Summer Financial Aid

If you did not receive an aid offer, it may be due to one or more of the following:

• You are not meeting the enrollment requirements (above)
• You borrowed the annual loan maximum during the fall and spring semesters
• You have reached the aggregate/lifetime limit permitted for the aid program
• You are classified as non-degree seeking
• You are on financial aid disqualification for not meeting Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)

Summer grants may be available to undergraduate students who have not earned a bachelor’s degree that display exceptional need as determined by the FAFSA, including those classified as P.5 in the professional pharmacy program. At this time, we anticipate the following grants will be available for the 2026 summer semester:

1. Federal Pell Grant
   • Eligible students may receive 6 years (12 full-time semesters) of Pell. This limit is referred to as 600% Pell Lifetime Eligibility Usage (LEU). One full-time semester of Pell is 50%. Log in to StudentAid.gov with your username and password, then navigate to “My Aid” to view your LEU.
   • Your Pell Grant will be based on your enrollment at 11:59 p.m. on June 18, 2026. Adding credits after June 18th will not result in an increase in your Pell Grant award.
   • Year-round Pell Grant allows up to 150% of a scheduled grant award over the course of the full academic year so that, if eligible, you can continue taking classes in the summer and finish your degree faster.
   • Schools calculate payments based on enrollment intensity rather than enrollment status (e.g., full-time, half-time, etc.). Therefore, enrollment in 6 or more credit hours is no longer required to receive Year-round Pell. The chart showing enrollment intensity relative to the previous enrollment status is below.

2. North Dakota State Grant
   • Must have graduated from a North Dakota high school, received the ND State Grant during the 2025 fall and/or 2026 spring semester, be enrolled for at least 3 credits at 11:59 p.m. on June 18, 2026, and meet all program eligibility requirements as determined by the North Dakota University System Office in Bismarck. Adding credits after June 18th will not result in an increase in your ND State Grant award.
   • Awards range from $343 to $1,375 and funding is limited.
3. North Dakota Supplemental State Grant funds are not available for the summer semester.
4. Federal TEACH Grant
   • The Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education (TEACH) Grant program is for students who intend to teach full-time in an elementary or secondary school that serves students from low-income families for at least four of the eight years after degree completion.
   • Must submit the TEACH Grant application to NDSU One Stop.
5. The Tuition Award Program (TAP) is not available for the summer semester.

Federal and private student loans are available to students who qualify. The following loan programs will be available for the 2026 summer semester:

Federal Direct Loans

A Federal Direct Loan may be subsidized, unsubsidized, or a combination of both. The lender is the U.S. Department of Education. There is no credit check or co-signer required, and the interest rate is typically lower than private student loans. Eligibility requirements include:

• Half-time enrollment (6+ credits for undergraduate students and 5+ credits for graduate and professional pharmacy students); and
• Have remaining annual eligibility from the 2025-2026 academic year based on grade level as shown below; and
• Have not reached the aggregate/lifetime Federal Direct Loan borrowing maximums as shown below; and
• Be meeting the Standards of Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP); and
• Be in an eligible, degree-seeking program

Annual Loan Limits for Federal Direct Loans:

Aggregate/Lifetime Borrowing Limits for Federal Direct Loans:

• Dependent Undergraduate Students: $31,000
• Independent Undergraduate Students: $57,500
• Graduate Students: $138,500
• Professional Pharmacy Students: $224,000

Direct PLUS Loan for Parents

Parents interested in borrowing a loan on the student’s behalf, or those with an adverse credit history may apply for the Federal Direct PLUS Loan. If you are considering applying for a Direct PLUS loan, please click the link and review the interest rate and loan fees associated with this loan program.

Private Loans for Students and Parents

Private student loans are non-federal, interest-bearing loans through private lenders. Private student loans are available for both students and parents. Approval is not guaranteed. Student borrowers may need a co-signer with an established credit history. There are a variety of private student loans available, and it is up to the student and co-signer to choose the one that is best for them and their financial situation. Private student loans may have a higher interest rate than federal student loans. Please refer to the Federal Versus Private Loans chart for a summary of the main differences between Federal Direct, Federal PLUS, and private student loans.

• If you are a new private student loan applicant, we encourage you to use the FASTChoice loan comparison tool to help choose the loan program that best suits the needs of you and your co-signer. If you previously borrowed a private student loan, it is recommended you use the same lender to avoid repayment to multiple lenders.
• The maximum loan amount cannot exceed your educational cost of attendance for the summer semester minus other financial aid received.
• Approved private student loans have a mandatory rescission period of up to 8 business days before loan funds can be released to NDSU. During this time, you may exercise the right to cancel the loan. The approximate time from application to disbursement of a private student loan may be 3-4 weeks.
• Some lenders allow students who are not degree-seeking, meeting the required standards of Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) or enrolled at least half-time, to borrow a private student loan. Lenders and loan programs who permit these criteria can be identified on FASTChoice, choosing the appropriate option from the search list or using the filter option within a search list.

Federal Work-Study is only available during the fall and spring semesters and is not offered for the summer semester. Non-Work-Study job openings can be found on the Career and Advising Center website by logging in to Handshake.

Each semester, student enrollment is locked on a specific date for the purposes of determining aid eligibility. This is referred to as the “financial aid census date”. The census date for summer is June 18, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. You must be registered for ALL summer courses at census, regardless of the course's start date, in order for those credits to be considered for financial aid. The census date for anyone whose initial summer registration occurs after June 18, 2026 will be the date their financial aid offer is posted to Campus Connection.

• Credits added after the financial aid census date cannot be considered in the Federal Pell Grant or North Dakota State Grant amount. No exceptions.
• Federal Direct Loans require undergraduate students to be enrolled for 6+ credits and graduate and professional students to be enrolled for 5+ credits when the loan is disbursed. If adding credits after the census date results in reaching half-time enrollment intensity, contact NDSU One Stop to request that the Federal Direct Loan be added to your financial aid offer.

Summer aid will automatically disburse (apply to the summer charges on your NDSU student account) on June 23, 2026, or when you meet the enrollment requirements specified below.

• Federal Pell Grant — after 1 credit of coursework begins
• Federal TEACH Grant — after 1 credit of coursework begins
• North Dakota State Grant — after 3 credits of coursework begins
• Federal Direct Loans (subsidized and unsubsidized) — after 1 credit of coursework begins a long as you are enrolled in 6+ credits (if undergraduate) or 5+ credits (if graduate or professional pharmacy). If it is your first Direct Loan, it will not disburse if you have not completed the Master Promissory Note and Loan Entrance Counseling on StudentAid.gov.
• Private Student Loans — varies, contact the lender for enrollment requirements
• Scholarships — varies, contact the department or donor for enrollment requirements

If your financial aid exceeds your charges, you will be refunded the difference. If you still have a balance due after your financial aid has disbursed, you need to pay it by June 25, 2026.

If your financial aid didn’t disburse when you expected, it may be due to one or more of the reasons below. Check your To-Do List on Campus Connection for more information.

• You have not completed the Master Promissory Note (MPN) at StudentAid.gov, or your MPN is expired and you need to complete a new one
• You have not completed Loan Entrance Counseling at StudentAid.gov
• The Verification process has not been completed
• You are not meeting the standards for Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)
• You have not met the minimum enrollment requirements (see Financial Aid Disbursement section above for details)
• Your final high school transcript has not been received (contact Office of Admission)

• We begin emailing financial aid offers for eligible, enrolled students with a 2025-2026 FAFSA on file: late April 2026.
• NDSU Bookstore allows summer book charges: mid-April 2026
• Financial Aid Census: June 18, 2026 at 11:59 p.m.
• Financial Aid Disbursement: Begins June 23, 2026 based on enrollment requirements and the start date of your classes. For details, refer to the Financial Aid Disbursement section above.
• 2025-2026 FAFSA Submission Deadline: June 30, 2026

• For consideration of maximum financial aid eligibility, register for ALL of your summer courses on the same day and prior to June 19, 2026. (See the bullet points under the "Financial Aid Census" section for stipulations on increasing aid if credits are added after this date.)
• Official notifications and any subsequent changes to your aid offer from Financial Aid and Scholarships will be sent via your NDSU email address, so be sure to check it often.
• Dropping classes, even before they have begun, may result in eligibility changes. Contact One Stop at 701-231-6200 to discuss possible implications prior to dropping any classes.
• If you receive a Federal Pell Grant and class attendance cannot be established, you may have to repay all or a portion of your Pell Grant.
• If you register for summer classes and decide not to attend, you must notify NDSU One Stop immediately to begin the official withdrawal process.
• If you withdraw to zero credits prior to the 60% point of the summer session(s), you may owe a repayment of financial aid funds to the programs from which they were awarded. Failure to officially withdraw may result in the receipt of failing grades and immediate repayment of financial aid funds thereby owing a debt to NDSU and resulting in disqualification from future financial aid.
• Standards of Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) standards apply to all semesters, including summer. You are responsible for reading and understanding the academic requirements that must be met in order to receive financial aid. The cost of housing, food, and miscellaneous expenses cannot be included in the cost of attendance if you are enrolled less than half-time during the summer semester.
• Students who received the maximum annual Direct Loan award during the 2025-2026 academic year will be notified, if eligible, for a summer loan as a result of advancing a grade level after completion of the 2026 spring semester. This applies only to students enrolled for 6 or more credits who advance from a freshman to sophomore, or from a sophomore to junior grade level.