Summer Session Information and Dates

Summer Session financial aid is based on your combined enrollments from May 27 through July 25. Financial Aid offers for the 2025 Summer Session are based on remaining eligibility from the 2024-2025 academic year and will be posted in e-services beginning March 17th for students that are registered for summer classes.

Important Dates for Summer Session can be found here

Information for the 2025 Summer Session:

Application Process

The 2024-2025 FAFSA is your application for summer financial aid. If you have not completed the 2024-2025 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), you must do so.  You may access the FAFSA at https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa. 

Important Information

The majority of students receiving financial aid in the summer must be enrolled in a minimum of 6 credits.  Some students, but very few, may have grant eligibility for as little as 3 credits.  All students enrolled in Summer Session courses will be reviewed for grant eligibility before loan and/or work study offers are determined.

According to Federal Government Regulations, if you fail to attend the courses your financial aid is based on, you may be required to pay back all or part of your award(s).

Transfer and New Students:  

You must be fully admitted into a program of study through the Office of Admission and you must be seeking a degree at Southwest Minnesota State University in order to receive funding for summer classes. 

Students who are seeking a degree from any other institution are encouraged to contact the Financial Aid Office at their home school.  You may be able to receive funding for the courses you are enrolled in at SMSU.

SMSU degree seeking students taking courses from another institution:

SMSU degree seeking students who will enroll in courses through another institution during the summer may be eligible for financial aid through SMSU.  The only courses SMSU will be able to fund are those courses which will transfer back to SMSU to apply toward a degree at SMSU.  The Registrar's Office will automatically review any classes you are taking at other Minnesota State schools to see if they can be approved.

Awarding Process

Grants  

All students enrolled in Summer Session courses will be reviewed for grant eligibility before loan and/or work study eligibility are determined.   Students may be eligible for Pell Grant and/or MN State Grant funding during the summer based on enrollment.

Work Study

If you plan on being enrolled in at least six credits, the Financial Aid Office will determine your work study eligibility.

If you do not plan on being enrolled in at least six credits, and you are interested in work study for the summer, please contact the Financial Aid Office.  Your summer work study earnings could become a part of your offer for the upcoming academic year.

Loans

Your eligibility for Direct Loan funds will be reviewed.  You must be enrolled at least half-time to be eligible for a Federal Direct Loan (5 credits for graduate students and 6 credits for undergraduate students)  If you will progress a grade level (i.e. from freshman to sophomore or sophomore to junior standing), you may have loan funds available to you for summer.  If you have not previously borrowed from the Federal Direct Loan program, you will be required to complete the Loan Entrance Counseling and a Direct Loan Master Promissory Note.  All students accepting loan funds for the summer will be required to complete the loan acceptance process in E-services.