Students initially request summer aid when they complete their online aid acceptance process in Cyberbear for the entire year. One of the questions on this form allows the student to indicate their attendance plans for the summer term. Our office uses this answer to review summer aid eligibility.

If a student is unsure what they originally indicated for summer enrollment in Cyberbear, they can log back in and view their Financial Aid “Home” section, which provides a summary of the originally submitted answers. If a student’s summer attendance plans have changed they can fill out the online Enrollment Status Change form, which will notify our office of their intent to enroll for summer and initiate the review of summer aid.

Students enrolled in summer courses will automatically be considered for the Federal Pell Grant if they have not already reached the annual maximum. Students who attend 12 or more credits both Autumn and Spring should be enrolled in at least 6 credits in the summer term to be considered for additional Pell Grant funding.

Work Study Information:

Spring Work Study positions end on May 10, 2024. Students who have not been approved for a Summer Work Study position must stop work on May 17, 2024. Students who have been offered Summer Work Study pay begin their summer position as early as May 20, 2024.

Types of Summer Work Study

There are two types of Summer Work Study: In-school Summer Work Study, and Summer Work Study Only.

The In-school Summer Work Study program is designed for students who plan to primarily take courses over the summer, working part time. To be considered for this program, a student must be enrolled for at least six credits during summer sessions.  The six credits may be obtained in one summer session or split between the two sessions. The student must also have filed their FAFSA for the current school year (2023-2024) and completed any requirements for consideration of an offer. The In-school Summer Work Study offer is typically $1,800 and students are limited to an average of 19 hrs per week during any session in which they are taking 6 or more credits.

The Summer Work Study Only program is designed for students who plan to primarily work during the summer, taking few if any classes. To be considered for the Summer Work Study Only program, a student does not need to be enrolled in credits.  However, the student is expected to be enrolled in at least 6 credits for the autumn 2024 semester. 

Students taking summer classes may also apply for the larger Work Study Only award if they are taking no more than 5 credits and are enrolled for fall. The student must also have filed their FAFSA for the upcoming school year (2024-2025) and completed any requirements for consideration of an award. The In-school Summer Work Study offer is typically $1,800 and students are limited to 40 hrs per week and any time beyond that will be charged 100% to the employer.

Applying for Summer Work Study

Students who meet the program criteria and indicated enrollment plans of at least 6 or more credits for the summer term in Cyberbear, will be automatically be considered for the In-School work-study program.

Students who want to pursue the Work-Study only program option for the summer and are enrolled in 0-5 credits in the summer term, need to submit the request for the Summer Hire Form. Please note that Work-Study Only requests will not begin to be reviewed until April 1^st, and only if the student is enrolled in at least 6 credits for the upcoming autumn 2024 semester, and UM has received their 2024-2025 FAFSA. Requests made by students who don’t meet these criterion will not be able to be processed until both of these indicators (autumn enrollment and 2024-25 FAFSA) are on file at UM.

At the end of the summer, the student will need to submit a new hire form for the academic year (only one form for fall and spring) if they have been awarded work-study for the school year. Once a student has been approved and their hire form has been processed by the financial aid office, they may begin working as early as May 20^th and must end by August 18^th. 

It is the responsibility of the student and the employer to monitor and plan according to the student’s pay rate, scheduled hours, and work study offer amount. The offer amount represents the student’s total gross earnings, not the employer’s share of their earnings. If a student earns $9.50/ hr and has an offer of $4,000, they can only work ~421 hours (or 10.5 weeks) before their work study funding runs out.

Request a Work Study Hire Form

Summer Hire Forms may be requested on this page.

Federal Direct (Subsidized and Unsubsidized) Loans are available to students who have not already reached their annual loan limits prior to the summer semester. Students whose grade level has changed from freshmen to sophomore or from sophomore to junior by the start of the Summer Semester may also be eligible for additional Federal Direct Loans.

If a parent borrower would like to request a PLUS Loan for the summer term, they will need to complete a Parent PLUS Loan Request on studentaid.gov and indicate the 2023-2024 aid year. If they previously requested a PLUS Loan for the 2023-2024 year, the parent borrower will update the amount requested, which will notify our office of their request to increase their loan for the year, which includes the summer term.

Federal PLUS Loans are available to graduate students who have reached their annual loan limits for the Federal Direct Loan Program and need additional funding.

Students may apply for private student loans. The student would need to apply with a bank or lending agency and complete all their requirements. That agency will contact the Financial Aid Office for certification.

Your Rights and Responsibilities For Receiving Summer Financial Aid at The University of Montana

Explanation of Your Summer Financial Aid:

• This offer is contingent upon the availability of funds and subject to change during the award period in accordance with federal regulations, institutional policy, and the accuracy of information provided by you.
• Summer financial aid at The University of Montana is awarded based on any remaining aid eligibility a student has left from the preceding school year. If a student has exhausted their yearly maximums in federal aid (loans, grants, etc.) over the course of the regular academic year at any institution, there may not be any funding available for the summer term.
• The amount of Federal Pell Grant listed on your summer award is your maximum remaining eligibility for the year. The actual amount you receive may be less and will depend on the number of credits for which you are enrolled for the summer terms.
• Tuition waivers will always match tuition charges and an increase or decrease in credits will affect the actual value listed on your bill. Mandatory and optional fees are not covered with tuition waivers.
• Federal Direct loans (Subsidized and Unsubsidized) and Federal Plus loans are subject to origination fees. Enrollment in six credits is the minimum number of credits needed to qualify for a federal loan. If a student has not completed a Federal Direct Student Loan MPN and/or Loan Entrance Counseling, they must do so at: www.studentaid.gov.
• Work Study is awarded for the summer enrollment period and may not be carried over into the following academic year.

Conditions for Receiving Summer Financial Aid at The University of Montana:

• I understand that I must be making satisfactory academic progress in a course of study leading to a degree. I further understand that my financial aid will be canceled if I fail to meet satisfactory academic progress requirements. Information detailing your eligibility requirements is available online. (link to maintaining eligibility)
• If I do not begin attendance in all classes, withdraw from a class or receive all failing grades, I understand (1) I may not have earned my federal aid and may owe a repayment, and (2) I may be ineligible for further aid.
• I will inform the Financial Aid Office promptly of any other money I receive for educational purposes. Assistance that must be reported includes, but is not limited to: scholarships, Vocational Rehabilitation, Military Benefits, National Guard, Tribal Higher Education funding, residency status changes, and switching to a program at another campus.
• Grant amounts are adjusted based on changes in enrollment status up until August 1st. This adjustment can occur after the grant has already been disbursed. Repayment of grant aid may be required if your credit load has dropped by that day. No changes are made to grant amounts after that day, even if you add credits.

Authorizations Given to The University of Montana:

• I understand that the Title IV aid authorizations I made when completing the aid acceptance for the year in my Cyberbear account for the 2022-2023 academic year will remain in effect for the summer term charges on my UM account.
• I understand that I may cancel or change these authorizations by contacting the Financial Aid Office in writing at any time. I also understand that I am responsible for payment of any outstanding university charges before my financial aid will be released.
• I understand my original acceptance of the terms and conditions in Cyberbear certifies my acceptance of the above authorizations and responsibilities.