Can FAFSA cover summer classes at Yale? Desperate single mom teacher needs help

Yes, FAFSA can actually cover summer classes! The key is understanding that summer usually counts as part of the ENDING academic year, not the upcoming one. Your son needs to check if he's already used his full annual federal loan limits during fall/spring. If he hasn't maxed out, he can use the remaining eligibility for summer. Also, make sure he completes a Summer Aid Application directly with Yale - most schools require this separate form specifically for summer terms. The deadline is probably in March or April.

my daughter goes to Cornell and we ran into same thing last summer!!! its SO frustrating that they dont tell u summer isnt automaticlly coverd. you DEF need to fil out the special summer aid form. for us it was due like april 15 or something

Something nobody mentioned yet is that your son's yearly loan limit might be higher since he's a senior. Dependent students can usually borrow more in their 3rd and 4th years. If he only borrowed at the lower yearly amount for some reason, he might be able to get additional direct unsubsidized loans for summer without it coming from your Parent PLUS loans. Also, if Yale has any emergency grant funds (most schools do), summer is exactly when they're designed to help. Have him make an appointment with financial aid and specifically ask about emergency assistance funds for summer.

Just went through this exact scenario w my son at NYU!! The deadline for summer financial aid was WAY earlier than we expected. Summer aid is super limited. We actually had to take a private loan because we missed all the school deadlines. Its so frustrating how schools dont make this clearer!

I feel your pain! I couldn't reach anyone at financial aid when my daughter needed summer classes at Duke. After weeks of getting nowhere with emails and phone calls, I found Claimyr (claimyr.com) which got me through to a real person in the federal aid office in minutes instead of hours on hold. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ The FAFSA agent explained that summer aid requires: 1) at least half-time enrollment, 2) not exceeding annual loan limits, and 3) completing the school's summer aid application. My daughter got both a Pell Grant portion and loans for her summer term after we sorted this out.

Financial aid professional here. Here are your summer options: 1. Federal Direct Loans - If your son hasn't used his full annual limit, he can use remaining eligibility for summer. Seniors can borrow up to $7,500/year (only $5,500 for freshmen). 2. Parent PLUS - Yes, these can cover summer if you're approved based on credit. There's no fixed limit other than cost of attendance minus other aid. 3. Pell Grant - If your son receives Pell during the academic year, he may be eligible for "Year-Round Pell" which allows up to 150% of the annual amount if taking summer classes. 4. Institutional Aid - Yale specifically has summer funding programs, but deadlines are critical (typically March). 5. Private loans - Last resort option. The key is acting immediately. Have your son visit the financial aid office in person if possible, not just phone or email.

One more thing - check if Yale allows "Consortium Agreements" where your son could potentially take equivalent summer courses at a less expensive school (like a community college near home) and transfer them back. This saved us thousands when my daughter needed summer credits at Georgetown. Not all classes will qualify, but it's worth asking about.

you should look into if he qualifies for a dependency override maybe? my brother got one when my mom couldnt help with his college anymore and he got way more financial aid

Update for anyone who finds this later: We had success! After meeting with Yale financial aid (and yes, they had a separate summer aid form due in March that we just barely made), they're covering about 60% of the summer costs through a combination of loans and a small grant. For the remaining amount, we're using the consortium agreement idea to have him take one class at our local community college that will transfer back. Thank you all SO MUCH for your help - we're looking at about $3,800 out of pocket instead of $9,000+. Still not cheap but manageable with a payment plan.