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Summer Aid

Summer Financial Aid Information

  • Summer Financial Aid offers will be available in Workday shortly after registering for your Summer courses
  • Must file the 2024-2025 FAFSA at StudentAid.gov by June 30, 2025 to be considered for summer financial aid
  • You will be notified via email when your Summer Aid Offer is viewable in Workday
  • If you are a new transfer student to ISU, your summer financial aid eligibility may be limited based on aid received at your prior school

Minimum Enrollment Requirements

Students must be enrolled in coursework that is considered at least half-time status to be eligible for financial aid. Full-time certification for internships or through Student Disability Resources does not guarantee financial aid eligibility. C-base graduate assistants who are on assistantships for the summer must be enrolled in one credit to receive federal student aid.

EnrollmentUndergraduateGraduate
Full Time9+ credits7+ credits
Three-Quarter Time7-8 credits5.5-6.5 credits
Half Time4.5-6.5 credits3.5-5 credits
Less than Half Time0.5-4 credits0.5-3 credits

Please Note: If a student reduces their Summer credits after initial enrollment, their Summer aid may need to be reduced.

Sources of Summer Aid

Pell Grant

Students who are eligible to receive a Federal Pell Grant during the Fall and Spring semesters of their 2024-2025 FAFSA may be eligible to receive Federal Pell Grant funds during the summer 2025 term. The amount awarded will be prorated based on enrollment intensity. The amount awarded will count towards the student’s maximum lifetime limit.

Loan Programs

Loan funds are available through the Federal Direct Loan, PLUS Loan, or Private Loan Programs. Maximum loan amounts for the Federal Direct Loan Program, based in part on the cost of attendance, are listed below:

  • Freshmen: $2,750 (Dependent) or $4,750 (Independent)
  • Sophomores: $3,250 (Dependent) or $5,250 (Independent)
  • Juniors/Seniors: $3,750 (Dependent) or $6,250 (Independent)
  • Graduate Students: $10,250

Additional Details

The Financial Aid Office calculates students’ eligibility and offers them aid packages through the Federal Pell Grant program, Federal Direct Subsidized Loan (interest paid by the government), and Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan (borrower pays the interest). Parents of students may also borrow for their student using the Federal Direct PLUS Loan program.

Graduate and Veterinary Medicine students may also borrow using the Federal Direct Graduate PLUS Loan program. Additionally, students or their parents may borrow through private loan programs if they have eligibility according to their cost of attendance.

Each Iowa State student will be sent an email after their summer aid has been processed. Students can then view their awards in Workday.

Students and their parents should consider all of their costs to determine how much money will be needed for Summer attendance. The Registrar’s Office lists Summer Tuition and Fees on its website.