Summer Financial Aid
Students who will attend classes during the Summer semester may request a review of their summer financial aid eligibility by submitting a Summer Aid Request Form to the Office of Student Financial Aid (OSFA).
The summer semester is a “trailer” term at Mason. If you have remaining financial aid eligibility after fall and spring awards are made, you will be offered aid for summer via your PatriotWeb portal. An email will be sent with instructions on how to log in and accept/decline your offer for the summer semester.
If you either do not qualify for financial aid, or have exhausted your funding options for the year, you will be sent an email providing alternative methods to pay for your summer semester charges. You can review eligibility requirements for this aid on our website.
Summer Financial Aid Request Process
- Register for summer courses in March/April at your designated time.
- Starting April 1, 2024, you can complete the Summer Aid Request Form once you have finalized your registration selection for the summer semester.
- We will start processing completed summer aid request forms in early April. In general, please allow 1-2 weeks to process your form.
- When you receive the email notifying you that your award is ready to view online, log in to your PatriotWeb to accept/decline your financial aid.
- If your first summer class begins on May 13, 2024, your summer financial aid will disburse 10 days prior to the start of that class. If your first summer class is in a session that begins after May 13, 2024, your summer aid will disburse on the first day of your first summer class.
- If you change your class schedule, you must notify your financial aid counselor to ensure the accuracy of your financial aid award.
Please be aware that for some students, the amount of aid that can be offered will not cover your full balance due for your summer classes. You will need to search for other alternative methods to pay for your educational costs. Please view the Additional Payment section below for more information.
Enrollment Status Definitions
Undergraduate Students
| Credit Hours | Enrollment Status |
|---|---|
| 12 or more | Full-time |
| 9 - 11 | Three-quarter time |
| 6 - 8 | Half-time |
| 1 - 5 | Less than half-time |
Graduate Students
| Credit Hours | Enrollment Status |
|---|---|
| 9 or more | Full-time |
| 6 - 8 | Three-quarter time |
| 4.5 - 5.5 | Half-time |
| 4.4 or less | Less than half-time |
Additional Payment Options
Loan Options
If you have already used your maximum annual Federal Direct Loan eligibility during the fall and spring semesters, you may have the option of applying for private loans or PLUS Loans (Parents of dependent students and Graduate/Professional students). Your summer financial aid email notification will provide additional information about these loan options.
Federal Direct Parent Plus (Dependent Undergraduate Students)
- Must attend half time to be eligible
Federal Direct Graduate Plus Loan (Graduate Students)
- Must attend half time to be eligible
Private Loans (Alternative)
*For loans like the Federal Direct Parent Plus, Federal Direct Graduate Plus and Alternative/Private Student Loans, only apply for the summer semester. Since the upcoming fall semester is the start of a new academic year, we can only apply the aid you request to your summer semester (2023-24). Aid for the 2024-25 year, starting this upcoming semester, will have to be applied for separately after July 1, 2024.
Please note that when you apply for these loans, be sure to use the following loan beginning and end dates when you complete your application:
05/13/2024 – summer term 2024 beginning date
08/09/2024 – summer term 2024 end date
Payment Plans (Student Accounts Office)
A payment plan for the summer semester may be set up through the Billing and Payment System. For questions, please contact Student Accounts at 703-993-2000.
If you need further assistance, please be sure to reach out to us with the assistance of our Contact Us page.