<p>My daughter is at Bates college in tacoma. When she got her award letter for 2010-11, she asked the finnincial aid office why the summer column was empty. They said, don't worry, you'll re-apply in summer.</p>
<p>She did and they told her she was SOL for summer.She'll get to do work study and a pell grant but no loans until fall. So nothing to live on meaning she'll have to drop out. What do they expect people to do? This is awfefull as she was doing so well.</p>
<p>Any advice for us? Any way to appeal what seems like a mistake on Finnincial aids part? they knew she was in school all year.</p>
<p>Thanks in advance,</p>
<p>WHy is she needing to go to school in the summer? SHe can, as most kids, not go, work and come back in the fall.</p>
<p>Many, if not most, colleges do NOT offer financial aid in the summer…in excess of entitled aid (e.g. Pell grant).</p>
<p>No, it is not a mistake on their part. Most schools do not include summer aid in the regular FA awards as not all students go to summer classes. Available federal aid is therefore generally spread over the regular school year and only any unused eligibility is awarded in the summer. </p>
<p>Most types of federal aid have annual limits. For instance Federal student loans have an annual limit based on the students year in school (freshman, sophomore, etc). If the student has already received the maximum amount of Stafford loans for the school year then they cannot be awarded additional Stafford loans for the summer. If they have not received the maximum for the school year then they can be awarded the balance of the loans but only to the extent that all their aid (any other grants, WS, plus the loans) do not exceed the schools COA for the summer session. The maximum Stafford loan for a freshman is $5500. If she has received $5500 in the fall and spring terms the school can not award her any additional Stafford.</p>
<p>Your daughter is actually fortunate that she can get WS in the summer. Some schools (my daughter’s included) do not allow WS in the summer.</p>
<p>What about a parent PLUS loan in your name? This summer is probably the best summer aid she will get as the summer Pell will not be available next year at all, so a parent loan plus the Pell and WS may make it doable.</p>
<p>Not going to summer school is not dropping out.</p>
<p>My son “surprised” me one spring and wanted to stay at the college for the summer and take classes. I called finaid and they did not have aid available, not even any work/study for him for summer and I didn’t have the cash sitting around that I could access in less than a week since I budget cash pretty tightly. I took a PLUS loan to get him squared away. Called the school, told them I was approved for PLUS and had finished the paperwork and he was set. It was a relatively small amount since he lived off campus and I simply paid it off over a short period of time. It was pretty painless, 15 minutes on the computer really and an “easy” way to get a summer session taken care of. I noticed the funds didn’t get into his account until after the semester started, but the college knew the funds were endorsed by them (and I) so no muss no fuss. They actually endorsed a couple hundred more sd COA than he needed but within the amount I had requested/guesstimated and he had a check for books shortly after the semester started. I’m not about loans at all, but the PLUS was quite painless and if it’s a small amount an easy way to bridge a gap. Hopefully S2 and S3 won’t pull a last minute on me, but if they do I no longer “fear” PLUS. Of course loans are always dependent on a particular family financial situation so do not do this unless you are confident you can handle the payback.</p>
<p>Thats good feedback</p>
<p>I’m in Spokane and she’s in tacoma. She’s 28. can I still do a plusloan? She gets $400 a month from workstudy and then her Pell. We’re only talking about $400 a month to live on. her bills are $800 a month so $400 plus $400 will give her $800 to live on and her daycare is covered because of workstudy. So I’d be borrowing $1200 for the entire summer.</p>
<p>She is an independent student if she is 28. YOU (the parent) cannot take a Parent Plus loan out for her. </p>
<p>Does her program REQUIRE summer school? If not, she might want to consider working for the summer.</p>
<p>I did not realize she was 28 and an independent. Thumper is correct, you can not take the parent PLUS loan out for an independent student. Did she already have the full Stafford loan amount? It is higher for an independent student ($9500 for a freshman).</p>
<p>Yes summer is required in cullanary arts. She only got $5500 in stafford. Can she request the additional now? In Fall she’ll be 2nd yr so it should be $10,500 I guess.</p>
<p>Can I take out a privite loan through my bank maybe?</p>
<p>She should ask about the additional Stafford. it sounds like they have only given her the dependent student limit, rather than the independent limit. Maybe they have missed the fact that she is independent?</p>
<p>Her aid also can’t exceed the school’s COA for the summer session.</p>
<p>This is all helpful. I told her of the replies. She only asked for $4500 in loans trying to hold debt down, but then her Tanaff grant she was living on for bills went the way of all tanaff grants…gone. (she’s a single mom) Shes trying to just get something for rent, etc.</p>