How To Apply For The Pell Grant Online
To apply for Pell Grant, you will need to fill up and submit the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) form.
There Are Three Ways In Which You Can Apply For FAFSA. You Can –
1. Call the FAFSA Student Aid Centre and ask them to mail a FAFSA form to your address. You can then complete the form and mail it to the concerned address.
2. Download the FAFSA form from the website, complete it and send it by mail to the given address.
3. Complete and submit the form, online.
The third option is the fastest and the most convenient. Even the federal student aid authorities encourage online submission of applications.
To apply for Pell Grant online, you would have to visit the website www.fafsa.ed.gov. The website has three sections “Before Beginning a FAFSA”, “Filling Out a FAFSA”, and “FAFSA Follow-up”. These sections provide instructions to the students to guide them through the process of application.
The first section “Before Beginning a FAFSA” provides tips to fill the FAFSA form accurately and quickly. On going through the section you will get an idea of –
• How to complete the FAFSA,
• How the financial aid given to a student is computed,
• The eligibility criteria,
• Deadlines for submitting the form,
• Details of the documents required, and
• How to generate a pin to sign your FAFSA form electronically
You will find a link for printing the FAFSA on the web Worksheet. It is advisable to take a printout of this worksheet, as it will give you an idea of how the FAFSA form is structured. You can gather the required details and fill it in the worksheet. This makes it easier to transfer the data to the FAFSA on the web.
In the next section, “Filling Out a FAFSA”, you can actually begin to fill up your form. If you have any doubts regarding a specific question you can either click the “Need Help” button or get help from a customer representative by clicking on the “Live Help” link. If you are unable to complete the application in one sitting you can always save it and resume later. Students who want to make corrections to a processed application can also do so in this section.
Once you have filled the form you will be required to sign it electronically through a PIN (Personal Identification Number). Your parents too will be required to sign with a PIN if you are a dependant. If you or your parents do not already have a PIN, you can apply for one and get it immediately. After you have signed and submitted the application, it will get processed. On an average, the processing time would be 2-3 weeks. Thereafter your Student Aid Report will be sent to you by the Federal Student Aid.
In the last section “FAFSA Follow-up”, you can check the status of your application. You can also see or print your Student Aid Report. Corrections to the processed application can also be made through a link in this section.
Though applying for the Pell Grant online is the most convenient, you should remember to do it well before the deadline. This would ensure that you do not enter wrong details in haste.
Beware Of Pell Grants Scams!
Pell Grants are among the most popular free grants in the country – as a result, they are also the subject of a number of scams. It’s unfortunate to note that that a number of people get taken in by fraudulent grant scams each year. Here are some tips you can keep in mind that will easily help you spot a grant scam.
The Hook, Line And Sinker
Pell Grants scams are characterized by a few things. First of all, they will assure you that you qualify to receive a free grant and your application is completely guaranteed to be accepted. The best part is that the money never has to be repaid. While it’s true that Pell Grants don’t have to be repaid, the only way you can apply, much less qualify for these grants is by filling out an FAFSA form. You will never be informed out of the blue that you qualify for funding. Unfortunately, many people don’t know this and that’s why they end up with the next step – calling up a toll free number to claim their free Pell Grant.
Once you call this number, you will be put on to a ‘representative’ who will claim to work for the company offering the free grants. They will ask you a number of questions to confirm that you do indeed qualify for the grant. These questions include asking your address, your bank balance and how long you’ve lived at your current residence. After a few more questions, the representative will finally say, ‘Congratulations! You qualify for a free Pell Grant.’ All you have to do is pay a processing fee that can range from $95 to $200. Since the grant amount is guaranteed, many people don’t think twice about forking over the processing fee.
Be Safe
While this is the general routine that these scams follow, there are some other guidelines you can keep in mind, as well. These are general tips that will protect you not from Pell Grants scams, but also from any grant scam. First of all, remember that the government does not send out unsolicited mails or phone calls saying that you have qualified for a grant. If you come across an ad that you are unsure of, always check its specifications with a legitimate grant source. Never, ever give sensitive information to a third party. This includes things like social security numbers and credit card numbers.
Bear in mind that all government grants require an application process – there is no way you can qualify for a grant without filling in an application. There are also no fees whatsoever attached to these applications. Remember that scholarships and grants are like loans – they aren’t guaranteed. So any claims that you are guaranteed a Pell Grant can easily be identified as fraudulent. Many of these cheats will also use very impressive-sounding names and designations in order to hook you. Don’t believe anything they tell you until you verify their claims. If they are running a grant fraud scam, chances are they will have different names and phone numbers. Always check and verify Pell Grants offers first – they could be fraudulent!
Why Did I Miss Out?
For all candidates that successfully secure Pell Grants, there are a number of students that go away disappointed. This is only natural – after all, Pell Grants don’t have to be repaid, which makes them one of the most popular grants in the country. The good news is that if you miss out one year, you can always try again the following year. There are also some things you can look out for to make sure your application stands a good chance.
The Early Bird Gets The Worm!
It’s true that applying for Pell Grants online has made the entire process faster and easier. But it’s still a good idea to get your application sent out as soon as possible. Many people end up making a mad scramble at the last minute, trying to get all the right documentation ready to be sent. Often times, this leads to a shoddy application and this is one reason why some applicants miss out. Bear in mind that Pell Grants are sought after by thousands of people across the country, it’s best to get your application in soon.
It’s also interesting to note that many applicants lose out because they just don’t qualify in the first place. Pell Grants are given to only those applicants who are deemed to have the most need of financial assistance – this is decided according to the amount of money the family brings in each year, the number of dependants, whether the student also works and a number of other factors. If your family’s annual income exceeds a certain amount, it will reduce your eligibility for the grant.
The Documentation Station
Ensuring that your documentation is correct is essential to a successful grant application. You will need to provide things like tax forms, financial documents and W2s so make sure that these are in proper order. If you are a student, it might be best to get your parents or your financial aid advisor to help you get your documentation ready. Once you’ve got everything filled and ready, you can send it off, right? Not just yet – it’s always a good idea to make a copy of everything first, especially if you are sending the documents via post. This way, you can quickly send another set if the first application goes missing in mail.
Filling in the application can be a very overwhelming task for some students – however, there are a number of information resources that can help. The FAFSA website has a lot of helpful information on how to fill in the application. You can also approach your school counselor or financial aid officer to help you.
It’s also important to note that some colleges don’t come under the Pell Grant umbrella – if you are keen on attending a certain institution, make sure that it is compatible with Pell Grants. If you do get a grant, make sure that you don’t default on it. If you drop out of school, then you will have to repay the grant amount. This will also make it harder for you to secure a Pell Grant again in future.
Where To Look For Pell Grants
Pell Grants are among the most sought-after scholarships in the country. This is due to a number of reasons – for one, you don’t need to repay the amount. Apart from that, the conditions to apply for these grants are more relaxed when compared to other forms of aid. If you are looking for some funding for your higher education, a Pell Grant is certainly an option to give a try. However, it’s important to know where to get the right information and application forms for these grants.
The FAFSA Factor
When you apply for a Pell Grant, you will need to fill in an application form known as FAFSA – that stands for Free Application for Student Aid. There are two important things to bear in mind about this application – first, it’s free. Be wary of anyone who asks you for money for these applications. Second, there is no specific application for the Pell Grant – your eligibility will be decided according to the information you provide on this application.
There are four ways to get a FAFSA application. You can do it the old-fashioned way and write to the US Department of Education for it. You will need to address your request to the Federal Student Aid Information Center in Washington and specify the award you want. You can also call the Aid Hotline at 1-800-4-FED-AID.
Schools And Libraries
Majority of post-secondary schools have a financial aid office that can supply you with an application form and any other information you need. If you get your application from your school, it will be specially stamped with the school’s code. If you have trouble filling out the form, you can ask your financial aid advisors to help you with that, as well. High school students should specially ask their school counselor for help with FAFSA applications. Many people are unaware that libraries also supply FAFSA applications. These forms are usually kept near the tax forms – if you can’t find them, ask at the information desk.
The fourth way to apply for a Pell Grant is to go via the internet. At the FAFSA website, students can fill in their application online – this has a number of advantages. For one, it saves an enormous amount of time – you don’t have to worry about missing deadlines because of postal delays; you can literally submit your application in seconds. You also don’t have to worry about your application going missing in the mail. The website also allows you to save an incomplete form so that if you are busy with something else, you can complete it later. It’s also worth noting that online applications are processed much quicker than paper ones.
Pell Grants are given by taking into consideration the student’s need. This includes various factors like family income, number of dependants in the family and whether the student works, as well. At the end of the day, these grants are a welcome monetary boost. There is nothing to lose and everything to gain by applying for Pell Grants!