Apply for Summer Financial Aid

Summer courses can be a great way to catch up or get ahead with your degree, and financial aid can help.

You must be enrolled as a WSU student and working toward a degree to receive summer financial aid. If you are looking for ways to pay for winter courses, please call 507.457.5090 to set up an appointment with a Financial Aid Counselor.

If you’ll take classes at another college this summer, you’ll need an approved consortium agreement to receive financial aid for these credits.

Take these steps before May 1 to make sure your summer award is processed in time.

Summer financial aid awards will be processed starting mid-February and begin disbursing near the end of May.

You’ll receive another award letter for summer aid and may need to take additional steps to accept any loans.

Financial aid is applied to your bill as funds become available. Once your bill is paid, any extra aid money will be direct deposited to your personal bank account within 3 business days.

Summer Pell Grant

If you’re usually eligible for the Pell Grant, you may be able to get a summer Pell Grant as well.

This will depend on your financial aid awards for the Fall and Spring terms and how many credits you are enrolled in during the Summer term.

You could be eligible for summer Pell Grant in one of two ways.

  1. You are regularly eligible for a Pell Grant and were enrolled full-time in both the Fall and Spring semesters. To receive the Summer Pell Grant, you must take at least 6 credits (be enrolled half-time) during the Summer term.
  2. You are regularly eligible for a Pell Grant and you were not enrolled full-time in the Fall or Spring semesters. To receive the Summer Pell Grant, you can take any number of credits during the Summer term.

Summer Work Study

If you’re interested in getting a work study job for the summer, please call 507.457.5090 to set up an appointment with a Financial Aid Counselor.

Registration Requirements for Financial Aid

You must meet the Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress after Spring semester to receive additional aid.

Your summer financial aid award is based on the total credits that you’re registered for as stated on your summer aid application.

To receive Minnesota State or federal loans and work study, you must be enrolled at least half-time, which is:

  • 6 credits for undergraduate students
  • 3 credits for graduate students

Your financial aid budget will be based on the number of weeks you’re enrolled in classes. Your housing, transportation, and personal spending budgets will be prorated for the length of time you’re in class.

If your plans for enrollment change, let the Financial Aid Office know, so that we can adjust your award if necessary. You may lose or have to repay your financial aid award–including a Summer Pell grant– if you drop or withdraw from a class, or have any other enrollment change.

You need to be officially enrolled in the number of credits that you reported on your summer aid application to receive a disbursement of student aid based upon those credits.