How To Apply For Pell Grant?

Pell Grant is also referred to as Basic Education Opportunity Grant. Since its introduction in the year 1960, it has helped millions of university students to afford the high cost of college education. The best thing about Pell Grant is that the students do not need to repay it.

What’s more, there is no maximum age limit to qualify for these grants. Even older adults, who could not obtain a graduate degree because of financial reasons before, can apply for a Pell grant and improve their academic qualifications. However, when it comes to filling the application form, there are several things that you need to keep in mind. Here is a brief rundown on the same.

Basic Preparation before you apply for Pell Grant

The Pell Grant application form requires you to submit personal and financial details. The documents that you need to have at hand include current bank statements, W-2s, your recent federal tax returns, driver’s license, Social Security number, and details about investment income or untaxed income.

There are certain additional requirements for those who are not US citizens. For example, they must submit their permanent resident card.

Get The Application Form

The easiest and the most recommended way to get the application form for Pell Grant is to visit the FAFSA website. FAFSA stands for Free Application For Federal Student Aid. You can access this website right form the comfort of your home.

All you need is a computer with an Internet connection. You can download a copy of the application form from this website. Now, you just have to fill out the form and submit the same. However, before you submit the form, make sure that you have completed the form thoroughly.

Protect Your Personal Information

If you are applying for Pell Grant online, you must also know how to protect your financial information. An easy way to do this is to clear your browser’s cache after you submit the form. If you do not know how to clear the browser’s cache, you can find detailed instructions on the FAFSA website.

How To Sign Your Online Application Form

The technology, these days, has improved a lot. You can even sign your application electronically. However, you will need a PIN number for this purpose. So, if you don’t have one, apply for pell grant first. Signing your application is very important, as it accelerates the application process.

You Must Be Aware Of The Deadline

Every year, there is a summer deadline, which you must meet in order to get Pell Grant. You can find the exact details about the last date of application submission on the FAFSA website.

Once you have submitted the application, the last step is to wait for the Student Aid Report. This report notifies the name of all those applicants who qualify for the Pell Grant.

If you see your name in the report, you can find detailed instructions in the same report on how to receive the money of the grant. However, make sure that you follow the instructions thoroughly.