Summer Financial Aid
The summer sessions at William & Mary are considered to be part of the previous academic year (i.e., the academic year is Fall, Spring, and Summer). Thus, summer aid eligibility is based on the FAFSA for the current year. For example, if you are planning to go to school in the summer of 2023 and seek aid, you will have to have a 2022 - 2023 FAFSA on file with our office. Please note the last day to file a 2022 - 2023 FAFSA is June 30, 2023. If you do not have a 2022 - 2023 FAFSA on file, you must file it before July 1, 2023, for aid consideration. If you miss this window, we can assist you with accessing a private student loan.
In addition to the FAFSA, we require that you complete the Summer Financial Aid Application, which signals to us that you are interested in aid. The earlier we get your form, the more quickly you will know what aid you have available to you for the summer. This form will be available, typically around the middle of March, and will be hosted on the forms page for the current school year.
Eligibility for Aid
| Student Designation | Credits required to be eligible |
|---|---|
| Undergraduate | 6 credits total (can be split between sessions) |
| Graduate | 3 credits |
| Graduate - Online | 4 credits |
All students can attempt more than these minimums during the established summer sessions, but these are the minimum enrollment hours to be eligible for financial aid.
Types of Financial Aid Available for Summer
- W&M need-based grants - grant availability is not guaranteed during the summer and is limited to smaller amounts than we will have for the traditional fall and spring semesters.
- Federal Pell Grant Program - The government has allowed year Pell grants since the 2017 - 2018 school year. If a student is eligible for an additional Pell grant, it will be included in their financial aid award.
- Federal Student loans - if a student has not utilized their full-year eligibility for student loans during the prior school year, we will offer them the use of those loans during the summer.
- Federal Parent PLUS loans - if we have exhausted all other aid and the student still needs funds to cover the cost of attendance for summer, W&M will include a Parent PLUS loan in the aid package. This is intended to proactively let students know the remainder of the cost not covered and the maximum amount of summer loan that can be applied for.
- Private Student/Parent loan - if a parent does not want to take advantage of the PLUS loan program or prefers a private loan, they can seek this type of aid from the lender of their choice.
