Award Year Definition

At UCA the award year includes Fall, Spring and Summer.  The award year begins with the fall term and ends with the summer term.  You may hear the term “summer trailer”.  This means that summer is awarded as the last term of the academic year.

Students are typically awarded for the fall and spring terms at the same time, unless they have applied for graduation in December. In this case, the student is awarded for Fall only.  If students enroll for summer, their eligibility for aid for summer will automatically be calculated.
Loans:  There is an annual and aggregate limit to the amount of loans a student may borrow. It is important for students to understand the amount they borrow for fall and spring will affect their eligibility for summer.
Pell Grants: Beginning with 17/18 the federal government has approved Year-Round Pell Grants which means that a student who is enrolled at least half time and is otherwise eligible, may receive a Pell Grant for the summer term.  However, the amount the student receives in the summer will count against the aggregate limit the student is eligible to receive as an undergraduate.