Financial aid for summer attendance is usually limited to loans from the Federal Direct Loan Program or private alternative loans. You may be eligible to borrow from the Federal Direct Loan Program if you:
- register for and maintain a total summer course load of at least six (6) undergraduate credit hours or four (4) graduate credit hours(or full-time dissertation guidance) for federal direct loans, and meet all other general eligibility requirements for receiving aid, such as being a degree-seeking student and making satisfactory academic progress, and
- have not already borrowed the annual federal loan limit for your class standing, as determined by the number of credits you have earned.
- have applied for aid for the current (not the upcoming) academic year via the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) at fafsa.gov (Catholic University's Federal Title IV code is 001437)
- Summer financial aid cannot disburse until all spring grades are posted and Satisfactory Academic Progress is reviewed
Summer 2025 Application will be available around April 2025
Federal Direct Loan Program Annual Maximums
If you have not reached your annual loan limit for the academic year, you can borrow the difference between the loan limit for your grade level and your current loan. For example, if you are a dependent freshman and borrowed $3,000 in the fall and/or spring, you may be eligible for a summer loan of up to $500.
The amount you can borrow annually depends on your grade level, as determined by the number of credits you have earned. Loans are also limited to amounts that do not exceed the Cost of Attendance (COA) for the semester/year the student is enrolled for.
Annual Loan Limits
| Grade Level* | Earned Credits | Dependent** | Independent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Freshman | 0-29 | $5,500 | $9,500 |
| Sophomore | 30-59 | $6,500 | $9,500 |
| Junior | 60-89 | $7,500 | $12,500 |
| Senior | 90+ | $7,500 | $12,500 |
| Graduate | n/a | n/a | $20,500 |
*The individual departments determine grade level and some vary from the standards above.
**You are considered dependent if you were required to report parental income information on the FAFSA.
In order for the Office of Student Financial Assistance to process your federal loan eligibility for the summer term, we must receive your completed valid FAFSA results from the U.S. Department of Education three weeks before the end of the last summer session which you plan to be registered.
Undergraduate - Federal Pell Grant
In addition, if you are a Federal Pell Grant recipient and were enrolled less than full time during the previous academic year, you may have remaining eligibility for the Federal Pell Grant Program.
Commercial Loans
Students who have reached their annual Federal Direct Student Loan limit can consider applying for a private/alternative loan. Students are urged to explore and exhaust their federal loan eligibility before considering commercial education loans which generally carry higher interest rates and origination fees. For more information, please review the Loan Types and Applying for Loans sections of this website.
Late FAFSA Federal Submission Deadlines
2023–24 Academic Year
The FAFSA form must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. CT on June 30, 2024. Any corrections or updates must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. CT on Sept. 14, 2024.
2024–25 Academic Year
The FAFSA form had to be submitted by 11:59 p.m. Central time (CT) on June 30, 2025. Any corrections or updates must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. CT on Sept. 9, 2025.