Summer & Minimester

Winter Minimester Aid Options

The treatment of winter Minimester term units varies depending on which aid programs you receive.

Prohibited Minimester Aid Payments

For many aid programs, including all TU Scholarships, we can't adjust awards based on winter Minimester units.

Approved Minimester Aid Payments

We can only adjust aid payments for winter minimester units for these aid programs:

  • Federal Pell Grants
  • Federal SEOG Grants
  • The TU "Institutional Grant"
  • Federal Direct Subsidized and Unsubsidized Loans
  • Federal PLUS Loans
  • State Aid programs from the Maryland Higher Education Commission (MHEC).

Combined Mini + Spring term payment rules:

   Spring Units
+ Winter Minimester Units
= Total Units for Spring Aid Payments

If you already meet the minimum unit requirements for all your spring aid programs based solely on your spring units, then your Minimester units won't change your spring aid. If your additional Minimester units boost you to a higher enrollment level, such as from 3/4-time to full-time status, then we will base your spring aid payments on that combined level.

  • Undergraduate example — 3 (minimester) units + 9 (spring) units = 12 units = full-time status for spring aid payments.
  • If your total spring aid payments exceed your combined minimester and spring term charges, the Student & University Billing Office will issue you a spring term aid rebate.

Summer Aid Options

Summer aid is limited. To borrow any federal loans, you must enroll at least half-time. 

If you already borrowed your maximum annual 2023-2024 Direct Subsidized and Unsubsidized Loans during the Fall 2023 and Spring 2024 semesters, then you can't borrow those Loans for Summer 2024.  See loan limit charts.  PLUS loans don't have annual limits, but your total aid can't exceed your summer Cost of Attendance budget.

aid programs Summer aid options
Pell Grants Need-based grant for undergraduate students. You must meet the Pell Grant eligibility requirements.
Direct Subsidized Student Loans Need-based federal loan for undergraduate students. Only available if you have leftover annual limit eligibility after subtracting your Fall 2023 or Spring 2024 loans.
Direct Unsubsidized Student Loans Federal loan - Only available if you have leftover annual limit eligibility after subtracting your Fall 2023 or Spring 2024 loans..
Parent PLUS Loans Federal loan for parents of undergraduate students.
Graduate Student PLUS Loans Federal loan for graduate students.
Private loans Private loans always require a credit check and usually have higher borrowing costs (interest and fees).

Summer Aid Eligibility Requirements

  • To receive a summer Pell Grant, you must register for your classes by the summer Change of Schedule deadlines.
  • To apply for any of these aid programs, you must also meet these Federal Aid Eligibility Requirements. 
  • Your total summer aid can't exceed your summer Cost of Education budget.
  • Repeating Completed Courses — if you repeat a course that you already completed with an A, B, C, D, or Pass grade, then you can only receive federal aid to repeat this course for a second attempt. 

Pell Grant requirements

You must be pursuing your first bachelor's degree and the Expected Family Contribution (EFC) from your 2023-2024 FAFSA must be less than 6,657.  Summer Pell Grant amounts are based on your total summer units and your EFC.  You must also meet one of these conditions:

  • Most Fall 2023 or Spring 2024 Pell Grant recipients who take at least 6 summer units will be eligible for summer Pell Grants.
  • If you will take less than 6 summer units, then you will only be eligible for a summer Pell Grant if you have leftover eligibility from the Fall 2023 or Spring 2024 semesters because you didn't already receive full-time Pell Grant payments for at least one of those semesters.

Subsidized/Unsubsidized Loan Requirements

To apply for summer Federal Direct Subsidized or Unsubsidized Loans, you must also meet all these conditions:  

  • You must register for and remain enrolled for at least 6 summer units (for example, 3 units for Summer Session I and 3 units for Summer Session II).
  • You must not have already borrowed your maximum annual 2023-2024 loans and must have leftover annual eligibility based on these loan limit charts.
  • To review the loan amounts you already borrowed for 2023-2024, login to the Towson Online Services Student Dashboard, choose Financials from the main Navigation Menu, then View Financial Aid and the 2023-2024 Aid Year.
  • If you have remaining annual eligibility, then you should be able to borrow that remaining eligibility for the summer (for example, a freshman who only borrowed $3,500 for fall 2023 and spring 2024 could borrow up to $2,000 in unsubsidized loan for the summer).

Summer PLUS Loans

If you don't meet the Pell Grant or Subsidized / Unsubsidized Loan requirements above, then you might want to borrow a federal PLUS loan.

Apply for Pell Grants and Subsidized or Unsubsidized Loans

Before you apply for summer 2024 aid, carefully read the summer loan and Pell grant eligibility criteria outlined above.

1) If you have not already done so, you must submit a 2023-2024 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).  

2) Because your summer aid eligibility will depend on your total summer course units, you must register for your summer courses before you submit the summer aid application.

3) You must submit the Summer Aid Application. 

  • Login to Towson Online Services.
  • Choose Financials and Financial Aid Forms.
  • Choose the 2023-2024 aid year and Summer Aid Application.

Applying for Private Loans

For instructions, see private loans.

Summer Aid Offers

When your summer aid offer is ready, we will send an aid notification to your TU email account. You must review your awards to confirm and accept your approved amounts. 

  • If we can offer you a summer Pell Grant, it will be listed on your awards screen.
  • If you request a summer student loan, we will automatically process it and accept it for the amount you request or the maximum you are eligible to borrow, whichever is less.

If you change your total summer units after you submit the summer aid application, it can reduce your aid and increase your remaining charges.

If you don't receive enough to pay all your charges, you must plan how you will pay those remaining charges.

If your summer aid exceeds your charges, you will receive a financial aid rebate. Rebates are usually available three weeks after the credit balance occurs.

If you have questions, please contact us.