Students who are enrolled in classes at least half-time during the summer can apply for student loans to cover the cost of tuition and living expenses for the summer program. If you are enrolled less than half-time during the summer, you will need to pay out-of-pocket or borrow a private education loan (see Borrow Private Education Loan) to cover your summer charges. Please see below for what constitutes half-time enrollment and the additional requirements for each summer program.
How do I apply for summer financial aid?
Financial aid for the summer is not automatically awarded, even if you indicate on the FAFSA that you plan to enroll in summer classes or after you register for summer classes. Please follow the steps below to complete the summer financial aid process. The priority deadline to complete Step 1 and Step 2 is March 15, 2026.
Step 1. Complete the 2026-2027 FAFSA online at www.studentaid.gov
Step 2. Complete the Temple Law School Financial Aid Request Form online at https://www4.law.temple.edu/financialaidrequests/
Step 3. Complete the online 2026 Summer Loan Request Form.
Step 4. After you file the financial aid forms, the Law School Financial Aid Office will reach out to you to schedule an appointment to authorize your financial aid package for the summer program. Summer financial aid appointments will begin in March. Please review the information below to make sure you meet all requirements to borrow loans for the summer.
If you have additional questions after reviewing the information below, please feel free to contact us or stop by our office during business hours (no appointment necessary).
What summer programs qualify for financial aid?
You can use financial aid to attend the summer programs listed below as long as you also meet the additional requirements for the program.
Summer Programs and Additional Requirement
Study Abroad in Rome
You must be admitted to the Rome program and register for at least 4 credits. If you drop below 4 credit hours after receiving loan money, you will be required to return your student loan refund and the loan funds will be returned to the lender.
Temple Law School - Main Campus
You must register for at least 4 credits. If you drop below 4 credit hours after receiving loan money, you will be required to return your student loan refund and the loan funds will be returned to the lender. The summer course schedule should be available in April. You must submit a summer registration request to Student Affairs before you schedule your financial aid appointment.
Temple Law School - Law & Public Policy Program
You must be admitted to the Law & Public Policy Program and register for at least 4 credits. If you drop below 4 credit hours after receiving loan money, you will be required to return your student loan refund and the loan funds will be returned to the lender.
MBA classes at Temple University (JD/MBA)
You must be an official JD/MBA student and register for at least 4 credits. Registration must be processed before you make your financial aid appointment.
Business Certificate
You must be approved by Student Affairs to enroll in Business Certificate courses and register for at least 4 credits. Please note, most students only take a 3 credit Statistics course in the summer toward their business certificate. Therefore, you will need to take at least one additional course during the summer in order to qualify for federal student loans. If you choose to only take the Statistics course, you will have to either pay out-of pocket for the course or borrow a private education loan (see Private Education Loan for Summer below).
Study Abroad at Temple Japan Campus
Only students who attended the spring semester Japan program can be approved to continue studying in Japan in the summer. You will be eligible to borrow federal student loans if you receive approval to continue in Japan for the summer and register for at least 4 credits.
Domestic Summer Programs through another (host) school
You must be approved by Student Affairs to attend the summer program and register for at least 4 credits that will be accepted towards your J.D. You will need to provide the Law School Financial Aid Office with the name and fax number of the Host school’s financial aid office. Temple’s financial aid office will then contact the host school to file a Consortium Agreement which will allow Temple to use their budget for the summer program in order to determine your student loan eligibility. Your financial aid cannot be processed until the Consortium Agreement is completed.
Summer Study Abroad through another (American or foreign) school
You must be approved by the Office of Graduate and International Studies to attend the summer program and register for at least 4 credits (at least 2 courses) that will be accepted towards your J.D. If the program is through an American school, you will need to provide the Law School Financial Aid Office with the name and fax number of the Host school’s financial aid office. Temple’s financial aid office will contact the host school to file a Consortium Agreement which will allow Temple to use their budget for the summer program. If the program is directly through a foreign institution, you will need to provide the Law School Financial Aid Office with all of the information you have received from the foreign school about the costs for their program in order to determine your financial aid eligibility.
How much can I borrow for the summer?
You can borrow up to the cost of attendance, or budget, for the summer program to cover tuition and fees, books/supplies and modest living expenses. The funds you borrow for the summer are only intended to meet the expenses for the time you are enrolled in the summer program and not for the entire summer break. Below are the budgets for Temple’s summer programs. Budgets for programs through other schools are determined by the host school.
| Campus/Program | PA Resident | Non-Resident |
|---|---|---|
| Rome | $13,265 (5 or 6 credits) | $13,265 (5 or 6 credits) |
| Main Campus – JD | $11,488 – $14,092 (4-6 credits) | $13,972 – $17,897 (4-6 credits) |
| Temple Japan Campus | $14,521-$15,859 (4-6 credits) | $14,521-$15,859 (4-6 credits) |
| Temple Law Washington, DC | $16,475 (6 credits) | $16,475 (6 credits) |
What are my options for borrowing loans for the summer?
Students can borrow either a federal Direct Unsubsidized loan, a federal Direct Graduate PLUS loan, or private student education loan up to the cost of attendance of the summer program. If you receive an academic scholarship during the school year, it cannot be applied to the summer term.
If you would like to borrow a Direct Unsubsidized Loan for the summer, you have two options on how to split your Unsubsidized loan eligibility. These two options are available to most students as long as the student is not currently in default on a federal student loan and/or has not already borrowed up to the aggregate federal Stafford loan limit of $138,500.
Option 1: Summer/Fall Budget
With this option, the summer and fall budgets are combined and treated as a single annual loan period. This allows you to split the $20,500 annual Unsubsidized loan limit between the two semesters. Any other financial aid you receive for the summer and fall semesters (such as academic scholarships or work study) must be included when determining how much you are eligible to borrow for each semester.
Example: Your summer program budget is $14,000 and your Fall budget is $30,000, for a combined total of $44,000. You have been approved for a $5000 summer work study grant, and you receive a $10,000 academic scholarship that applies to the fall and spring. When you factor in this other aid, you can borrow up to $9,000 for the summer and $20,000 for the fall. Therefore, you would borrow $9,000 of the Unsubsidized loan for the summer and the remaining $11,500 in the Unsubsidized loan will be applied to the fall. If you need more money to cover fall expenses, you can apply for up to $8,500 in a Graduate PLUS Loan or private student loan.
The Spring semester will start a new loan period that also includes the following summer. You will have a new $20,500 Unsubsidized loan available to you and can choose to use all or most of it to borrow up to the spring semester budget. However, if you do and then take classes during the following summer (at least half-time), you will have very little or no Unsubsidized loan eligibility remaining to use for the summer, meaning you will need to borrow a Graduate PLUS or private student loan to cover those costs.
For the following academic year, the annual $20,500 Unsubsidized loan limit will return to being split equally between the fall and spring semesters. The benefit of this option is that it allows you to borrow more federal Unsubsidized loan funding upfront, which can significantly reduce the amount you need to borrow from the Graduate PLUS loan.
Option 2. Summer Only Budget
The maximum Direct Unsubsidized loan eligibility for summer, fall, and spring semesters combined would be $20,500. You can borrow a portion of the annual Direct Unsubsidized loan eligibility in the summer (up to the summer program budget) and split the remaining Direct Unsubsidized loan amount between the fall and spring semesters. If you normally borrow the maximum $20,500 during the academic year, you will be eligible for a lower amount of Direct Unsubsidized loan for the fall and spring semesters if you have used a portion in the summer. However, you can borrow either a federal Graduate PLUS or private student loan if you need additional funding for the academic year.
Other Loan Options
Borrow a Graduate PLUS Loan
You can choose to not borrow from your annual Direct Unsubsidized loan in the summer, and instead borrow a Graduate PLUS loan. You will then have your full annual Direct Unsubsidized loan amount available to you for the academic year. You must meet the credit criteria for the Graduate PLUS loan and you may have to complete an additional application. This option is only suggested for students who have already borrowed up to the federal Unsubsidized loan aggregate limit of $138,500 and, therefore, no longer qualify for Unsubsidized loan funding. Otherwise, we do not recommend this option because the interest on the Graduate PLUS loan is higher than the interest on the Unsubsidized loan.
Borrow a Private Student Loan
You can also choose to borrow a private student loan if you do not want to borrow from your annual Direct Unsubsidized Loan eligibility. However, if you are able to borrow the federal student loan, we do not recommend that you borrow the private student loan because it cannot be included in a federal loan consolidation or the federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program and may have less favorable repayment terms and benefits than federal loans. The private student loan should only be considered by students who do not meet the half-time enrollment requirement for federal loans. The private student loan requires that you complete an additional loan application and is contingent on credit approval. Please contact the Law School Financial Aid Office for guidance on private student loan options.
Please note, when you choose to borrow additional funding during the summer, you will be increasing your overall student loan debt no matter which option you choose.
How does Summer Work Study affect my summer financial aid package?
If you are awarded summer work study and you are attending a summer program, the summer work study award must be included in your financial aid package and will reduce the loan amount your are eligible to borrow. You can opt to reduce the amount of the summer work study award to increase your summer loan eligibility.
When will I receive my student loan refund?
If you are signed up for direct deposit and your financial aid package is complete, your refund should be deposited into your bank account during the first week of class. Otherwise, the refund check will be sent to you by mail.