1. finance
2. grants, scholarships and financial aid
3. financial aid

Financial Aid Services 243 Whitmore Administration Building
181 Presidents Drive, Amherst, MA 01003
Phone: 413-545-0801
Web: umass.edu/umfa
Fax: 413-545-1700
Email: finaid@finaid.umass.edu
Summer 2015 Financial Aid Eligibility Information
for Graduate Students
w Registration for summer classes begins March 16th, 2015.
w Disbursement of Federal financial aid for summer begins July 1st, 2015.
w The Summer 2015 Financial Aid Application deadline is July 10th, 2015.
SUMMER WORK-STUDY ELIGIBILITY
WHO IS ELIGIBLE?
Currently enrolled students meeting Satisfactory Academic Progress in a
degree-granting program at the University of Massachusetts Amherst are
eligible to receive summer financial aid. Undergraduates who graduate in
the spring of 2015 and are pursuing a Graduate Program that begins in the
summer are also eligible.
•
You must be a Graduate student enrolled in a degree seeking program in the
Spring 2015 and be returning as a Graduate student enrolled in a degreeseeking program in Fall 2015.
•
Eligibility for work-study is based on your Expected Family Contribution (EFC),
not to exceed 8499.
• Enrollment for summer classes is not required to be eligible for Summer
WHAT TYPE OF FINANCIAL AID IS OFFERED?
Federal financial aid for summer is based on your enrollment. Awards
may include a Direct Loan and/or Summer Work-Study, if eligible.
Listed below are the current annual loan limit amounts for Graduate
students, which are subject to change. Your Direct Loan awards for the
summer may be limited by your annual eligibility or lifetime aggregate limit.
Grade Level
Unsubsidized Loan
Academic year limit
Graduate
$20,500
$20,500
Lifetime Aggregate
$138,500
$138,500
The loan amounts shown represent the current annual maximum and may vary
depending on your eligibility, actual cost of attendance, other financial aid received
and expected family contribution.
SUMMER AID, SPIRE ‘TO DO’s’ and EMAIL
Please review your SPIRE award page and To Do list often to be sure
that your summer aid application has been processed. It is also important
to check your UMass email for any notifications from us.
SUMMER LOAN REQUIREMENT
You must maintain enrollment of 6 credits to receive the loan, and have
a valid Master Promissory Note (MPN) and Direct Loan Entrance
Counseling on file. Check your SPIRE To Do list for loan
document requirements.
GRADUATE STUDENTS (Not Enrolled for Credits)
If you are a graduate student not registered for credits, but working on
a dissertation, fieldwork or research, you may be eligible for summer
financial aid. You must provide a letter from your Program Director to the
Graduate Records Office certifying your enrollment status of at least 1/2
time to receive loans. Your enrollment status will be verified online.
Work-Study.
• Summer Work-Study funds are limited. Requests will be considered if funds are
available.
• Summer Work-Study can only be used towards an hourly position.
• The payroll dates for Summer Work-Study are May 10th- September 5th, 2015.
SUMMER LIVING EXPENSES AND ALTERNATIVE LOANS
If the financial aid you receive does not include all your living or
educational expenses, you may consider applying for an alternative loan.
For availability of alternative loans for summer, visit the lender’s website
or umass.edu/umfa/graduates/types-aid
REGISTERING FOR SUMMER CLASSES
You may register through SPIRE prior to your summer financial aid being
awarded. It is your responsibility to ensure your application is processed
by monitoring your SPIRE To Do list and your UMass email account.
• You will be notified via your SPIRE “To Do” list and your UMass email
account of any requirements or issues with your summer application.
• You must resolve incomplete applications and submit follow up documents
before July 10th, 2015, in order for your summer aid to be processed.
• Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) issues must be resolved by the
summer application deadline (July 10th, 2015) in order for your summer
financial aid to be processed.
PAYMENT OF SUMMER BILL AND REFUND OF EXCESS
NOTE: All charges that have been billed when aid is disbursed,
regardless of due date, will be paid before any refunds are issued.
Please plan accordingly.
•
Financial Aid funds will be disbursed* to your Bursar account on or after
July 1st, 2015, once enrollment of six or more credits is verified.
* Disbursed means the day the summer funds are credited to your
Bursar account, not the day you will receive your excess/refund.
If you are eligible for a refund you must enroll in Excess Express to
receive it. For more information about Excess Express visit the Bursar’s
website at: umass.edu/bursar/refunds-and-excess-express
July 10th, 2015, is the deadline to apply for summer aid.
Financial Aid Services 243 Whitmore Administration Building
181 Presidents Drive, Amherst, MA 01003
Phone: 413-545-0801
Web: umass.edu/umfa
Fax: 413-545-1700
Email: finaid@finaid.umass.edu
Summer 2015 Financial Aid Application
for Graduate Students
Name: _______________________________________________________________________
Last Name
First Name
SPIRE ID:_____________________________
Middle Initial
Summer Address: __________________________________________________________________________________________________________
# Street
Cell Phone #: (
) ______ - _________ Telephone #: (
City
) ______ - __________
State
Zip Code
My Expected Graduation Date is: _______/__________
MM
YYYY
Email Address____________________________________________________________
TO PROCESS YOUR APPLICATION FOR SUMMER LOANS, YOU MUST:
§ File a 2014-2015 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
§ Complete and submit the Summer 2015 Financial Aid Application.
§ Comply with all requests for additional financial aid documents.
BY APPLYING FOR SUMMER FINANCIAL AID YOU WILL BE CONSIDERED FOR LOANS AND WORK STUDY (√CHECK
ONE)
1 Federal Loan Only- The minimum enrollment is 6 credits to receive a Federal Loan.
1 Summer Work-Study Only- Enrollment in classes is not required.
1 Federal Loan and Summer Work-Study
For Your Information:
§ Summer work-study is a need based award with limited funding.
§ Eligibility for work-study is based on Expected Family Contribution (EFC), not to exceed 8499.
§ Summer work-study can only be used towards an hourly position.
NOTE: Your summer aid may be processed before Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) review is completed.
If you have an unresolved SAP determination your summer aid will be cancelled.
PLEASE COMPLETE THE SECTION BELOW TO DETERMINE YOUR LOAN ELIGIBILITY (√CHECK
ONE)
1 I will be enrolled in _____________credits this summer.
1 I will be enrolled in Program Fee/Continuous Enrollment.
(Performing fieldwork, research, or writing a dissertation that is considered at least half-time. Please note that your Graduate Program Director must submit
a letter to the Graduate Registrar’s Office confirming your half-time status for the summer to be eligible for Federal loans).
SUMMER FINANCIAL AID TERMS AND CONDITIONS:
By completing this application you agree to the terms and conditions listed below. Failure to meet any or all of these terms and conditions will result in the
cancellation, delay or non processing of your summer aid.
1. Your award(s) will be based on enrolled credits or program indicated above.
2. If you drop credits after picking up an excess refund, you may owe a bill to the Bursar’s Office.
3. You must follow up and complete any additional document request before your aid application can be processed. Check your SPIRE ‘To Dos’ and UMass email account
for notifications.
4. To get a Federal Direct Loan you must take and maintain at least 6 credits. Credits can be taken during one or all summer sessions.
5. Before any loan is applied to your bill and any excess released to you, a Federal Direct Loan Master Promissory Note (MPN) and Loan Entrance Counseling must be completed.
6. If your summer financial aid does not cover all charges, you are responsible to pay the balance due to the Bursar’s Office.
7. The deadline to submit requested documents for incomplete applications is July 10th, 2015.
8. Please check your email for communications about your summer awards or your SPIRE To- Dos.
By submitting this application I accept and understand the terms and conditions for receiving summer aid.
_________________________________________________________________________________
Student Signature
Date
Document must be signed with a real signature. Digital signatures are not accepted.
Fax complete form to: 413-545-1700
or email to: fadocs@finaid.umass.edu
*2015FSMR GRAD*