Summer Financial Aid

SUMMER FINANCIAL AID

Summer is an excellent time to catch up or get ahead in your studies, stay on track for graduation, and explore new and engaging courses.

Eligible students may receive financial aid for the summer term, including the Federal Pell Grant and New York State awards such as TAP. Students may also be able to use Federal Direct Loans or Federal PLUS Loans to help cover summer expenses.

It is important to understand how receiving summer financial aid may affect your financial aid eligibility for the upcoming fall and spring semesters. Federal programs such as the Pell Grant and Direct Loans have annual limits on the amount a student can receive.

SUMMER FEDERAL PELL GRANT

The Summer Pell Grant allows eligible students to receive up to 150 percent of their annual Pell award. This additional funding can help you take Summer classes at a reduced cost or even tuition-free, giving you the chance to earn extra credits, stay on track academically, and reduce future semester workloads.

Benefits of the Federal Pell Grant include:

  • Earning additional credits to stay on pace for timely graduation.
  • Completing prerequisite courses needed to declare or progress in a major.
  • Helping you meet the 30-credit requirement for NYS Excelsior Scholarship eligibility.

Students who still have remaining Pell eligibility will be automatically reviewed for a Summer Pell award. If eligible, the summer award will be posted directly to your CUNYfirst account during the Summer term. No separate FAFSA application is required. For more information on Summer Pell, please visit the CUNY website.

SUMMER PELL ELIGIBILITY

The additional funds provided by the Year-Round Pell Grant do not require repayment. To be eligible for the Summer Pell Grant funds, you must:

  • Complete the FAFSA application
  • Complete all CUNYfirst “To Do” items. If you have a “Verify My FAFSA” item, it must be completed and processed.
  • Demonstrate financial need
  • Be enrolled (matriculated) in a degree-seeking program
  • Have a high school diploma, GED, or be home-schooled
  • Not have already earned a bachelor’s degree or professional certificate
  • Be a U.S. citizen, permanent resident, or an eligible non-citizen
  • Have a valid Social Security number
  • Must be meeting Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)
  • Have Lifetime Pell Grant (LEU) eligibility remaining

SUMMER NEW YORK STATE TAP

If you meet certain requirements, the New York State Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) can help cover the cost of your summer classes. Summer TAP is based on the upcoming academic year TAP application.

For example, Summer 2026 will use the 2026-2027 TAP application. To be considered, students must add the Queens College TAP code (1416) to the summer field on their application.

SUMMER TAP ELIGIBILITY

To qualify for Summer TAP, students must meet the following requirements:

  • You must have been registered at Queens College for both the Fall and Spring semesters immediately before the summer session. For example, to be considered for Summer 2026 TAP, you must have been enrolled in Fall 2025 and Spring 2026.
  • You must have earned at least 24 credits applicable to your degree during the prior two semesters and been enrolled in 12 or more credits in the Spring semester immediately before summer.
  • If you will have 60 or more credits towards your degree by the start of summer, you must have formally declared your major with the Registrar’s Office before enrolling in summer classes.

Eligibility for SEEK students:

  • Students in the SEEK program are eligible for up to 10 semesters of opportunity program support.
  • All special program students are allowed one immersion summer session and two regular summer sessions.
  • The maximum funding for books and supplies is determined separately for the regular academic year and the summer session, based on available funding.

FEDERAL DIRECT LOANS

Federal Direct Loans are low-interest loans from the U.S. Department of Education to help students and families pay for college. Queens College determines your eligibility and loan amount based on your FAFSA, and funds are applied first to tuition and fees. Since these are loans, they must be repaid after you leave school or drop below half-time enrollment.

The Federal Direct Loan Program includes Subsidized Loans, Unsubsidized Loans, and PLUS Loans, each with different eligibility rules and benefits to help cover college costs.

Eligibility for Summer Direct Loans is based on your FAFSA application for the respective academic year. Summer 2026 will be considered be completing the 2026-2027 FAFSA application.

Please visit our Federal Loans page for more information about types of loans, borrowing limits, and how to apply.

The deadline to submit a request for the Summer 2025 Federal Loan was August 4th, 2025. 

SUMMER FEDERAL LOANS ELIGIBILITY

The following requirements must be met in order for your federal loan to be processed:

  • A valid FAFSA for the academic year you are requesting the loan.
  • Be a U.S Citizen or eligible noncitizen.
  • Completion of all CUNYfirst “To Do” items. If you have a “Verify My FAFSA” item, it must be completed and processed.
  • Completion of Entrance Counseling and Master Promissory Note (MPN).
  • Enrollment in an eligible degree or certificate program.
  • Enrollment in at least 6 credits (half-time).
  • Must be meeting Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP).
  • Not be in default on any existing federal student loan or owe a refund on a federal grant.
  • Must have borrowing eligibility remaining.

Important: Every student has an annual borrowing limit for federal loans, which caps the total amount you can request each academic year. If you take out a federal loan for the summer, it will count toward that limit. Keep this in mind if you plan to request loans for the upcoming fall and spring semesters. For more details, visit our Federal Loans page.

If you have any questions, contact the Loans Team at directloans@qc.cuny.edu.

FEDERAL WORK-STUDY (FWS)

Students awarded Federal Work-Study (FWS) for the 2025-2026 academic year may use their awards during Summer 2025 if they accept placement in an off-campus community service job.

To apply, please email QCWorkStudy@qc.cuny.edu. Be sure to bring a resume when contacting us. You must also be registered for at least 6 credits in Summer 2025 and/or Fall 2025 to be eligible.

Please note that students entering Queens College for the first time in Fall 2025 are not eligible for summer community service jobs through the FWS program.

FWS ELIGIBILITY

Students may be eligible to use Federal Work Study (FWS) funding during Summer 2025 if they meet all program requirements and funding is available. To qualify for Summer FWS, students must:

Please note that funding for the FWS program is limited, and awards are offered based on available funding. If you have not been awarded federal work-study on Cunyfirst, you may not be eligible.