Summer Aid

Many Purdue students choose to participate in a study abroad program at some point throughout their academic careers. Summer study-abroad trips can be a great way to get ahead in classes while exploring new cultures. Find out how the DFA can assist in making summer study abroad affordable while receiving summer term financial aid below. For information on the different programs available, visit the Study Abroad website.

• Steps
• Requirements
• How to Apply

Steps

• Complete the Summer Aid Application. This will be available on your myPurdue account under the “Financial Aid” Tab beginning in February.  
• Summer financial aid notifications will begin in April. Applications received after this time will be processed within 1-2 weeks of the date of submission.
• Find and apply for the program of your choice on the Study Abroad website, and register for your courses.

Requirements

All students must have the following documents on file before summer aid can be processed: 

• A current FAFSA unless the student will utilize private loan(s) only. 
  • Complete any requests for additional information for your FAFSA file. The Division of Financial Aid will notify you of any requests, such as a student or parent tax return transcript. Do NOT submit information unless requested to do so by our office. 
  • Do NOT submit information unless requested to do so by our office.
• The Summer Aid Application, which is available beginning in January:
  • This application will require that you provide the approved course registration number (CRN), not the program number, for your summer Study Abroad/Study Away program. 
  • If you do not yet have your approved CRN available, you cannot complete this application until that time. Visit your My Study Abroad portal for more information on your approved program. 

How to Apply

Review our “How-To” guide with instructions on applying for study abroad, or study abroad AND on-campus coursework through Purdue West Lafayette.

All students interested in receiving summer financial aid need to complete the Summer Aid Application. The Summer Aid Application will be available on your myPurdue account under the Financial Tab beginning in January. 

Initial summer financial aid notifications will begin in April.  If an application is submitted after this time, it will take 1-2 weeks to receive a Financial Aid notification from that submission date.  All updates are available and viewable on myPurdue. 

Visit the Think Summer website for more information on Purdue West Lafayette course offerings, Summer Scholarships and other opportunities offered in summer.

• Requirements
• Summer Aid Eligibility

Requirements

All students must have the following documents on file before summer aid can be processed: 

• A FAFSA, unless only private loans will be utilized. 
  • Complete any requests for additional information for the FAFSA file. The Division of Financial Aid will notify students of any requests, such as a student or parent tax return transcript. DO NOT submit information unless requested to do so by our office. 
  • DO NOT submit information unless requested to do so by our office.
• The Summer Aid Application (available beginning in January).
  • If a student is only utilizing Private Student Loans for the summer term, the Summer Aid Application is still required to complete the processing of these funds.

Important Information

For financial aid purposes, the summer term is defined as a leading or “header” term to the Aid Year. A student’s financial aid eligibility for the Aid Year and summer can change based on enrollment fluctuations in either summer, fall or spring. It is important to confirm with the Division of Financial Aid about how any changes to summer or Academic Year enrollment will affect a student’s overall aid eligibility before a student commits to those changes.

Can I borrow Federal Direct Loans in Summer?

Yes, but students must request to do so directly through their myPurdue accounts.

What if I change my enrollment after receiving my Financial Aid Award notification?

Enrollment change could affect aid eligibility across summer, fall and spring. As aid is put together for all three terms at once, enrollment changes in any of the applicable terms could affect a student’s overall aid eligibility.

What if I am graduating in August (Summer graduation)?

Students graduating in August will still need to file both a current FAFSA and a Summer Aid Application found in myPurdue for any summer aid consideration. When a student completes the Summer Aid Application, they will be able to indicate they are graduating in August; our office will then calculate aid eligibility for the summer term only. If our office requests additional information after a student has filed the FAFSA, they will need to complete those requests before any financial aid eligibility information can be calculated.

Summer Aid Eligibility

The following information can assist in determining what types of aid a student may be eligible to receive in the summer.

1-5 credit hours: 

• Pell Grant Eligibility: Undergraduate students who meet eligibility requirements may receive the Federal Pell Grant in the summer. 
• Institutional Gift Aid: Some limited institutional gift aid is available to students for their summer enrollment. This availability is dependent on limited funding as well as a student’s demonstrated financial need through the FAFSA. Institutional summer gift aid is also subject to change. 
• Private Loans: Students enrolled less than half-time may be able to access a Private Loan to cover their expenses. Private Loans must be applied for directly by the student. 

6 or more credit hours:

• Pell Grant Eligibility: Undergraduate students who meet eligibility requirements may receive Federal Pell Grant in the summer. 
• Institutional Gift Aid: Some limited institutional gift aid is available to students during summer enrollment. This availability is dependent on limited funding as well as a student’s demonstrated financial need through the FAFSA. Institutional summer gift aid is also subject to change. 
• Federal Direct Loan Eligibility: Students can request to utilize their Federal Direct Loan eligibility for the summer term through their myPurdue accounts by completing the “Federal Direct Loan Adjustment Request.” 
• Federal PLUS Loan: PLUS Loans can be taken out to cover the Cost of Attendance minus other aid awarded/offered. However, these loans require a check for adverse credit, and therefore not all applicants are approved. 

Other Important Information:

• Students must meet Satisfactory Academic Progress requirements. 
• Financial aid is based on the number of credit hours and summer modules in which a student is enrolled AND has initiated course participation as of the Pell Recalculation date. Check out more information about initial course participation.

Students seeking a degree at Purdue West Lafayette (PWL) who plan to enroll at a Purdue Regional campus (i.e., Purdue Northwest-PNW, Purdue Fort Wayne-PFW) on a temporary basis for the summer term may be eligible to receive summer aid through Purdue West Lafayette. 

All fee-dedicated aid, such as Child of Disabled/Deceased Veteran (CDV) fee remissions and staff-dependent fee remissions, will be processed by the Regional Campus you will be attending. If a separate application and/or documentation is required, it must be submitted to the Regional Campus.

Requirements

Students attending a Regional Campus are ONLY eligible for federal aid consideration. This aid eligibility includes the following: 

• Federal Pell Grant
• Federal Direct Loan 
• Federal PLUS Loans – pending credit approval 

At least half-time enrollment is required to utilize Federal Direct and Federal PLUS Loans. This enrollment can include only Regional Campus courses or a combination of Regional Campus and PWL coursework. 

• For Undergraduates, half-time status requires at least 6 credit hours of enrollment. 
• For Graduate/Professional students, half-time status requires at least 4 credit hours of enrollment (for summer only). 

All students must have the following completed before their summer aid eligibility can be reviewed.  

• A FAFSA unless only private loans are utilized.  
• Complete any requests for additional information for your FAFSA file. The Division of Financial Aid will notify you of any requests, such as a student or parent tax return transcript. Do NOT submit information unless requested to do so by our office. 
• A Regional Campus Summer Aid Application completed and signed by both student and PWL Academic Advisor (see link under “Other Important Information” below).
• Ensure you have completed the correct Intercampus TEMPORARY Transfer Admissions application at the Regional Campus you plan to attend for the summer 2025 session. Failure to do so could result in erroneously transferring fully to the selected Regional Campus.

Other Important Information

• Students must meet Satisfactory Academic Progress requirements. 
• Financial aid is based on the number of credit hours and summer modules in which a student is enrolled AND has initiated course participation as of the Pell Recalculation date. Check out more information about initial course participation. 
• Once the Regional Campus Summer Aid Application is completed, it can take up to 4 weeks for summer aid eligibility to be put together. Financial aid will be disbursed to the student, and the student is responsible for paying the host institution (Regional Campus) with the financial aid refund they receive from PWL. 

**At any time, if a student changes enrollment while attending a Regional Campus for summer and is receiving aid for that attendance through Purdue West Lafayette campus, the student is responsible for notifying both Financial Aid offices of that enrollment change. 

Download and complete the Regional Campus Summer Aid Application. Return the completed and signed application to the Division of Financial Aid at Purdue West Lafayette. Processing will take approximately 4 weeks from the time our office receives the application.