You must meet with a financial aid advisor to determine eligibility for Federal Direct Stafford Loans. Loan funds will not be available until the first day of your first summer course. The processing of your loan application will be delayed further for any or all of the following reasons:

•  if your enrollment is less than half-time
•  if you are enrolled for fewer credit hours than you indicated when we estimated your loan eligibility
•  if it appears that you will be advancing a grade level, in which case we must wait until all of your grades are posted
•  if your eligibility for any additional aid is still pending

 Let The Bursar’s Office Know What Financial Aid You Expect to Receive
Payment of your bill for each class is due on the first day of each class. When you receive your bill in the mail, you will need to complete Anticipated Resources on your MaineStreet account indicating any aid not listed on your bill (e.g. loans, scholarships or other outside assistance). You are expected to pay the difference between your bill and your anticipated aid by the due date to avoid late fees.

 Notify the Financial Aid Office of ANY Changes
ANY changes to your Summer Session enrollment could affect your financial aid eligibility. Contact our office if you are planning on changing your enrollment in ANY way.