More financial aid will be available for Summer Sessions, and other changes will provide larger grants and lower the number of academic units at which students receive a higher level of support.

Eligible students who take six to nine units will receive $1,300; those who take 10 or more units will receive $2,400. Last year, the lower award was $1,100, and the higher amount of $2,200 didn’t kick in until students took 12 units.

The measures are among major efforts begun last year to increase summer study.

“We want help students take advantage of the benefits of summer study,” said Matt Traxler, associate vice provost for academic planning in Undergraduate Education. Those benefits, he added, include easier access to high-demand courses, the ability to concentrate on more challenging courses, accelerated progress toward a degree, and more access to smaller classes with greater interaction with instructors.

With Summer Sessions course fees at $273 per unit for UC Davis students, the lower award offsets the cost of almost five units, and the higher award offsets the cost of almost nine.

All eligible students to receive aid

Before last summer, grant funds had run out as early as two days after summer registration opened. In a shift a year ago, the campus decided to provide aid to all eligible students and will continue that approach this year.

The total dollar amount provided for summer 2017 won’t be known until Summer Sessions enrollment is tallied. Last year, about 5,400 students, or 1,025 more than in summer 2015, shared in about $9,437,000 in university grant funding, up $477,000 from summer 2015. A total of 11,189 students took 91,111 units, representing increases of more than 2 percent from summer 2015.

Guarantees continue for some courses

The campus is offering more than 700 summer courses, and once again will guarantee nearly half against cancelation if enrollment is low. Students can be sure these “Guaranteed-to-Go” courses will go ahead, and departments won’t have to risk losing money if enrollment is low.

Last year, the campus provided about $327,000 to compensate departments for proceeding with 57 guaranteed courses that didn’t reach their minimum enrollment.

Pilot to enroll incoming transfer students

Last year, 147 incoming transfer students enrolled in Summer Sessions courses. In a pilot program to enroll more this year, Undergraduate Education will reach out to those admitted with transfer status to make them aware of the opportunity. To summer offerings, it is also adding two First-Year Seminars that will introduce students to research in chemistry and biology.

Individuals admitted with freshmen or transfer status for fall 2017 may apply for financial aid for summer study. They must complete a paper Summer Financial Aid application and have filed a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or California Dream Act application.

Eligibility and applications

To qualify for the university grants, UC Davis students must have financial need, take at least six units over the summer and meet other eligibility requirements.

Continuing students who already have a 2016-17 FAFSA or Dream Act application on file and meet eligibility requirements will automatically be provided with a summer financial aid package after they register for courses.

Students may be eligible to use remaining financial aid from the regular academic year for summer study, and certain types of loans are available regardless of need.