Summer Financial Aid
for Undergraduate Students
Frequently Asked Questions
Important Dates and Deadlines
See a list of important dates and deadlines for Summer 2012.
1. Who is eligible for summer financial aid?
2. Who is not eligible for summer financial aid?
3. How many units do I need to take in order to qualify for financial aid?
4. How is my summer financial aid eligibility determined?
5. How do I become eligible and apply for summer financial aid?
6. Can I receive financial aid if I want to take online courses?
7. Can I receive aid for waitlisted classes?
Types of Aid
8. What types of aid are available in the summer?
9. How much will I receive in a UC Summer Fee Grant award?
10. How can I estimate my summer loan eligibility?
11. If I only qualify for a Parent PLUS Loan, which my family is unable to accept, what
are my options?
12. What if the Parent PLUS Loan is denied?
13. Can I use my work-study award during the summer?
14. What does summer financial aid cover?
15. When can I view and accept my summer financial aid offer?
16. What is the deadline to accept my summer financial aid offer?
Special Summer Programs
17. I have been accepted to the Summer Bridge Program. How do I apply for financial aid?
18. Can I attend two different colleges or universities this summer and still receive financial aid?
19. What is the summer financial aid process if I plan to travel with the EAP Program?
20. What is the summer financial aid process if I plan to participate in the Summer Abroad Program?
21. How do I apply for summer financial aid if I wish to study at a different UC campus?
22. How do I apply for summer financial aid if I plan to attend another college (not associated with the UC system)?
23. What is the financial aid process if I plan to participate in the Global Internship Program?
Campus Accounts Receivable System (CARS) Questions
24. When will my financial aid get applied to my Campus Accounts Receivable System (CARS) account?
25. CARS is billing me for my Summer Session, and I am worried about late fees. What should I do?
Cancelling, Withdrawing, or Dropping Courses
26. I am thinking about dropping a summer class. Will this affect my summer financial aid?
27. I am thinking about dropping all of my summer courses from one of my Summer Sessions. How will this affect my summer financial aid?
28. What would happen if I withdraw from all of my courses for summer?
29. If I cancel, fail, or do not pass all of my summer classes, what will happen to my summer financial aid?
30. How do I officially withdraw from all my summer classes?
31. I enrolled in summer classes, had my summer financial aid paid to my Campus Accounts Receivable System (CARS) account, and used my summer financial aid refund for living expenses. However, I did not attend any summer classes—what happens?
Other Questions
32. How do I pay for my personal living expenses such as housing, food, and school supplies while attending my Summer Session(s)?
33. Will a UC Summer Fee Grant ever pay for living or travel expenses?
34. Are Budget Appeals considered for summer financial aid?
35. Are SAP Appeals considered for summer financial aid?
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Important Dates and Deadlines for Summer 2012 |
1. Who is eligible for summer financial aid?
Continuing UC Berkeley students, returning UC Berkeley students, newly admitted freshmen and transfer students, and graduating seniors not on the spring 2012 degree list are eligible for summer financial aid.
2. Who is not eligible for summer financial aid?
You are not eligible for summer financial aid if you are on the degree list for spring semester 2012, a foreign student, a non-UC Berkeley
student, have a registration block, have been dismissed, are a UC Berkeley graduate, or are not making satisfactory academic progress.
3. How many units do I need to take in order to qualify for financial aid?
The minimum amount of units you need to take to receive financial aid is 6 semester units. You can certainly take more than 6 units, but there is no exception to the 6 unit minimum.
Continuing students may earn these 6 units in any single UC Berkeley Summer Session or combination of sessions, in an Internship, a Summer Abroad program, an Education Abroad Program (EAP), or even through a program on a different UC campus, or at a different college or university not associated with the UC system.
Newly admitted and returning students must earn the 6 units in any one or combination of Summer Sessions.
4. How is my summer financial aid eligibility determined?
The Financial Aid and Scholarships Office determines all summer students’ summer financial aid eligibility by using the prior year’s Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) data. This includes any gift aid and/or loan eligibility you may be offered this summer. Check your Messages on MyFinAid in late February to see if you are eligible for gift aid, and for loan eligibility, please see How can I estimate my summer loan eligibility?
5. How do I become eligible and apply for summer financial aid?
Continuing students (students who attended or withdrew from either the fall 2011 and/or spring 2012 semesters):
- If you haven't already done so, you must complete the 2011-12 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) no later than April 15, 2012.
- Your financial aid file must be complete (no missing documents).
- You must enroll in a minimum of 6 semester units (9 quarter units if attending a different UC campus) during the summer session.
- Continuing students are not required to submit a formal application for summer financial aid consideration. Check your Messages on MyFinAid in late February to see if you are eligible for a UC Summer Fee Grant.
- Complete both the 2011-12 and 2012-13 FAFSAs no later than June 1, 2012, ensuring that UC Berkeley’s federal school code (001312) is listed on both.
- Indicate that you are interested in summer financial aid by checking the "Yes" box on the Summer Financial Aid Request screen on MyFinAid no later than June 1, 2012.
- If you are a newly admitted freshman, newly admitted transfer student, or returning UC Berkeley student, you may only receive financial aid for UC Berkeley Summer Sessions, including online classes. Newly admitted and returning students are not eligible to receive financial aid for EAP, Summer Abroad, Intercampus, Consortium, or Global Internship Programs.
6. Can I receive financial aid if I want to take online courses?
Yes, online courses are fully eligible for financial aid just like any on-campus Summer Sessions course. Your living expenses and aid eligibility are determined exactly the same as if you were to attend an on-campus course. If it is easier for you to take online courses in addition to, or even instead of, regular on-campus Summer Session courses, you can do so knowing you will qualify for the aid you would receive if you attended the campus-based programs.
7. Can I receive aid for waitlisted classes?
No. Summer financial aid is based on enrolled units, and students are not officially enrolled in waitlisted classes. You will only receive the appropriate amount of aid for the courses in which you are officially enrolled. However, once you are officially enrolled in a waitlisted class, your financial aid will be adjusted to reflect your new enrollment.
8. What types of aid are available in the summer?
Summer financial aid may include
a UC Summer Fee Grant (based on financial need), a Direct Loan (the amount given is based on need and remaining eligibility), a Parent PLUS Loan, and work-study. Independent students and students with unmet financial need may be certified for a private loan instead of a Parent PLUS Loan. Check MyFinAid in late February to see if you are eligible for a UC Summer Fee Grant.
9. How much will I receive in a UC Summer Fee Grant award?
A UC Summer Fee Grant is a need-based grant that may be applied to the per-unit cost, as well as the campus fee, of your summer courses. This is true whether you attend UC Berkeley, an EAP Program, or a summer program at any other UC campus. However, UC Summer Fee Grants are not available for Consortium programs.
The UC Summer Fee Grant is only available to students who receive a message in the “Messages” section of MyFinAid informing them of their eligibility for the fee grant. If you qualify, you can determine the maximum amount of the UC Summer Fee Grant you may receive by comparing your official 2011-2012 Expected Family Contribution (EFC) number to the chart below.
To obtain your official EFC number, log in to the FAFSA website, select the 2011-2012 tab, and then the View Processed Information button. After you enter your federal personal identification number (PIN), you will see your Electronic Student Aid Report (SAR). Your official EFC number will be in the box at the top of the page. Compare that number to the chart below to see the maximum amount of your UC Summer Fee Grant.
| Expected Family Contribution (EFC) | Maximum UC Summer Fee Grant* | ||
| $0 - $5,273 | $3,790 | ||
| $5,274 - $9,999 | $2,572 | ||
| $10,000 and above | $2,000 | ||
*The actual amount of the UC Summer Fee Grant you receive will depend on your summer enrollment and will be limited to the maximum amount shown above.
If you do not receive a message of eligibility in the “Messages” section of MyFinAid, then you are not eligible for a UC Summer Fee Grant.
10. How can I estimate my summer loan eligibility?
Students who were not offered the maximum annual limit of their Federal Direct Subsidized/Unsubsidized Loans during the academic year will see an estimated amount of loan eligibility on their summer financial aid offers until the spring term ends on May 11, regardless if the academic year loans were accepted or not. Beginning May 14, students with remaining loan eligibility will see an accurate amount of loan eligibility on their offers. This is because we must ensure complete access to your student loans during the academic year.
To get an idea of your loan eligibility prior to the end of the spring term, you can compare the amount of loans you accepted (not the amount offered) during the academic year (see the Award Payment Status screen in MyFinAid) against the total amount available to you as shown on the following tables. Simply subtract the total amount of loans you accepted during the academic year from the total amount available for your grade level to calculate your remaining summer loan eligibility.
| Dependent Students: | Independent Students: | ||
| Freshman (1st Year) | $5,500 Total | Freshman (1st Year) | $9,500 Total |
| Sophomore (2nd Year) | $6,500 Total | Sophomore (2nd Year) | $10,500 Total |
| Junior/Senior: (3, 4, 5 Year) | $7,500 Total | Junior/Senior: (3, 4, 5 Year) | $12,500 Total |
Example: Joe Cal is a Dependent sophomore who accepted $3,450 of his loan eligibility during the academic year. This leaves him $3,050 remaining loan eligibility for the summer term.
Example: Josephine Cal is an Independent freshman who accepted $9,500 of her loan eligibility during the academic year. This leaves her with no remaining loan eligibility for the summer term.
11. If I only qualify for a Parent PLUS Loan, which my family is unable to accept, what
are my options?
You may qualify for a private loan, pending credit approval from an outside lender.
12. What if the Parent PLUS Loan is denied?
Approval of a Parent PLUS Loan requires good credit, with certain exceptions made for late mortgage and medical bill payments. Parents who are denied a Parent PLUS because of credit will know they have been denied immediately upon completing the online application. They will be asked what they intend to do next:
- Appeal the decision.
- Get an endorser.
- Not pursue an endorser.
- Undecided.
If your parent says “Undecided,” then you will get the replacement loan only if your parent informs us directly that he or she has decided not to pursue an endorser. Your parent can do this by sending an email to plusloan@berkeley.edu. The email must be sent by your parent from the same email account that is on his or her PLUS application.
If your parent is pursuing an endorser, the endorser must go to studentloans.gov website and complete the “Endorse a Loan” online form.
13. Can I use my work-study award during the summer?
Work-study awards from your 2011-12 award package cannot be earned after the spring 2012 term ends. However, if you have work-study as a part of your 2012-13 award package, you may begin earning these funds as early as June 1, 2012, providing that your 2012-13 financial aid file is complete and your financial aid offer is not conditional (e.g., no missing documents).
Although your 2012-13 work-study funds can be earned during the summer, they are specifically designed to meet your expenses during the 2012-13 award year. Earning your 2012-13 work-study award during the summer deducts from your 2012-13 award package. It is important to have these earnings available to apply to your expenses once the 2012-13 academic year begins.
There is no option to convert summer loans to work-study. Work-study is not available for Summer Abroad Programs, Education Abroad Programs (EAP), Intercampus, or Consortium programs.
14. What does summer financial aid cover?
The same expenses considered during the academic year are considered in summer; housing, food, books, personal expenses, campus, course and/or program fees (if applicable), and transportation. The total amount of these costs will be calculated based on your summer enrollment: total number of units and total number of days/weeks enrolled. The budget amounts for housing, books, and personal expenses are fixed, and no Budget Appeals will be considered.
15. When can I view and accept my summer financial aid offer?
Check your Messages on MyFinAid in late February for more details.
16. What is the deadline to accept my summer financial aid offer?
If you are a Session “A” ONLY student, the deadline to accept your summer financial aid offer is June 15, 2012.
If you are in any other session or combination of sessions, the deadline to accept your summer financial aid offer is July 27, 2012.
Special Summer Programs17. I have been accepted to the Summer Bridge Program. How do I apply for financial aid?
As a Summer Bridge participant, your financial aid application process is identical to that of a newly admitted freshman. Simply follow the steps below, and your financial aid package will be ready for you once you have been enrolled in the appropriate classes.
- Complete both the 2011-12 and 2012-13 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) no later than May 4, 2012, ensuring that UC Berkeley’s federal school code (001312) is listed on both.
- Follow all instructions given to you by the Summer Bridge staff. If anything is missing from your financial aid file, or if part of your application is incomplete, the Summer Bridge staff will let you know what you need to do to complete your financial aid file so that you can receive financial aid for your summer program.
18. Can I attend two different colleges or universities this summer and still receive financial aid?
You can receive financial aid to attend two different UC campuses. This includes regular Summer Session courses, Summer Abroad Programs, online programs, or any combination of summer enrollment at any of the 10 UC campuses throughout California.
You cannot receive financial aid to attend both a UC campus and a college or university not associated with the UC system.
You cannot receive financial aid to attend two colleges or universities not associated with the UC system.
19. What is the summer financial aid process if I plan to travel with the UC Education Abroad Program (EAP)?
If you plan to travel with the EAP Program, visit the EAP website for financial aid information, and read our page about receiving summer financial aid for an EAP Program.
20. What is the summer financial aid process if I plan to participate in the Summer Abroad Program?
If you plan to participate in the Summer Abroad Program, read our page about receiving summer financial aid for a Summer Abroad Program.
21. How do I apply for summer financial aid if I plan to study at a different UC campus?
If you plan to study at another UC campus, please see our page about applying for Intercampus Summer Financial Aid. You may be eligible to receive the same aid as you would if you attended Summer Sessions at UC Berkeley, but you must see a financial aid counselor for additional
advising and to receive an application for this program.
22. How do I apply for summer financial aid if I plan to attend another college (not associated with the UC system)?
If you plan to attend another college or university not associated with the UC system, please see our page about applying for Consortium Summer Financial Aid.
23. What is the financial aid process if I plan to participate in the Global Internship Program?
If you plan to participate in the Global Internship Program, read our page about receiving financial aid for a Global Internship Program.
24. When will my financial aid get applied to my Campus Accounts Receivable System (CARS) account?
Federal regulations require that federal funding, such as Direct Loans and PLUS Loans, cannot be applied to your CARS account sooner than 10 days before the first day of your first Summer Session.
If you have a PLUS Loan in your summer financial aid package, you will see the PLUS Loan applied to your CARS account when your parent completes the PLUS Loan application process at studentsloans.gov. You should remain in communication with your parent in order to ensure that your parent has completed the PLUS Loan application process and the Master Promissory Note (MPN). We cannot apply a PLUS Loan to your CARS account until these two important steps have been completed.
If you have a UC Summer Fee Grant in your summer financial aid package, you will see this grant applied to your CARS account no sooner than 10 days before the first day of your first Summer Session.
25. CARS is billing me for my Summer Session, and I am worried about late fees. What should I do?
If you enroll in Summer Sessions between February 1 and April 15, 2012, your Summer Sessions fees will be due on May 15, 2012. If you enroll in Summer Sessions after April 15, your Summer Sessions fees will be due in the next billing cycle (the 15th of the following month). If you see a late fee added to your Summer Sessions CARS bill, contact Billing and Payment Services at (510) 642-3190.
Your summer financial aid is designed to pay your Summer Sessions CARS bill. If your summer financial aid offer consists of UC Summer Fee Grants, Direct Loans, or PLUS Loans, you are not required to make any advance payment toward your Summer Sessions fees, unless required to do so in the case of a program deposit for a travel-study program.
If you do not accept enough financial aid to cover the full amount of your summer charges, we advise you to pay the balance of your summer charges when they are due to avoid late fees.
If you will not be applying for or receiving financial aid for the summer term, we advise you to pay your summer charges when they are due to avoid late fees.
If your summer financial aid offer consists solely of a private loan, and no other financial aid, we advise you to pay the balance of your summer charges when they are due to avoid late fees. Please note that a private loan is not considered financial aid in this case, and students not receiving financial aid are held responsible for any late fees associated with Summer Sessions charges.
Cancelling, Withdrawing, or Dropping Courses26. I am thinking about dropping a summer class. Will this affect my summer financial aid?
Dropping a single course from one of your Summer Sessions will not cause a problem with your financial aid as long as you retain other courses in that same session and you remain enrolled in a minimum of 6 units during the entire summer term. The Financial Aid and Scholarships Office realizes that you have many different options for summer coursework, and that you may even find some summer coursework too demanding, and will not penalize you for dropping a single course.
However, dropping all courses from one Summer Session, even if you retain enrollments in other Summer Sessions, does have implications for your financial aid and will most likely result in a bill for the financial aid for which you are no longer eligible. Please read below for more information.
27. I am thinking about dropping all of my summer courses from one of my Summer Sessions. How will this affect my summer financial aid?
This depends on whether you drop all of your courses before the first day of your first session, or if you drop all of your courses after the first day of your first session. You must still remain enrolled in a minimum of 6 units during the entire summer term to retain your financial aid, and as long as you do that, the following applies:
Before the first day of your first Summer Session:
- If you drop all of your classes from your first Summer Session before that session begins, but also retain enrollments in future Summer Sessions that term, then the financial aid office must consider that you have cancelled that Summer Session. We must recalculate your eligibility, make the corresponding changes to your financial aid, and re-award you based on your new enrollment period. If your financial aid has already disbursed, you may receive a bill for any amount for which you are no longer eligible.
- When you change your enrollment in this manner, you are delaying your start date, and decreasing the length of time in which you will be enrolled during the summer term. You would no longer be eligible for the amount of financial aid you were awarded based on your previous enrollment period.
For example:
- You have two classes in Session A and two classes in Session C. This is a total enrollment period of 12 weeks, and you would have been awarded financial aid to help you meet your personal expenses for this 12-week period.
- You then drop both of your Session A courses before session A begins, but you retain your Session C courses. This reduces your total enrollment period from 12 weeks to 8 weeks—a 4-week reduction in enrollment time. Because you decreased your enrollment period, we must decrease your financial aid to match your shorter enrollment period.
- If your financial aid has already been applied to your Campus Accounts Receivable System (CARS) account (aid can pay 10 days before the first day of your first Summer Session), then you will be billed for the financial aid for which you are no longer eligible.
After the first day of your first Summer Session:
- If you drop all of your classes from your first session after that session begins, but you remain enrolled in other Summer Sessions that have not yet begun, the Financial Aid and Scholarships Office must assume that you intend to withdraw from all of your Summer Sessions.
- New federal requirements state that the Financial Aid and Scholarships Office must then recalculate your financial aid in anticipation of your withdrawal from the summer term. You will be contacted via email by the Financial Aid and Scholarships Office requesting confirmation of your intention to either attend your future Summer Sessions or withdraw completely from the summer term.
- If you plan on attending the Summer Sessions in which you are enrolled but have not yet begun, you must reply to the email within seven (7) calendar days and confirm that you are not going to withdraw. As long as we receive this confirmation within seven (7) calendar days, you will retain your eligibility for financial aid for the future Summer Sessions.
For example:
- You have two classes in Session A and two classes in Session C. This is a total enrollment period of 12 weeks, and you would have been awarded financial aid to help you meet your personal expenses for this 12-week period.
- You drop both of your Session A courses after Session A begins, but you retain your Session C courses, which have not yet begun. Because you are no longer attending the current Summer Session, the Financial Aid and Scholarships Office must assume that you intend to withdraw completely from the summer term.
- You then receive an email requesting confirmation that you will either withdraw completely, or that you will attend the Summer Sessions in which you are still enrolled, but have not yet begun. You must reply to the email within seven (7) calendar days.
- If you do not reply within seven (7) calendar days, the Financial Aid and Scholarships Office will assume that you are, in fact, going to withdraw. We will then make the necessary changes to your financial aid and bill you for the financial aid for which you are no longer eligible.
- If you miss the seven-calendar-day deadline, you will have to come into the Financial Aid and Scholarships Office to appeal the changes to your financial aid.
28. What would happen if I withdraw from (drop) all of my courses for summer?
"Cancel" means dropping all of your summer courses (from all sessions or special programs) before the first day of your first class.
"Withdraw" means dropping all of your summer courses (from all sessions or special programs) on or after the first day of your first class.
If you withdraw from all of your summer courses, you would be responsible for the $100 cancellation fee, as well as the $136 campus fee. Your financial aid will be billed to you, and the total amount billed depends on many variables, so you should visit the Financial Aid and Scholarships Office and speak with a financial aid counselor before making your withdrawal.
29. If I cancel, fail, or do not pass all of my summer classes, what will happen to my summer financial aid?
If you cancel, fail, or do not pass all of your summer classes, you may be billed for a portion or all of your Summer Financial Aid.
30. How do I officially withdraw from all my summer classes?
Please refer to the withdrawal section on the Summer
Sessions website, which includes deadlines and information on the withdrawal process.
31. I enrolled in summer classes, had my summer financial aid paid to my Campus Accounts Receivable System (CARS) account, and used my summer financial aid refund
for living expenses. However, I did not attend any summer classes—what happens?
You will be billed for all of the summer financial aid that paid to your CARS account.
32. How do I pay for my personal living expenses such as housing, food, and school supplies while attending my Summer Session(s)?
Summer living expenses are budgeted for every student at a rate of $367 per week of enrollment (you cannot appeal this rate). We budget the amount of your supplies at a rate of $50 per unit of enrollment. To determine your total living expense and supplies budget, follow these three easy steps:
- Multiply the weekly rate by the total length of your summer enrollment as shown on the tables below (the possible Summer Session combinations are also listed).
- Multiply the per-unit supplies rate by the total number of units in which you will enroll.
- Add these two sums together to arrive at your total living expense budget.
Length of enrollment by session
| Session A: | May 21 - June 29 | 5.71 weeks |
| Session B: | June 4 - August 10 | 9.71 weeks |
| Session C: | June 18 - August 10 | 7.71 weeks |
| Session D: | July 2 - August 10 | 5.71 weeks |
| Session E: | July 23 - August 10 | 2.71 weeks |
Length of enrollment with a combination of sessions
If your particular combination of sessions is not listed below, simply refer to the table above for the session you will begin first. The amount of weeks for that session will be your total length of enrollment.
| Session A+B or A+C or A+D: | 11.71 weeks |
| Session A+E: | 8.42 weeks |
33. Will a UC Summer Fee Grant ever pay for living or travel expenses?
No, a UC Summer Fee Grant will solely apply to summer course unit and campus fees, regardless of which UC campus you attend.
34. Are Budget Appeals considered for summer financial aid? No. Budget Appeals are not considered for summer financial aid.
35. Are SAP Appeals considered for summer financial aid?
No. SAP Appeals are not considered for summer financial aid. You must be making academic progress, as determined at the end of the spring term, in order to receive summer financial aid. If you are not making academic progress, you will not be eligible for summer financial aid.