Utilizing FAFSA^® to cover summer classes

How to apply for summer financial aid

The FAFSA^® (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) is your ticket to financial aid for summer classes. If you’ve already applied for the FAFSA^® for the academic year, your information will also determine whether you can get financial aid for the summer. If you haven’t applied yet, what are you waiting for? A lot of federal financial aid is first-come, first-served, so the sooner you apply, the more aid you could get. The FAFSA^® opens October 1 for the 2025-26 academic year. Contact your financial aid department or visit the official FAFSA^® website for any help applying for summer financial aid.

Types of financial aid available for summer classes

You’ve got a few options for summer financial aid. If you qualify, your federal financial aid package may include grants and work-study—you don’t have to pay these back. However, summer classes are considered “optional” by many schools, so receiving this type of aid will be limited. Make sure you apply early to ensure you are considered for the most money possible. 

Summer scholarships

One of the most overlooked gems that helps pay for college is scholarships. Scholarships are free money you don’t have to pay back and are one of the best options to pay for summer classes. An estimated $100 million in scholarship dollars goes unclaimed every year. Why? Too often, students believe they have to have perfect grades or be stellar athletes to qualify. Not true! There’s scholarship money out there for so many things. The best time to start your search is as early as possible, but some deadlines can extend well into the summer months.

Find scholarships for summer classes easily with Scholarship Search by Sallie—with filters based on your background, major, and more, you can find scholarships fit just for you. Your school is also a great place to look for university scholarships, especially if you’re considering a summer study abroad program. Be sure to check out the financial aid office to see what your school offers.

Understand your loan options

After you’ve searched for scholarships, you can look into loans if you need more money. There are two types of loan options: federal and private. Federal loans have two types: subsidized and unsubsidized. Subsidized loans are need-based, and students don’t have to pay interest if they’re in school at least half-time, in deferment, or in their six-month grace period after graduating or leaving school. Afterwards, the government stops paying the interest, and you’ll need to pay back your original amount and the interest that begins to accrue (grow).

Then, principal and interest payments will begin. This means if you borrow $2,000, the federal government will pay your interest up to six months after you stop attending school. With unsubsidized loans, interest begins to accrue as soon as the loan is disbursed (sent) to your school. It will continue to grow over the life of the loan. The government doesn’t help pay for any interest. If you borrowed that same $2,000, by the time you graduate, this would be your principal (original) amount and you would be responsible for paying back any interest on top of the principal. And don’t forget—you have to submit the FAFSA^® and be enrolled at least half-time to be eligible for federal loans. Check in with your school to make sure you have the right amount of credits to be considered a half-time student.^{footnote 1}

Private loans are typically taken out from a private bank or other financial institution. When you apply for a private loan, your credit—and the credit of your cosigner if you have one—are evaluated to approve you for the loan and determine your interest rate. (Pro tip: applying for a private loan with a cosigner can help up your chances of getting approved and getting a better interest rate.)

You should always take out federal loans first, then consider a private loan if you still need money for school.

How to pay for summer classes

There are several ways to pay for summer classes. To save some money, you could take classes at a community college, or opt for discounted courses that can transfer to your school.

Since summer course loads tend to be lighter than the amount of work given during the academic year, you could also consider finding a part-time summer job. The best time to find seasonal work may be in the late spring or early summer months. If you’re looking for a spring internship, these may start recruiting as early as the previous fall. Contact your career services department to see how you can make the most out of your summer.  

Whether you use federal grants, work-study,  scholarships, federal loans, private loans, or decide to work, funding summer classes may seem like a daunting task, but you’re not alone. Your school provides many resources to help keep you on track. Talk to your academic, career, and (most importantly) financial aid advisors so they can help you achieve your goals. And the best part about summer classes? They tend to be much shorter than classes during the academic year. Once you’ve got the money you need, be sure to schedule some time for summer fun!