Grants

A grant is gift aid that is typically based on financial need. Grants do not need to be repaid.

The only way to qualify for federal and state grants is to fill out a FAFSA each academic year before March 1st. You can do that at https://studentaid.gov/.

The only students who are eligible for the federal Pell Grant are undergraduates who are taking classes towards their first bachelor’s degree.

The FAFSA is used to apply for grants. As long as you fill out a FAFSA each year prior to March 1st, JMU will use that information to determine your grant eligibility.

No. Grants are automatically added to your award letter and accepted.

Yes, an EFC is used to determine grant eligiblity.

Yes. Your FAFSA needs to be filled out before March 1st each year in order to qualify for grants at JMU.

No. VTAG is only offered at private schools in Virginia. JMU is a state school and does not receive VTAG funding from the state, instead we receive VGAP.

No. Grants do not need to be repaid.

No. JMU does not participate in the Federal TEACH Grant Program.

Scholarships

There are a variety of different types of scholarships, but generally they are separated into two areas: need-based or merit-based.

To be eligible for need-based scholarships at JMU, you must file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The government uses this form to calculate an Expected Family Contribution (EFC). The financial aid office subtracts your EFC from your Cost of Attendance (COA) to determine your financial need. If you have any amount of financial need, you may qualify for need-based scholarships. Access the current or prospective student link for information about applying for scholarships.

The primary criterion for merit-based scholarships is exceptional academic performance. Other selection criteria may include leadership, involvement, geographical background, major field of study, and career goals. Pay special attention to deadlines as you prepare your scholarship application(s). Use the current or prospective student link to obtain information about applying for scholarships through the scholarships website.

At JMU, transfer students, who are currently enrolled when the application is due, are eligible for all scholarships available to current students.

Typically, students are notified of merit scholarship offers within 2-3 weeks after notification of admission. Students are notified via email, and if the FAFSA was completed, the scholarship will also appear on the preliminary financial aid award offer.

Merit scholarship offers are made up front, and would be included on the preliminary financial aid offer.  If you did not see a scholarship on the preliminary award offer, then unfortunately, you were not selected for a merit scholarship. We recommend using the information on the preliminary financial aid offer as the best information possible as to funding available for the upcoming year at JMU.

Scholarship deadlines vary, but generally occur early in the spring semester for the upcoming school year. Decisions are typically made around the end of the spring semester or during early summer.

A large percentage of outside scholarships come from churches, high schools, and organizations such as the Elks and Moose lodges. Also, large companies in your area or your parents' employers may be good resources. In some instances, you may not have to be directly associated with an organization to qualify for a scholarship.

Review our scholarship web site, seek scholarships through your community and academic departments, and do your research. It takes a lot of work to get scholarships, but the reward is well worth the effort.

If you have earned any outside scholarship funds, you are required to notify our office by completing the Supplemental Information Sheet. This information will be used in calculating your award package. If JMU has met 100 percent of your demonstrated need and subsequently you receive an outside scholarship, your financial aid package may need to be adjusted.

Direct Loans

A loan must be repaid after a student graduates, a grant does not.  Additionally, unlike grants, loans are repaid with interest and have different terms and conditions depending on the type of loan you choose, be it federal or private.

There are

and

Subsidized Loans are need based loans and do not accrue interest while students are in enrolled in at least six financial aid eligible credit hours, while Unsubsidized loans are not based on financial need and do accrue interest.

Parent PLUS loans are federal loans parents can apply for to benefit their undergraduate students.  These loans are non-transferable to the student, thus remaining in the parents’ name, which is the biggest difference between the PLUS loan, and a federal student loan. A parent applying for a PLUS loan does not necessarily have to be the parent on the FAFSA. Parent PLUS loans can help bridge the gap between the student’s eligible loan allocation, gift aid, or college savings plans, and what is left to pay on the bill. 

It depends on the lender. Different lenders have different interest rates so its whatever works best for you. To compare check out the interest rates for Federal Direct Loans here.

Another thing to note is that Private loans are never going to be forgiven, whereas a Plus loan may qualify for Public Service Loan Forgiveness.

Parent PLUS loans can be beneficial for parents who have a lower credit rating, but not an adverse credit history.  Additionally, if Parent PLUS loans are consolidated, they may qualify for Income Repayment Plans, which can help make payments more affordable.

A great place to start is by using the Preferred Lender List on our Private Loan Webpage. It is a great tool where learners can compare rates and conduct financial research.

To find out who your servicer is and make payments, go to studentaid.gov and log in visit your account dashboard. You will find the info there under the “My Loan Servicers” section.

For Federal Student Loans, repayment typically occurs 6 months after you graduate, or go below halftime (six financial aid eligible credit hours).

Yes, there are several limits in place for your year in school, your dependency status as well as program (UG vs. GR). See below for limits obtained from studentaid.gov.

Year

Dependent Students 

Independent Students (& those whose parents are unable to obtain a Parent PLUS)

First-Year Undergraduate Annual Loan Limit

$5,500 (max of $3,500 subsidized of this amount)

$9,500 (max of $3,500 subsidized of this amount)

Second-Year Undergraduate Annual Loan Limit

$6,500 (max of $4,500 subsidized of this amount)

$10,500 (max of $4,500 subsidized of this amount)

Third Year & Beyond Undergraduate Annual Loan Limit

$7,500 (max of $5,500 subsidized of this amount)

$12,500 (max of $5,500 subsidized of this amount)

Graduate or Professional Student Annual Loan Limit

N/A

$20,500 unsubsidized only

Subsidized & Unsubsidized Aggregate Loan Limit

$31,000 (max of $23,000 subsidized of this amount)

$57,500 for undergraduates (max of $23,000 subsidized of this amount)

$138,500 for graduate or professional students (max of $65,500 subsidized of this amount, the graduate aggregate limit inlcudes all federal loans used for undergraduate study)

 

Visit studentaid.gov and complete a FAFSA for the corresponding year.

Once a FAFSA is completed, we receive it, and based off of your student status, we add an offered loan(s) on your financial aid offer. Federal student loan offers can be accepted through a student's MyMadison account.

With private loans, you fill out an application with a lender and it comes to JMU to put on your account for you.

Only with Federal Direct Loans.

Private Educational Loans

You may borrow up to the cost of attendance minus all other financial aid. If you have not filed a FAFSA, we recommend that you do so prior to applying for a private loan as federally funded student aid may offer more favorable terms and conditions than private loans. 

The Cost of Attendance Calculator can be used to estimated the cost of attendance for your program of study.

Many lenders, but not all, require that you be enrolled at least half-time in a degree-seeking program. Some lenders allow students to be enrolled less than half-time or in a continuing education or certificate program

Many lenders will create a loan for a past-due balance. Other requirements apply and vary by lender. Contact lenders prior to applying to determine if they can meet your particular needs. After navigating to our preferred lender list, choose “Show Advanced Filters” to identify lenders offering past-due balance loans. 

This varies by lender. To determine whether SAP is a loan requirement, navigate to our preferred lender list and choose “Show Advanced Filters” or contact the lender directly. 

During the application process you will be required to provide the loan term dates; this refers to the term(s) of enrollment for which the private loan is applied and can include either a full academic year or single portion of the academic year (term/semester). Full-year loans are evenly divided so half disburses in fall and half disburses in spring. One semester loans will disburse once in each term. This does not mean funds will be immediately available at the start of the term rather that this is the term for which you are borrowing. 

 

Term

Start Date

End Date

Fall and Spring

August

May

Fall only

August

December

Spring only

January

May

Refer to Office of the Registrar: Academic Calendar for additional academic year/term information.

Interest Rates may be fixed or variable and are determined by your lender’s requirements. A fixed interest rate stays the same during a set period set forth by the lender (either a portion of or the entire loan period). Variable rates fluctuate periodically based on index changes.

There are different fees that a private lender may charge, and this is an important question to ask prior to completing a loan application.

Repayment terms and options vary by lender. Most require that you make a minimum payment while in school, while some may offer a full deferment. It is important to ask this question before applying with a lender. Remember, when you borrow money for your education, you are signing a legal obligation to repay the loan according to the terms and conditions set forth by your lender. You must repay your student loans even if you do not graduate or complete your education.

Only classes with a “Yes” under the “Eligible for Financial Aid” Column in “My Class Schedule” in MyMadison.  If you see a “Yes” next to one of your classes, then this course will be considered when your financial aid eligibility is calculated.  If you see a “No” next to one of your classes, then this class cannot be counted as part of your attempted credits when your financial aid eligibility is determined.   

It’s important to note that a Private Loan lender may indicate you qualify for a higher loan limit than what JMU will certify for you.  The lender is basing their decision primarily on financial measures (e.g., credit check, etc.) associated with your application, but JMU will need to certify your loan application with the lender before the loan can reach the final stage of approval.  The amount certified in the loan cannot exceed your Cost of Attendance, which is heavily influenced by the number of financial aid eligible classes you are registered for during the enrollment period.  For example, if you are registered for a total of 9 credit hours in a term and only 6 of them are listed with a Yes” under the “Eligible for Financial Aid” Column in “My Class Schedule” in MyMadison, then for financial aid purposes, your Cost of Attendance will be built based on 6 hours.

The Cost of Attendance Calculator can be used to estimated the cost of attendance for your program of study.

Student Employment

The Student Employment website is a great place to start! Here, you will find resources for on-campus jobs, off-campus jobs, and links to employment through Aramark (JMU Dining Services) and e-Follett (the JMU Bookstore). 

Handshake also has a wide variety of positions, for students in every major. You can search by location and many jobs are remote as well. If you’d like assistance navigating Handshake, please reach out to the University Career Center.

The Office of Financial Aid & Scholarships may award federal work-study (FWS) to eligible students as determined by results of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). In addition to establishing financial need through the FAFSA, eligible students must be degree-seeking undergraduate or graduate students enrolled at least a half time (6 financial aid eligible credits for undergraduates and 5 credits for graduates), who are maintaining good academic standing (meeting Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) and maintaing a cummulative GPA of 2.0 or better). Students usually work 10-12 hours per week while taking classes during the academic year. 

Federal Work-Study (FWS) eligibility is based on the results of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Students who are eligible will be awarded FWS as part of their financial aid offer. Students can view their financial aid on their MyMadison account by clicking on “View My Financial Aid” under the “Finance” section of the Student Center. Click on the current year to see your financial aid offer.

Yes- but only if you are eligible for a Subsidized Direct Loan. If you wish to reduce your Subsidized Direct Loan, we will be able to award you federal work-study (FWS). If you have any questions about your eligibility or if you would like us to reduce your loan so we can include FWS, then please email studentjobs@jmu.edu from your JMU email account.

Institutional Employment (IE) positions are part-time on-campus positions that are available to degree seeking students regardless of financial aid. There are over 300 departments around campus that hire students. 

Please note that Dining Services positions and Bookstore positions are not considered IE. Dining services employment is through Aramark and bookstore employment is through eFollett.

On the surface, federal work-study (FWS) and institutional employment (IE) positions look very similar. FWS positions are only for students who qualify based on financial aid. A FWS student will have a maximum amount of money that they can earn during the academic year. Once the student earns this amount, they will need to discontinue working in their position or check with their hiring department about the possibility to switch their employment to IE (institutional employment) status. The FWS wages can be deducted from the student’s reported total income by entering their FWS earnings on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). This way the earnings will not be included in the calculation of their expected family contribution (EFC)

Both IE and FWS positions:

Pay similar, taxable wages 

Have similar job titles and job duties 

Are posted on joblink.jmu.edu 

Cannot exceed 20 hours in one week 

Require the student to be degree seeking and enrolled in 6 undergraduate or 5 graduate credits 

Pay students twice a month through direct deposit 

Click here for a comparison chart. 

On-Campus jobs are posted on JMU Joblink

Click here for instructions on how to create an account with JobLink and apply for positions. 

Please be sure that your application is accurate before applying for a job. Once you apply, you will not be able to make changes to your application. 

If you forget your username or password, please email studentjobs@jmu.edu and we can reset it for you.

The Student Employment Office posts off-campus, part time job opportunities on the Student Employment website

Many commercial businesses do not post on our website, so be sure to inquire within if you are interested in a particular company. 

For a list of helpful websites that may assist you with finding a part-time job look at the "Helpful Links" here.

All UREC positions are posted on JobLink. UREC typically posts positions in February for the upcoming Summer and Fall semesters. Please check JobLink for job postings or contact the University Recreation Center to inquire about positions.   

There are several on-campus opportunities and off-campus opportunities for lifeguards. UREC and occasionally GKIN classes hire lifeguards. Both of these opportunities are posted on JobLink. If there you do not see any postings on JobLink, you can inquire directly with the department to determine when they will be recruiting for the position. 

Massanutten Resort is another great place to find lifeguard positions. Click here for more information about lifeguarding at Massanutten. 

You can also inquire with area fitness centers and gym facilities. (Harrisonburg 24/7 Fitness, Sentara RMH Wellness Center, etc)

There is a maximum limit of 20 hours that a student employee can work in one week. In order for students to be eligible for FICA tax exemptions, students cannot work more than 20 hours a week. Please refer to the Payroll’s Student Employment FICA Exemption Policy

If you are working in a Federal Work-Study (FWS) position, then you will not be able to earn more than what you were awarded on your Financial Aid offer. This could impact the number of hours you are able to work. On average, FWS positions are 10-12 hours a week. 

During week long (or more) school breaks (Thanksgiving, winter, spring and summer breaks), students may work 40+ hours a week (departments are responsible for paying overtime if a student works more than 40 hours in a week.) Students do not need to be enrolled in any credits during the break, but they must have intent to re-enroll after the break.

On-campus positions start at minimum wage, $12.00/hour, and can go up to $15.00 depending on the nature of the job. On average, students will make $13.00 an hour.

Off-campus jobs have a much broader range of wages. On average, students make $12.00 to $15.00 an hour. Off-campus jobs typically offer higher wages, but do not have the flexible schedules like on-campus jobs.

It depends on your job. On-campus positions are very flexible to fit with your class schedule. Most supervisors are also very understanding when you have an exam or an assignment-filled week. Of course it helps to give them as much notice in advance as possible. 

Some off-campus jobs are equally as flexible, but students tend to encounter more problems with these positions. 

Joblink

Please email studentjobs@jmu.edu with your full name and student ID number and we will be able to reset your password and send your username to you.

If you are applying for a Federal Work-Study position, you will need to attach a copy of your Official Financial Aid Offer as the “Other Document #1”. You can copy your financial aid offer by going to your MyMadison account and clicking on View My Financial Aid under “Finances”. Click on the current aid year. Copy and paste this into a Word document or PDF. 

If it is not a Federal Work-Study position, then reread the job posting. It should have directions that specify what to submit as “Other Document #1”. Examples include class schedule, writing samples, art samples, etc.

No, changes cannot be made to your application after you submit it, so please be sure to double-check it before you apply for a job.

The Bookstore and Dining Services are considered to be affiliates of the university and therefore they are not classified as “on-campus” jobs. Bookstore employment is through Follett Higher Education Group and Dining Services Employment is through Aramark. 

Click here for more information about the Bookstore employment. 

Click here for more information about Dining Service employment.

Satisfactory Academic Progress

Yes, it will affect the Pace calculation and Max Time requirement.

No, but you may qualify for some alternative loans that do not require SAP.

Even if improvement after a semester is enough to alleviate your SAP issue(s), federal regulations prohibit us from evaluating SAP for students more than once annually.  The only way to receive consideration for financial aid after being flagged as "not meet" is by submitting an appeal.

No, admission to the university does not guarantee financial aid eligibility.  The financial aid office will notify you if you fail SAP.  A separate appeal is required with the financial aid office.

No, you would need to submit an appeal, with appropriate supporting documentation, to receive consideration.

No, all attempted hours count in the SAP evaluation, including those excluded under the transfer equivalent option.  Therefore, you will not automatically meet SAP requirements based on this policy.

Some third party lenders offer private loans that do not require you to meet SAP standards. You can find some third party lenders that do not require SAP on our preferred lender list.  However, you may need a creditworthy cosigner to qualify.

As required by federal regulations, any dual enrollment hours that you earned based on work completed while in high school will count as attempted hours in the SAP evaluation.

Our SAP policy requires that we add the following hours to those that appear as attempted on your transcript (transfer, AP/IB credit, withdrawals, repeat/forgive, incompletes and credit hours earned by exam).  Divide the number of credit hours you earned by your total attempted hours.  If the answer is 67 percent or more, you meet the Pace (credits earned) requirement.

You are subject to the same standards as students who are pursuing a single major.  If you exceed the max time limit, you may submit an appeal for consideration.  Many students submit successful appeals and continue receiving financial aid until graduation.

Federal regulations stipulate that we grant your appeal one semester at a time.  You must fulfill the terms of an academic plan to continue receiving financial aid.  We encourage you to submit your appeal as early as possible.  An early appeal will receive an early response.

Verification

Verification is a normal process that all colleges and universities are required to complete. A lot of the time the Department of Education has randomly selected a student's FAFSA, however, there may be specific reason that is noted on the FAFSA we receive. 

No. Our office will be in contact with you if we require you to go through the Verification process.  We communicate with students through their JMU Dukes email and parents via the parent email listed on the FAFSA.

Unfortunately, we cannot produce an official financial aid award for students until Verification is complete.  Delays in the Verification process may decrease your chance of receiving certain types of financial aid.

Yes. We are able to accept signed copies of the 1040 tax return document, Tax Return Transcripts, or the successful use of the IRS Data Retrieval Tool.

Financial Aid Eligible Hours

Regulations stipulate that schools can only consider classes that count toward your degree requirements when awarding you financial aid.  Classes that can be counted when determining your financial aid eligibility are those that:

  • Count toward your Degree or General Education requirements
  • Are required for your major
  • Fulfil your elective hours to attain a minimum of 120 credit

If you see a “No” next to one of your classes, then this class cannot be counted as part of your attempted credits when your financial aid eligibility is being determined.  

For example, if you are registered for 12 credits, with 9 having a “Yes” and 3 having a “No,” then you will be considered a 9 hour student for the purposes of developing your financial aid package.

No, this is an individual student review as it is unique per student depending on what program of study you have declared and what classes you have already taken toward that program of study.  It is not based on the class itself, but rather the unique situation of each student.

If you are taking at least a full-time load of classes (i.e., 12 undergraduate credits) that are eligible for financial aid consideration, then taking additional classes that are not eligible for consideration will have no impact on your financial aid eligibility.

Students must be enrolled for at least a half-time course load of financial aid eligible hours to receive financial aid.  For example, an undergraduate student needs a “Yes” by at least 6 credit hours in a term to be considered for financial aid.  The exception is if you are eligible for a Federal Pell Grant.  In some situations, you can be enrolled for fewer than 6 hours and still receive this grant.

Students are only eligible to receive financial aid for classes that are needed to fulfill graduation requirements. Financial aid eligible classes are those that:

  • Count toward your Degree or General Education requirements
  • Are required for your major
  • Fulfill your elective hours to attain a minimum of 120 credit hours

In some situations, there will be no impact on your financial aid.  For example, if you are only eligible for the Federal Direct Subsidized Loan and Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan, then the chances are extremely high that you will have the exact same loan eligibility taking 12 hours as you would taking 9, or even 6.

However, if you are eligible for grants, then your grant will be affected as you cannot receive a full-time grant if you have less than a full-time load of hours counting toward your financial aid eligibility.  The same holds true if your parents wish to apply for a Parent PLUS Loan, as that eligibility will be reduced based on smaller levels of financial aid eligible hours.

You will still be charged for each class, whether the class is considered for financial aid or not.  However, when your financial aid is credited to the bill, it will be applied to whatever class charges are on your bill, even if some of those classes were not factored into your financial aid eligibility.

For example, if you are registered for 12 credits, with 9 having a “Yes” and 3 having a “No,” then your financial aid package can only count you as a 9 hour student for the purposes of developing your financial aid package.  However, you will be charged for 12 hours.  When your financial aid is credited to your bill, it will be applied to the charges for all 12 credits.  In many instances a less than full-time financial aid package will still be enough to cover full-time charges, but your financial aid refund could be smaller as a result of this.

It depends on if you are still working on major requirements. If you are, then classes for a declared minor may be eligible for financial aid consideration. However, if you have completed requirements for your major and satisfied all other graduation requirements, so you can technically graduate, the classes being taken for a minor would no longer be eligible for financial aid. 

Yes, any class that counts toward a declared major is eligible for financial aid consideration.  This includes situations where students may be double majoring.

Yes, any class that counts towards filling an elective (until you reach 120 cumulative credit hours, or the total number of credit hours required for your degree program) is eligible for financial aid consideration. It’s important to keep in mind that some programs provide students with more elective hours than others.

There are some valid reasons to submit an appeal.  Some examples are:

  • A course required for your major is displaying with a “No”.
  • You are required to retake a course in order to raise your GPA (major, minor, or cumulative).  In this situation, it’s important to note there are other rules that also come into play regarding how many times a student can receive financial aid for taking a course.  You can learn more about those rules in Section 14: Effects of Repeating Classes of the Office of Financial Aid & Scholarship’s “Terms and Conditions of Financial Aid – Consumer Information”.
  • You are required to take a course in order to replace test/transfer credit.

The following situations will not be considered for appeal (this is not an all-inclusive list):

  • You want, or need, to be considered full-time for any reason (e.g., insurance, housing, etc.).  Remember, if you are taking at least 12 credit hours a semester, you will be considered enrolled as a full-time student, even if all 12 credits are not “Aid Eligible.”
  • You want to take classes to help make you a more desirable candidate for enrollment in a future degree program (e.g., graduate school, etc.).
  • You are an undergraduate student taking graduate level classes that will only apply to a future graduate program (These classes are not counting towards any of your current undergraduate requirements).
  • You wish to take additional, non-required, classes for exploratory purposes and you already have earned over the minimum number of credit hours to graduate (generally 120).
  • Students who have a valid appeal reason should submit the Appeal Form for Class Eligibility for Financial Aid found in the forms section as soon as possible.
Attendance Verification

The federal requirement of having to attend classes in order to establish financial aid eligibility is not new. Beginning in the Summer 2020 term, a process was developed to provide a more automated method for professors to confirm attendance through class rosters in MyMadison. We hope this process will help make the attendance confirmation requirement easier to manage for everyone involved.

This requirement directly affects students with financial aid, but it is also important for headcount and enrollment reporting purposes for the university. If a student has no academic activity in their class(es) they will be administratively withdrawn from it/them by the Registrar's Office regardless of financial aid status.

An email will be sent from the Registrar's Office indicating that because of non-activity you will be administratively withdrawn from the course.

If you have financial aid, we will adjust it (if needed) based on your new enrollment

Yes, but it is completely up to the instructor so you would need to contact them to discuss your options.

If your professor decides to change their answer, they will need to communicate that with our office.

Both you and your professor will receive an email

Your professor's email will have instructions to email our office with their responses so the information can be entered manually.
Your email will be informational so you are aware of the situation and can contact your professor as well in an attempt to obtain the necessary attendance verification.

Note: If rosters aren't completed during the 7-day window after census date, the resolution of manually entering information can be very time-consuming. We appreciate your patience while this is resolved as quickly as possible.

If professors indicate "yes" for all of your classes, nothing will be affected.

If one or more of your professors enter "no," we will look at the types of financial aid you've received and adjust accordingly.

For example, if you have a Pell Grant and you were enrolled in 12 financial aid eligible hours and a professor indicated "no" for one class, bringing you down to 9 FA hours, your budget for that semester and the Pell grant amount would be reduced to reflect 9 FA hours.

This change will not reduce your tuition charges so it could result in a bill.

If all of your professors enter "no," you will essentially be withdrawn from the university and any financial aid you have for that semester would need to be canceled.

Summer Financial Aid

The process of awarding financial aid for the Summer term will begin early May. You must:

  • Have the new academic years FAFSA submitted prior to submitting your Summer aid application.
  • Be registered for all of your Summer school classes prior to submitting your Summer school application.
  • Return to www.jmu.edu/financialaid on or after the start of Summer class enrollment to complete the JMU Summer School Financial Aid Application, which will be available on this website.

Summer aid funds will not be available until after you start your classes, so come prepared to cover your initial expenses. You should start summer school with enough money to cover all of your expenses as there are some cases where financial aid funds may not be available until your summer classes are over.

Refer to the Fiscal Year Shutdown section of our website for information regarding potential delays.

Receiving a Federal Pell Grant in the Summer term will not reduce your awards for the Fall and Spring terms. The exception to this is if you’ve reached your lifetime limit on receiving Federal Pell Grants. You can see more about this in the JMU Summer Financial Aid video. Taking Subsidized or Unsubsidized Direct Loan money in summer school will reduce your loan eligibility for the following Fall and Spring terms.

For example, a dependent student with 80 credit hours has an annual Direct Loan eligibility of $7,500. This means $7,500 is the most the student can receive between the Summer, Fall, and Spring terms. Therefore, any amount taken in summer will reduce fall and spring eligibility.

Yes. The JMU Summer School Financial Aid Application is required to determine a student's summer financial aid eligibility, and this includes private education loans; failure to submit the application may cause significant delays in the processing of your private loan certification. 

All students who apply for summer aid will have a registration hold placed on their account. You will not be able to adjust your summer school registration without first consulting the Office of Financial Aid & Scholarships. This hold will not impact your ability to register for the fall term. It only affects your ability to make changes to your summer registration.

This hold is being placed in order to protect you, as it necessitates a discussion with the Office of Financial Aid & Scholarships prior to changing your registration. This provides our office the opportunity to advise you of how the potential changes can impact your aid so you are not surprised with a bill later in the summer if/when aid is reduced.

As a result of the summer registration hold, you will need to speak with the Office of Financial Aid & Scholarships prior to the hold being removed so you can adjust your schedule. For this reason, it is important to have your summer registration finalized prior to submitting your JMU Summer School Financial Aid Application. Should you need the summer registration hold temporarily removed, please complete the Summer Course Change Request Form and we will notify you via JMU email once we process your request.

Please note: During peak registration times (drop/add), it may take a full business day before your hold is lifted. Any form received after 3PM (M-Th or 10AM on Friday) may not be processed until the following business day.

Per regulations, all loans must be processed by the end of the loan period. This means for undergraduate students, the deadline for processing loans for ANY session of summer school is August 9, 2023, which will allow processing by the last day of the summer term. For graduate students, the deadline for processing loans for ANY session of summer school is August 9, 2023, which will allow processing by the last day of the summer term.

Summer aid funds will not be available until after you start your classes, so be prepared to cover your initial expenses. If you are in a short-term program, you may have to cover all of your expenses prior to your financial aid refund being available. We strongly encourage you to sign up for direct deposit prior to your trip departure. If you do this, the University Business Office will deposit your refund (when available) into your bank account while you are away, giving you access to the funds as quickly as possible.

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