• Seton Hall University
• Office of Financial Aid

Eligibility for financial aid in the Summer can be different from the Fall and Spring semesters.

For example,

• Some funding is entirely unavailable during the Summer, such as many need-based grants or endowed scholarships.
• Some funding, such as loans or Pell grants, may have annual or aggregate (lifetime) limits that you already had reached during the academic year.
• Funding that is available may be less than that offered during the academic year
• The University Scholarship is limited to a specific amount if you take 6 or more credits, which is outlined in your award letter.
• If Summer TAG is offered in a given award year (up to HESAA’s discretion), it is typically prorated based on the number of credits you are taking in the Summer.

Many forms of aid require a student to be registered at least half-time in the Summer. Half-time attendance in the summer is at least six (6) credits for undergraduate students and at least three (3) credits for graduate students (must be graduate level classes).

Students whose admit date is for the following Fall who are permitted to take classes during the Summer term will not qualify for summer funding.

Summer Packaging Process

Summer financial aid packages are created through an entirely manual process, meaning that the Financial Aid Office must review each student taking Summer courses individually. These packages can include scholarships, grants, or loans, depending on eligibility and availability.

This process typically occurs within a few weeks of the student registering, and cannot be completed prior to registration as many awards are based on the number of credits a student is enrolled in. As such, please keep in mind that you will not see your awards right away.

The Financial Aid Office will award any scholarships or grants you are eligible for in the Summer, such as Pell, TAG, EOF, or GI Bill funding, or the University Summer Scholarship. These amounts often differ from what is offered in Fall and Spring, and the difference can be significant.

If you have remaining loan eligibility from the Direct Subsidized or Unsubsidized loan programs and are attending at least half-time in Summer, this remainder will be offered to you. You will receive an email notification to accept or decline the offer(s), similar to the offer(s) you received during the academic year. You can review these steps here. If you do not have any remaining loan eligibility from these programs, you will receive an email notifying you as such.

Please note: Students cannot receive any federal loans if they are only registered for an intersession. The length of the session is too short and therefore does not qualify to receive a disbursement of funds. You may combine an intersession with a summer session, or you can apply for a private loan at www.elmselect.com.

The available funding through grants, scholarships, and subsidized/unsubsidized loan eligibility may not be enough to cover your entire summer bill. It is important to regularly review your statements from the Bursar's office. Follow these steps to review your bill here. You can choose to make a payment out of pocket for the difference using the University Portal, the same way you would for other semesters. Click here for steps to make payments online. Please note that the Bursar does not offer payment plans for the summer, but there are many loan options available if you cannot pay out of pocket in one lump sum.

Summer Loan Options

In addition to the remaining Direct Subsidized or Direct Unsubsidized eligibility a student may have for the summer semester- if any- students may also utilize either Direct PLUS Loans or private loans to help cover their bills. Please review all eligibility requirements for the loan program you are applying for, as the loan will not be able to be certified by Seton Hall if you are not meeting all requirements set by the lender.

Federal Direct PLUS Loans

To be eligible for the PLUS Loan, students need to attend at least half-time. Half-time attendance in the summer is at least six (6) credits for undergraduate students and at least three (3) credits for graduate students (must be graduate level classes).

In addition, students must be meeting all other eligibility requirements for Federal loans, including having a valid Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) on file, enrollment in a matriculated program, meeting Satisfactory Academic Progress requirements, and more. More information on Federal Direct Loan eligibility requirements can be found here.

Students may not receive any federal loans (including the PLUS Loan) if they are only registered for an intersession. The length of the session is too short and therefore does not qualify to receive a disbursement of funds. You may combine an intersession with a summer session, or you can apply for a private loan at www.elmselect.com.

Direct Parent PLUS Loan

Parents can borrow a PLUS loan to help pay for a student's educational expenses if the student is a dependent (per FAFSA’s definition), undergraduate student, enrolled at least half-time. Parents must be deemed creditworthy through a credit check to receive the loan. If a parent is denied a request for a PLUS loan, the student may be eligible for an additional Direct Unsubsidized Loan.

*** Beginning July 1st, 2026, new Parent Plus Loan borrowers will be limited to $20,000 annually and a new aggregate limit of $65,000. This $20,000 annual limit includes any funds borrowed in the Fall and Spring of the same academic year.

• Need help to determine the amount needed for your Loan? Use our origination fee calculator.
• Parent PLUS Loan Application *Apply after you have received your full Summer bill*
• Appeal/Endorse the Parent PLUS loan if your credit check was denied.

Direct Graduate PLUS Loan

This program is now only available for Graduate and professional degree students who were enrolled in their Graduate/professional program prior to July 1st, 2026. These students are eligible to use Grad PLUS loans until they finish your program (or for up to three years, whichever is shorter). Students who were not enrolled prior to July 1st, 2026 in their program will not be eligible for this loan type, but can still utilize unsubsidized or private loans.

• Need help to determine the amount needed for your Loan? Use our origination fee calculator.
• Grad PLUS Loan Application *Apply after you have received your full Summer bill*
• Appeal/Endorse the Grad PLUS loan if your credit check was denied.

How to Apply for a PLUS Loan for Summer

When submitting your parent PLUS or Grad PLUS loan, please make sure you select the correct “Award Year” from the dropdown menu at the top of the application. The Summer term is a trailer, meaning that it is always the last term of the award year. In other words, an academic year, or Award Year, begins in Fall and ends in Summer. As such, Summer of 2026 is the last term of the 2025-2026 aid year--- not the beginning of the 2026-2027 aid year. Failure to select the correct academic year will result in the loan not being certified for the Summer, which can lead to you becoming ineligible for the loan if this is not rectified through reapplication prior to the last week of your last Summer class.

Once you have selected the correct Award Year, you will be prompted on the next page of the application to select a Loan Period. Be sure that you are selecting the Summer Loan period dates, which is May through August. If the year listed on the Loan Period dropdown for Summer is showing as the following year, you must go back to the first page and change the academic year to the previous one. (Ex. If you are applying for a loan for Summer of 2026, and the loan period in the dropdown is for May through August of 2027, you have selected the incorrect aid year) Again, failure to do so will result in the loan not being certified, which can cause you to lose eligibility for the loan entirely if not rectified.

Private Loans

Private loans are also available in the Summer. You can review a selection of private lenders at www.elmselect.com. Please be sure to review all of the eligibility requirements for your selected lender to avoid applying for loans that cannot be certified by Seton Hall. The University is required to confirm your enrollment status, SAP status, and other requirements prior to certifying that you are eligible for the loan, even if the lender approved you based on your creditworthiness. Choosing a lender that is not right for your enrollment status or other requirements will result in cancellation and the need to apply again with a different lender.

When applying, also be sure to select the summer term dates (typically May through August) or loan processing may be delayed. *Apply after you have received your full Summer bill*

If you are enrolled in the summer term at less than half-time and wish to use a private loan, use the filters on www.elmselect.com to find lenders that are appropriate for you. The proper use of this filter if less than half-time is pictured below.

You can also use the filters to find lenders that allow you to not be making Satisfactory Academic Progress, or that cover balances for semesters that have already ended, known as “past due balances.” Other qualities, such as typical interest rate ranges, credit requirements, cosigner release, or eligibility for non-matriculating programs, can be found by selecting “View” on an individual lender or by visiting the individual lender’s website.