Before congress passed the Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA) in 2008, there was no PELL funding set aside specifically for students paying summer tuition at college. However, it was still possible to use PELL funding for summer tuition. The government determines PELL funding eligibility by calculating a family's Expected Family Contribution (EFC), the institution's cost of attendance, the student's enrollment status (full-time or part-time) and whether the student attends for a full academic year or less; families with a lower EFC are eligible for a higher grant, up to a maximum that's set yearly. Students who did not use all their eligible funding by the end of the academic year can apply the remainder to their summer tuition.
Once the HEOA signed was into law, students could apply for PELL funding for the summer. To qualify, students had to have acquired at least 24 credits during the previous fall and spring semesters with passing grades in all classes, and they must be signed up for at least six credits in the summer. EFC again determines students' maximum eligibility, which in 2010 was $2,675.
The PELL Grant program is an entitlement program, which means that all citizens who apply and qualify can legally receive them. As a result, PELL Grants will always be available, but the amount received may differ in the future. The maximum eligibility amount is on track to rise through 2019, but the source of funding for these increases in PELL Grant payout is unclear; thus there's a chance that the amount of summer PELL Grants may be less in the future.