Summer Study and Financial Aid

Many students find it beneficial to live at home during the summer, earn as much as possible, and enroll in classes during the regular academic year. In some cases, you may be able to enroll in a low-cost summer course at a public college or university near your home and transfer these credits to Tufts. If this is something that interests you, talk with your academic advisor or Dean about this possibility.

If you are considering summer study, you should keep in mind the following costs:

• The cost of summer school tuition. We offer very limited grant aid to help pay for summer school costs at Tufts.
• The cost of living away from home during the summer months.
• The cost of lost wages. If you take summer courses, you cannot work as many hours during the summer.  We will not be able to increase your financial aid for the next academic year because your summer earnings are low.
• The cost of borrowing. If you decide to borrow a Direct Loan to pay for summer school, you will incur loan fees and interest charges on this loan.

You may qualify for Federal Direct Loan funds for summer study if:

1. You have not used your full Federal Direct Loan eligibility during the academic year, AND
2. You enroll in and complete at least six semester hours (SHUs).
3. You complete a Tufts Summer Aid Application.

You may view your financial aid award via the Student Information System (SIS) to see if you reached your maximum grade level Direct Loan borrowing. See Loan Limits for grade level maximum amounts.

Note: If you wish to borrow a Federal Direct Loan to pay for summer school courses at another institution there are additional steps that must be taken:

1. Complete the Summer Study Elsewhere Application and submit it to Tufts.
2. Complete a Consortium Agreement and forward it to your summer institution to complete and send back to Tufts.
3. Provide documentation from Student Services that your credits have been approved to transfer to Tufts for degree credit.
4. You must ensure that your credits successfully transfer to Tufts upon completion. 

Failure to do these steps will result in the reduction or cancellation of your summer Direct Loan.  

If you believe you are eligible to borrow a Direct Loan, you must submit a Summer Aid Application to Student Financial Services.

You may qualify for a Federal Pell Grant for summer study if:

1. You received a Pell grant in the current academic year. 
2. You are enrolled in and complete a minimum of 6 semester hours (SHUs) over the summer. 

The amount of the summer Pell grant is based upon the amount you received during the fall/spring semesters. If enrolled in six SHUs, the Pell grant could range from $0 to a maximum of about $1,600. You must be making satisfactory academic progress before the summer session to receive a federal Pell grant. 

Note: If you wish to receive a Federal Pell grant to pay for summer school courses at another institution there are additional steps that must be taken:

1. Complete the Summer Study Elsewhere Application and submit it to Tufts. 
2. Complete a Consortium Agreement and forward it to your summer institution to complete and send back to Tufts. 
3. Provide documentation from Student Services that your credits have been approved to transfer to Tufts for degree credit. 
4. You must ensure that your credits successfully transfer to Tufts upon completion. 

Failure to do these steps will result in the reduction or cancellation of your summer Pell grant.

Thanks to a gift from the Omidyar Family, there is a small scholarship program available to help students pay for Tufts Summer Session courses. This scholarship is only for students currently enrolled at Tufts University. The amount of funding is limited and preference will be given to low-income juniors and seniors who need additional coursework to maintain satisfactory academic standing and meet their academic goals. Low-income students are generally considered to be those with an Expected Family Contribution of $10,000 or less. The tuition-only scholarship is for up to two courses, maximum. Additional fees, housing, food, and other living expenses will not be funded by the scholarship. Students can only receive funding once. 

International students are not eligible to receive Summer Session financial aid. First year students are not eligible. Due to limited funding, students are only eligible for the summer scholarship for one summer during their undergraduate careers.

To apply for the Summer Session Scholarship, please complete the Tufts Summer Aid Application and submit it to Student Financial Services by March 1st. Now that the March 1, 2024 deadline has passed and the funds for 2024 have been exhausted, late applications for the summer scholarship will not be accepted. Applications for the Summer Federal Direct Loan may still be submitted after March 1st. 

Information regarding summer costs is available on the Summer Session website.  If you plan to reside in Tufts housing, housing fees must be paid prior to moving in.

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