Summer Financial Aid Information

Are you planning on taking summer classes at Kent State University? Learn more about 2023 Summer Sessions.

COMPLETE THESE TWO STEPS FIRST IN ORDER TO BE CONSIDERED FOR SUMMER FINANCIAL AID:

• Apply for student aid by completing the 2023-2024 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
• Returning students will need to submit information on FlashLine to indicate their enrollment plans for summer.  This will be available by late January.

Students who submitted information on their summer enrollment plans on FlashLine will be awarded based on the information you provided through an automated process beginning mid-to-late April. 

Summer Financial Aid Information

Students must follow the steps on FlashLine to assist the financial aid office in developing the appropriate financial aid package based on their enrollment plans for the 2023-2024 academic year (will be available by late January).  Students who indicate summer enrollment will be awarded any available financial aid for the summer.  Those who did not indicate summer enrollment will not be awarded any financial aid for the summer term, unless they enroll for summer and are eligible to receive the Federal Pell Grant.

• Grants
• Loans
• Scholarships
• Federal Work Study
• Post Undergraduate and Graduate Non-Degree Students
• Education Abroad
• Transient Students
• Summer Enrollment Requirements
• Important Information
• Disbursement of Summer Aid

Using grants, scholarships, loans, or work study during the summer may decrease your fall/spring aid.

grants

• All enrolled students who are eligible for grants (Pell, TEACH, OCOG, PA State Grant) will be awarded a semester of eligibility during the summer.  Summer grants will be prorated based on the number of registered credit hours at the time your application is processed.
  • PA State Grant students must apply online.
  • Ohio College Opportunity Grant (OCOG): The amount awarded is based on Kent campus and Regional campus enrollment. This grant may be estimated until final annual award amounts are approved by the state of Ohio.

loans

• Students who indicate they would like to use a loan in Summer will be awarded 1/3 of their annual remaining loan eligibility for the summer term. The remaining 2/3 will be awarded during the Fall/Spring semesters.
  • All Direct Loans are subject to a Loan Origination Fee deducted by the Department of Education (1.057% of loan amount until October 1, 2023).
• If you indicate that you will graduate in August or December, your Federal Direct Loan will be prorated based on your enrolled credit hours and remaining terms of enrollment. If you do not graduate, you must notify the One Stop for Student Services to be reviewed for awarding in subsequent semester(s). The financial aid awarding for graduating students is not an automated process. View more information about loan proration.
• Those who wish to borrow a Parent PLUS or Graduate PLUS loan for Summer, must apply at StudentAid by selecting the appropriate loan period (designated in the chart below). Summer applications will be available May 1, 2023. Prior to requesting an amount in a Direct PLUS Loan, you should factor in the Department of Education’s Direct Loan Origination fee (4.228% for PLUS).
  • Parent PLUS: Student must be enrolled in at least 6 credit hours. The parent borrower must apply online at StudentAid.gov.
  • Graduate PLUS loan (Graduate Students only): Student applicant must be admitted as a graduate student and be enrolled in at least 4 graduate credit hours. The graduate student borrower must apply online at StudentAid.gov. The Student Financial Aid Office will evaluate your eligibility for the Graduate PLUS loan only after you have exhausted all your Federal Direct Loan (Unsubsidized) eligibility.
  • Private Loans: Prior to applying for a private loan, students should consider Federal Direct loan options first. To apply for a private loan, you must contact your lender for information and application process. Compare private loan lenders and see student and parent options for borrowing.
• If you would like to reallocate your federal Direct Loans during the summer semester to fund your study abroad, you can complete the Uneven Disbursement Request Form. Please be aware that Direct Loan (Subsidized/Unsubsidized) money will be removed from the fall/spring semester(s) and put into the summer semester based on your financial aid eligibility. This money cannot be replaced with more federal Direct Loans and the result will be less funding during the fall/spring semesters. This form is not a request for additional financial aid; it simply reallocates the Federal Direct Loan money that you have already been awarded for the year. To request this adjustment due to additional costs incurred in a summer study abroad program, you must already be committed to the program and indicate on the form that it is for study abroad costs.

Loan Periods for the Academic Year

scholarships

Kent Campus scholarships awarded by the Student Financial Aid Office are for the fall and spring semesters only. Requests to use a Kent Campus scholarship for the summer semester will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. Students must be enrolled full-time during the summer or graduating early. Students must submit a Summer Scholarship Appeal Form which is available at Scholarship Applications & Forms. This scholarship appeal process applies to the following Kent Campus scholarships only:

• Academic Achievement Award
• Academic Transfer Award
• Flash Transfer Northeast Ohio Scholarship
• Founders Scholarship
• Oscar Ritchie Scholarship (does not include Oscar Ritchie Room/Board Scholarship)
• President's Achievement Award
• President's Award
• President's Grant
• President's Scholarship
• President's Transfer Scholarship
• Transfer2Kent Scholarship
• Trustee Scholarship (does not include Trustee Room/Board Scholarship)
• University Award

Students must contact the Honors College to inquire about Honors Scholarships.  Students must contact their regional campus or academic department directly regarding the use of any other scholarships during the summer.

federal work study

• A regional campus student must contact the financial aid representative at the campus where you intend to work.
• Students must demonstrate financial need as determined by the results of the 2023-2024 FAFSA to qualify.
• Funds are limited and not guaranteed, even if a student meets the eligibility requirements.
• Students do not need to be enrolled in the summer to use Federal Work Study. In this case, the student must be enrolled in Fall 2023 classes.
• You must submit a 2023 Summer Federal Work Study Request to request funding at the Kent Campus. If you are a regional campus student, please contact the financial aid representative at the campus where you intend to work.

post undergraduate and graduate non-degree students

If you already have a Bachelor's degree and are not admitted to a Master's or PhD program, you must also complete the Program of Study Form, and the 2023-2024 FAFSA. Your Program of Study Form must be approved in order to receive federal loans.

Education Abroad

If you would like to reallocate your federal Direct Loans during the summer semester to fund your study abroad, you can complete the Uneven Disbursement Request Form. Please be aware that Direct Loan (Subsidized/Unsubsidized) money will be removed from the fall/spring semester(s) and put into the summer semester based on your financial aid eligibility. This money cannot be replaced with more federal Direct Loans and the result will be less funding during the fall/spring semesters. This form is not a request for additional financial aid; it simply reallocates the Federal Direct Loan money that you have already been awarded for the year.

To request this adjustment due to additional costs incurred in a summer study abroad program, you must already be committed to the program and indicate on the form that it is for study abroad costs.

transient students

If you will be taking summer 2023 courses at another college or university and would like to use financial aid, you must complete the consortium agreement process.  You will be responsible for paying your tuition and fees and meeting payment deadlines at the visited institution. The Ad Hoc Consortium Agreement Form will be available mid-spring.

Please note:  Kent State will not award aid to non-Kent State students.

Summer Enrollment Requirements

*Enrollment not required during summer (eligibility may be limited)
**May vary depending on scholarship

important information

• If your summer enrollment plans change after submitting your enrollment plans on FlashLine, return to the Financial Aid Enrollment Plan question link to update using a document to submit changes.  Once financial aid has disbursed (paid), you may not be able to make changes.  Notify the One Stop for Student Services as enrollment changes may result in adjustments to your financial aid awards.
• Withdrawal of hours after financial aid has been disbursed may result in a reduction of financial aid.
• If repeating a course, review regulation regarding financial aid.  Access information on repeating coursework.

Disbursement of Summer Aid

before summer financial aid can be processed and disbursed

• You must be in compliance with the Academic Progress Policy.
• If selected for verification, all requested documents must be submitted and processed.
• You must be enrolled in six eligible credit hours for use of Federal Direct loan (4 hours for graduate students).  All courses must apply toward your degree program.

Financial aid for summer will be disbursed in early June 2023 for intersession, session 1, and session 2. If you are enrolled in session 3 only, financial aid will disburse no more than 10 days prior to the start of session 3 classes. At the time of disbursement, you must meet all enrollment and compliance requirements for all summer aid you have been awarded.