Summer Financial Aid

The summer 2025 term is considered part of the 2024 – 2025 academic year. Unlike the fall and spring semesters, summer term(s) are offered for fewer weeks than the regular semester of 15 weeks. To preserve the credits assigned to courses, the length of course meeting times or frequency of meeting times each week during the summer term will be different than in the 15-week semester. 
 
The charge for courses in the summer 2025 term will be $1,310 per credit, the same as that established for the 2024 – 2025 academic year. This is consistent with The Cooper Union’s 50% merit tuition scholarship commitment available to all students in good standing. The percent of the aid available to students is based on their 2024 – 2025 FAFSA. In the fall and spring semesters, students must be enrolled full-time to be eligible for the 50% merit tuition scholarship award, however in the summer term, students can be enrolled part-time and receive the pro-rated Cooper Union tuition merit award. 
 
Fees are not included in The Cooper Union tuition scholarship award. A mandatory registration fee of $568 will be charged to any student registered for summer courses. This fee is payable on acceptance of admission or registration and is nonrefundable after the start of class. All Pell eligible students will receive financial assistance to pay the registration fees. 
 
The Cooper Union scholarship awarded in the summer will be pro-rated based on the percentage of tuition covered by The Cooper Union scholarship in the immediately preceding fall and spring semesters. Cooper financial aid and scholarships are awarded (toward tuition only, students are required to pay fees in full) on the basis of the existing award on file for each student. For example, a student who receives Cooper aid totaling 60% of tuition during the regular academic year will receive a 60% award towards tuition (excluding fees) for summer.

Example 1
The student is awarded The Cooper Union 50% merit tuition award
A student receives a total tuition award of 50%. Tuition is $44,550 based on full-time enrollment in the fall and spring semesters, and the minimum 50% tuition award is $22,275. In the summer term, the student enrolls in a 3-credit course. The total cost of the 3-credit summer course tuition is $1,350/credit or $4,050. The 50% tuition award is applied, totaling $4,050 x 50% or $2,025. The student will be billed and responsible for a tuition bill of $2,025. 

Example 2
The student is awarded The Cooper Union 50% merit tuition award plus an additional need-based grant award 
During the regular academic year (fall/spring semesters), the student received a total tuition award of $33,412 (including The Cooper Union 50% merit tuition award of $22,275). Tuition is $44,550 based on full-time enrollment. The percent of tuition met through The Cooper Union support is $33,412 / $44,550 or 75% of the total tuition. In the summer term, this student enrolls in a 3-credit course. The total cost of the 3-credit summer course tuition is $1,350/credit or $4,050. The student receives a 75% tuition award for the summer, consistent with the percent awarded in the fall and spring semesters. The 75% Cooper Union award is applied to the summer charges, totaling $4,050 x 75% or $3,037.50. The student will be billed and responsible for a tuition bill of $1,012.50. 

To be eligible for additional federal aid, such as Pell grants or loans for the summer term, students must have a completed 2024 – 2025 FAFSA on file, and they must be registered at a minimum as a part-time student. 

  • Undergraduate students: part-time status requires a minimum enrollment of 6 credits
  • Graduate students: part-time status requires a minimum enrollment of 4.5 credits

Federal Loans

Based on their year in school (1st-year, 2nd-year, etc.), a student is eligible to borrow up to the maximum amount of federal loan as established by the Department of Education Federal Student Aid for that year. If they have not borrowed the annual maximum amount during the fall and spring semesters, they can borrow the remaining amount for which they are eligible for the summer term; they can borrow up to the maximum annual/aggregate eligibility limit. For more information, visit the Federal Student Aid website or contact financialaid@cooper.edu.

Pell Grant Eligibility

The amount of Federal Pell Grant funds a student may receive over their lifetime is limited by federal law to be the equivalent of six years. Since the amount of a scheduled Pell Grant award a student can receive each award year is equal to 100%, the six-year equivalent is 600%. Therefore, the maximum time frame that students may receive a Pell Grant is the equivalent of 12 full-time semesters or 600% of Pell Grant Eligibility. This is considered a student’s Lifetime Eligibility or LEU. 
 
The Summer Pell awards described below will apply towards the Lifetime Eligibility Used (LEU). See Calculating Pell Grant Lifetime Eligibility Used

Pell Grants for Summer Term

As part of the Year-Round Pell program, Pell-eligible students may receive a Pell Grant for up to 150% of their scheduled award for the year. For example, if a student is awarded $6,195 for the year (100% of Pell eligibility), then under the Year-Round Pell program, the student may receive up to $3,098 (50% of Pell eligibility) for attending college in the summer.

Therefore, for the 2024 – 2025 academic year, Pell-eligible students can receive an additional Pell Grant for the summer term. However, to earn the remaining Pell Grant the student has to be registered for a minimum number of credits during the summer. Details regarding minimum credit eligibility is provided below.

Minimum Credits for Summer Pell

If a student is enrolled full-time (12+ credits) and received the full-time Pell Grant amount for the fall and spring semesters, they must enroll at least part-time (6 credits) in summer classes to receive the remainder summer Pell Grant.

If a student is enrolled part-time in the fall or spring semesters, there is no minimum credit requirement to receive a summer Pell Grant. The student can use the remainder of their annual Pell Grant during summer with no minimum credit requirement. Therefore, students taking less than 6 credits during the summer may be eligible for a Pell Grant award if they have filed the upcoming year’s FAFSA, are Pell-eligible, and have Pell Lifetime Eligibility Usage (LEU) left.
 
Eligibility for Summer Pell

To be eligible for a summer Pell Grant a student must:

  • Have completed a FAFSA for the 2024 – 2025 academic year (students are strongly encouraged to have filed their FAFSA for the upcoming year)
  • Be Pell Grant eligible
  • Enroll in summer classes
  • Enroll in at least 6 credit hours if they were enrolled full-time in the fall and spring semesters
  • Be meeting Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)
  • Have lifetime Pell Grant eligibility remaining

Pell Grant FAQ

Why did my Summer Pell award get reduced?
There is a lifetime aggregate limit of six years for Pell or its part-time equivalent. If you are close to or have reached that limit, you will not be eligible for or will see a reduction in your summer Pell award.

Will I need to submit a Summer Pell form in order to be eligible?
No. Year-Round Pell does not require a separate form; it only requires that you file a FAFSA.

How can I check my Pell Lifetime Eligibility Usage (LEU)?
Check the Federal Student Aid website for more information about and how to view your Pell LEU usage.
 
I can take only one class or fewer than 6 credits this summer, can I still receive a Pell Award?
If you did not enroll in fall or spring or both semesters, or you enrolled as part-time in the fall and/or spring semester, you can receive a Pell Grant based on your registered classes. There will be no minimum credits requirement. However, if you enrolled as full-time for both fall and spring semesters, then you must enroll in a minimum of 6 credits to be eligible for the Pell.

Why must I take 6 credits during the summer in order to qualify for the additional amount of Pell?
This is a federal regulation.

Can I take a total of 6 credits from two different summer sessions in order to meet the Pell requirement?
Yes. You can combine credits in different summer sessions toward the 6-credit minimum requirement for Year-Round Pell.

What happens to the Pell Grant if I don’t enroll in summer courses and don’t use the Pell Grant for summer?
Any Pell Grant or portion that is not used (disbursed) for the summer will not be counted toward the Pell Grant Lifetime Limit.

Will summer Pell affect my 2024 – 2025 Pell Grant or future eligibility?
No. It will not affect the 2024 – 2025 eligibility amount, but it will affect a student’s Pell LEU (Lifetime Eligibility Used). In other words, using the Pell Grant for summer will reduce a student’s remaining eligibility for the remainder of their academic program.

What happens if I drop or withdraw from my classes in the summer while receiving Pell?
Payment of a summer session Pell Grant depends on your attendance in the classes you are enrolled in. Dropping or withdrawing from classes may reduce or cancel your award and result in a tuition balance owed to the college. If you receive Pell for enrolled classes and you fail to attend, you will have to return those funds immediately to the office of student accounts. Please submit payment via the student self-service portal. 

What if I have additional questions?
Contact the office of financial aid at financialaid@cooper.edu with any questions. If you are a current student, please schedule an appointment with our team:

  • Founded by inventor, industrialist and philanthropist Peter Cooper in 1859, The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art offers education in art, architecture and engineering, as well as courses in the humanities and social sciences.

  • “My feelings, my desires, my hopes, embrace humanity throughout the world,” Peter Cooper proclaimed in a speech in 1853. He looked forward to a time when, “knowledge shall cover the earth as waters cover the great deep.”

  • From its beginnings, Cooper Union was a unique institution, dedicated to founder Peter Cooper's proposition that education is the key not only to personal prosperity but to civic virtue and harmony.

  • Peter Cooper wanted his graduates to acquire the technical mastery and entrepreneurial skills, enrich their intellects and spark their creativity, and develop a sense of social justice that would translate into action.