Summer Session offers a diverse array of courses

Summer is sometimes thought of as a time when students chill out and take a break from the books — but not at San Francisco State, and not for Environmental Studies major Bryanna Marie Ulrick. Ulrick plans to take “Chemistry 380: The Chemistry Behind Environmental Pollution,” a required course for her major. “It’ll give me more background on how to deal with environmental issues — how toxins move through different ecosystems and how what we do as humans changes the chemistry of ecosystems,” said Ulrick.

Summer Session allows Ulrick and other students to take required courses that may have limited enrollment in the fall session; summer courses are also less expensive and can help students move more quickly toward graduation. Summer housing is another benefit.

Ulrick will be one of thousands of students studying on campus this summer. Last year about 6,400 students took classes, up from the previous summer. Course offerings are growing too: The 2018 Summer Session offers 710 courses, 38 more than in 2017. One hundred and thirty-four of those courses are available online, according to Associate Vice President for Enrollment Management Maria Martinez.

Interested students can apply for one or more of the four sessions offered: June  4 – July 6; June 18 – Aug. 10; July 9 – Aug. 10; June 4 – Aug. 10. Classes can be found at webapps.sfsu.edu/public/classservices/classsearch.

Priority registration begins on April 9. Tuition is slightly less expensive than during fall and spring: Fees for undergraduates taking six or fewer units is $1,665; for six units or more the fee is $2,871. For graduate students, the fee is is $2,082, and $3,588, respectively. There is also a campus fee of $222 for all students regardless of the number of units taken. For more information, see bursar.sfsu.edu/content/summer-2018-important-fee-information-0.

Summer housing is available for students taking classes, and students can access the portal to apply starting April 10. Students can email housing@sfsu.edu or call 415-338-1067 with questions about housing.

Almost 50 percent of SF State financial aid applicants for 2017–2018 may be eligible for a State University Grant (SUG) this summer, according to Associate Director of Financial Aid Jimmie Wilder. The SUG covers state fees only, and local fees can come out of other financial aid types. Students must be enrolled at least part-time (6 units undergraduate, 4 units graduate) to qualify.

Federal Pell Grants are also available, as well as federal student loans for students with remaining eligibility. For more information about financial aid, visit financialaid.sfsu.edu. Students can apply any remaining funds from their 2017–2018  awards toward Summer Session. 

Information about the College of Extended Learning’s summer courses will be posted at cel.sfsu.edu/summer as it becomes available.

Ulrick still plans to enjoy her summer — and her last semester in the fall. “Luckily the R1 summer session is only five weeks, so that still gives me some time to travel or relax. And this way, I won't have to overload in the fall and can enjoy my last semester at SF State.”