Financial Aid Regarding Summer Housing

Beth Tiedeman, director of Advising and Registrar, spoke about the upcoming summer term and the changes that have been made for this year.

“This summer, our goal was to offer at least one course for every general education department,” Tiedeman stated in regards to the changes made to the term as a whole.

More classes have been added to the master schedule to allow for more students to take classes during the summer. Taking advantage of courses offered during the summer term can help to get students ahead or back on track. Summer term courses can also help to boost students’ GPAs.

Regarding classes offered, Tiedeman mentioned the variety of options students have, stating, “for the Greensburg campus, we have a few online and hybrid courses.”

Tiedeman went to explain that there are benefits in taking summer courses at Pitt versus taking courses through other universities.

“The advantage of taking a summer class at Pitt is that you get the grade along with the credits,” she said.

Changes have also been made regarding the financial aid options available for students during the summer courses. Because students pay per credit taken in the summer, finances have been a hurdle for many students to overcome in the past, but new options that are available to students are designed to help alleviate some of the stress the cost may put on them.

Brandi S. Darr, Director of the Office of Financial Aid, gave information regarding the changes that have been made to the financial aid options during the summer term.

According to Darr, one new component of the financial aid during the summer term is that the Pell Grant has been extended to include a third semester, providing that the student takes at least six credits. The Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA) is continuing to offer financial aid to students taking at least six credits, providing the course being taken is at least a five week course.

In addition to this, there is institutional aid being made available to students via the university itself.

Registration for both summer classes and summer financial aid have begun. Registration for courses began on Monday, February 12, and will continue up until the beginning of summer classes. Financial aid forms are also being made available for students who register for classes during the summer term.