Know about Pell grant eligibility, and how to apply for this federal student educational aid program

Federal Pell Grant is a need-based aid for students in colleges or other post-secondary education. The grant is limited to students with exceptional financial need, and who have earned their first bachelor’s degree, or enrolled in certain post-baccalaureate programs. Administered by the US Department of Education (DOE), the program determines the student’s financial need, and through it, the Pell grant eligibility of the student. Created in 1965, the grant is available to approximately 5,400 participating postsecondary institutions, that fund about 5.4 million full-time and part-time college and vocational students nationally.   

  

Pell grant addresses one of the issues faced by students coming from low-income families to receive a higher education.   

  

Considerations for Pell Grant eligibility, among others, include the below:  

  

  

  • The applicant must be a US citizen or eligible non-citizen (usually a permanent resident).   

  • The applicant must have a high school diploma or a GED, or be able to demonstrate the ability to benefit from the program.   

  • Students and their parents must fill out the government’s Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form. FAFSA form can be filled online. FAFSA form becomes available from October 1 each year.   

  • FAFSA form is used by financial aid officers to determine how much federal aid to offer to the student. The school’s calculations consider the difference between the Student Aid Index (SAI), earlier known as Expected Family Contribution (EFC), as calculated by FAFSA, and the school’s Cost of Attendance (COA).    

  • Those who meet Pell grant eligibility have to sign a statement certifying that they will use the money only for education-related purposes, and that they are currently not in default of any federal student loan.   

  • The student is also required to maintain satisfactory academic progress in a degree-oriented program.   

  • The student must not have an outstanding Pell overpayment on record.  

  • A previously incarcerated student may qualify for Pell grant eligibility but with restrictions, depending upon the offence.   

  • One should not be getting another Pell grant from another college in the same year.   

  • Those who meet Pell Grant eligibility may receive a maximum of $7,395, for a total of 12 terms, or roughly six years.   

  • One must submit FAFSA each year in order to continue receiving the award money.   

  • An award year is from July 1 of one calendar year to June 30 of next year.   

  

  

Do not withdraw from the course or change enrollment while using grant money   

  

A college or university funds money directly into the student’s account to cover tuition, fees, and room and board. If additional funds are left over, the student will be issued a credit that can be used to pay for books, and other educational expenses. Pell Grant is not required to be repaid except in some exceptional cases. The student should not withdraw from the course while they are receiving the grant, and should not change status after a Pell grant award has been disbursed. If they do so, they may have to repay the award.   

  

More grant opportunities exist   

  

Besides Grants.gov, which is the most comprehensive database of all federal grants, GovernmentGrants.us also maintains an updated database of all grants, such as Pell grants, small business grants, minority grants, land development grants, housing grants, and more. To access these grant opportunities, you will have to register at GovernmentGrants.us for a monthly membership fee of $29.95. This membership fee will be refunded in case your grant application is rejected. You can also hire professional grant writers from GovernmentGrants.us to increase your chances of success.   

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

The best way of winning home improvement grants with zero financial hassle

Many grants and scholarships for women are available to help improve their prospects