URI Summer’s Big Opportunity for Eligible Students

The late U.S. Senator Claiborne Pell, representing Rhode Island, was largely responsible for the creation of “Basic Educational Opportunity Grants” in 1973. They became Pell Grants, renamed after him, in 1980. 

URI, the Flagship University of the state that Senator Pell once represented, is going even further with the URI Summer Pell Completion Grant. The URI Summer Pell Completion Grant is a form of “last-dollar” institutional financial aid that accompanies the Year-Round Pell Grant and ensures that qualifying Pell-eligible, in-state URI students are able to enroll for a minimum of six credits, and a maximum of eight credits, during Summer Sessions at no cost of associated tuition and fees. This grant is URI’s latest financial commitment to ensuring that students maintain academic momentum on the path to timely and affordable degree attainment.

How it works

Pell Grant recipients are eligible for three annual awards: one for the fall semester, one for the spring semester, and a third, Year Round Pell, for Summer Sessions. 

The Year-Round Pell Grant uses funding otherwise reserved for a student’s 12th academic semester of Pell eligibility to put a financial aid award toward summer tuition and fees. As long as you plan to earn your bachelor’s degree in 5-and-a-half years or less, a Year-Round Pell Grant allows you to maximize the federal government’s contribution to your undergraduate education without reducing any Pell Grant award that you might be eligible to receive during a future fall or spring semester. Students who have transferred into URI or have withdrawn from multiple courses should consult with a Financial Aid Officer to review their eligibility.

Eligibility Criteria

To be eligible, students must meet the following requirements:

• Qualify for URI in-state tuition
• Have a FAFSA on file with URI Enrollment Services
• Have matriculating URI status
• Be in good academic standing (and making Satisfactory Academic Progress)
• Have a Pell Lifetime Eligibility Used (LEU) percentage less than 600%
• Have an EFC less than $5900

Qualifying Enrollment

Eligible students must enroll for a minimum of 6 total credits (or up to 8 credits) during Summer Sessions at the University of Rhode Island. This is a total number across all three summer sessions. For instance, a student could take one 3 credit class in session 1 and another 3 credit course in session 3. Alternatively, a student could take them all in a single summer session. 

Note: Students enrolling for less than six credits will NOT qualify for the URI Summer Pell Completion Grant. Additionally, if a student enrolls for more than 8 credits, the student might have to pay the tuition and fees associated with the additional credits. To discuss sources of financial aid that may cover the cost of additional credits, please make an appointment with a URI Financial Aid Officer.

How to Proceed and Billing Procedures

The only action an eligible URI student needs to take to receive the URI Summer Pell Completion Grant is to enroll for at least six credits of URI Summer Sessions classes in e-Campus. That’s it! Enrollment Services will begin automatically disbursing the Summer Pell Completion Grant financial aid awards in e-Campus in May and will continue that process on a rolling basis for the remainder of the summer based on new enrollment of eligible students. Please note that it may take some time for the Enrollment Services staff to disburse all the grants in e-Campus. If you at first do not see the URI Summer Pell Completion Grant applied to your Summer e-bill as anticipated financial aid in e-Campus, please be patient. If you have questions about the timing of your receipt of the grant within e-Campus, please contact URI Enrollment Services at 401-874-9500, enrollment-group@uri.edu, or by visiting the Virtual Lobby. You should not drop from any summer courses in e-Campus because you are waiting for the financial aid award to be disbursed.

Rhode Island students who are currently receiving a Pell Grant for the academic year and are unsure of if they are eligible can contact Dr. John Olerio at 401.874.2540 or jolerio@uri.edu. 

Considerations and Resources

If you decide to take advantage of this grant, it is really important that you pick classes this summer that are consistent with your interests, academic goals, and other time-consuming commitments. Please note that the Summer Pell Completion Grant only applies to the cost of tuition associated with Faculty-Led Travel Programs offered by the Office of International Education. Students admitted into such a summer program should be prepared to remit payment for the entirety of the associated program fee, which often includes the cost of travel, lodging, and other expenses.

If at any time you are feeling concerned with your academic workload this summer, please contact your summer instructor(s) and academic advisor to seek assistance. You may also call John Olerio at 401.874.2540. Remember, the URI Academic Enhancement Center and Counseling Center are available to support you. It is always the right time to ask for assistance when you are engaged in education. We are here to help you. If you require assistance selecting the summer courses that are best for you this summer, you may use Starfish to schedule an appointment with your academic advisor.