Summer Student

Summer Packaging

All students who have submitted a valid 2023-2024 FAFSA and have enrolled for summer classes will AUTOMATICALLY be considered for a summer 2024 financial aid award package with the exception of students requesting Summer Work Study, who will be required to complete a summer financial aid application, which will be available in your MyUCCS student portal starting the end of April.

Please read the details below for additional information about each summer financial aid program as each aid program may have different eligibility requirements.

Steps to be considered for summer financial aid:

1. Enroll for summer.   Summer Registration begins in early April – you can view your appointment time in your MyUCCS student portal.
2. You must be an admitted, degree-seeking and an enrolled UCCS student. You will need to file the appropriate forms, as defined below for each program, to be considered for summer financial aid.
3. You must meet Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) requirements.
4. Your financial aid application file must be complete with all requested documentation, as indicated on your To Do List in your MyUCCS student portal, including an official EFC from your FAFSA, no later than the last day of your summer enrollment.
5. File the FAFSA or Renewal FAFSA for the 2024-2025 year (if you have not done so already).

6. Financial Aid award notifications will be sent via email to your UCCS email account starting the last week of May. Awards are based on your enrollment as of the day of the email, should your enrollment increase, you will need to contact the aid office to be reviewed for additional financial aid programs.

UCCS participates in the following summer financial aid programs:

• Summer Federal Pell Grant
• Summer Federal Direct Loan(Subsidized and Unsubsidized)
• Summer Federal PLUS & Grad PLUS loan
• Summer Work Study

Summer Work Study:

Funding for this program is limited. Work Study will be awarded on a funds available basis with priority given to students who are currently working as a work study student.

You are required to complete the Summer Application to be awarded summer work study. The summer application is located in the Student Center of your myUCCS portal starting on the end of April and will close mid May.

Summer employment through the Work Study Program begins late May and continues through the end of the summer term.

To be considered for this program, it is necessary to complete the following steps:

1. File the FAFSA or Renewal FAFSA for 2024-2025, (if you have not already filed) so it is received by the federal processor no later than May 1st. Indicate on your FAFSA that you would like to be considered for Federal Work Study funds.
2. Complete the Summer Application under the finances section in your student portal.
3. Enroll at UCCS for the Fall 2024 term.

Summer Federal Pell Grant:

Federal Pell Grant is based upon your enrollment and attendance:

• Your Pell Grant award is based on the assumption that you attend and participate in educational activities for all of your enrolled classes. Pell Grant amounts are adjusted for non-attendance in courses.
• Your Pell Grant award will be recalculated and reduced if you drop below the financial aid eligible credits you had in place at 11:59 p.m. on July 12, 2024 where:
  • You drop a class or workshop before it starts
  • You drop without a “W”
  • You drop with a “W” and your attendance cannot be documented
  • You do not attend a class
  • Your professor is unable to document your attendance in a class
  • You receive an “F” and your professor reports that you never attended

Important Notice: The amount of the Federal Pell Grant funds a student may receive over his or her lifetime is limited by a federal law to be 600 percent (the equivalent of 6 full-time years). If a student's Federal Pell Grant lifetime eligibility used (LEU) equals or exceeds 600 percent, the student is no longer eligible to receive Federal Pell Grant funding. Students can log on to https://studentaid.gov/ to view their Pell Grant LEU.

Examples: 

Summer Federal Direct Loan(Subsidized and Unsubsidized):

If you are eligible for a Summer Federal Direct Loan:

1. You will receive a summer financial aid award notification. Sign into myUCCS portal to accept, reduce or decline your loan(s).
2. Enroll in at least 6 credit hours for an undergraduate student or 3 credit hours for a graduate student.

If you are a first time borrower, you will need to complete Direct Loan entrance counseling and a Master Promissory Note (MPN) at https://studentaid.gov before your loan can be disbursed to UCCS.

Due to the federally mandated maximum annual loan limits, students borrowing through the Federal Direct Loan Program during the summer term are limited to their remaining annual loan eligibility. Students may have remaining loan eligibility when they do not borrow their full loan amount offered or have changed grade levels and have a new loan limit.

Example:

Student X is eligible for a combined annual total of $5,500 from the Federal Direct Loan Program. The scheduled disbursement for this loan would be $2,750 in the fall and $2,750 in the spring. Student X borrowed $4,000 through the Federal Direct Loan Program for fall and spring.

Student X enrolls for 6 credits in the summer and would be offered $1,500 through a Federal Direct Loan.

Summer Federal PLUS and Grad PLUS loan:

Parents of dependent undergraduate students who are enrolled at least half-time (6 credits) may apply for a PLUS loan. The loan award amount is determined by the summer cost of attendance minus any other aid the student is receiving.

Graduate students who have utilized their annual Federal Direct Unsubsidized loan limit may apply for the Federal Grad PLUS if enrolled at least half-time (3 credits).

To apply for a Federal Direct PLUS Loan, please go to PLUS Loan Application | Federal Student Aid to complete a PLUS application and Master Promissory Note. Once the PLUS has been approved by the US Department of Education, your loan award will be updated to an accepted status in your myUCCS portal within 2-3 business days of the financial aid office receiving the approved amount from them.