What Colleges You Can Use a Pell Grant for?
The higher education gives you a lot of opportunities. You will be able to find a better paid job and pursue a more fulfilling career after you graduate. Higher education is expensive, but there are a lot of ways in which you can get financial aid. You can get a Pell Grant provided that you are a student from a low-income family who is on an undergraduate course. There are some requirements that your college has to meet as well.
In general, all types of colleges can participate in the Federal Pell Grant Program. You can get this scholarship if you are a student in a 4-year liberal arts college, community college, junior college and career college or a university. The only other condition regarding the educational institution is that it has to participate in the Pell Grant program. The information about their participation is on the website of every college.
The duration of the course you are enrolled in is not relevant. You can be on any summer, 2-year or 4-year program or any other course that leads to a degree or to the receipt of a diploma or certificate. Both full-time and part-time students are eligible for the funding. However, if you pursue a second bachelor’s degree, you are not eligible for a Pell Grant.
Basically, you can get this grant from any college, provided that it participates in the program for it. It is not uncommon for students to choose a school based on the funding they have available. If this is the case with you, you should take into account a number of factors.
The maximum Pell Grant that a college student can be awarded is $5,550. You will get two equal portions of this sum for each of the two semesters during the school year. Still, if your expected family contribution (EFC) is zero, this sum will be lower. Additionally, part-time students usually receive smaller sums that full-time ones.
It is common practice for colleges to apply the money you receive to your tuition fees (cost of attendance) directly. Thus, you should check the size of these expenses for the different schools you are considering. The maximum Pell Grant is insufficient to cover the tuition fees of most liberal arts colleges and universities, so you have to look for additional funding.
However, the grant can fully cover the cost of attendance of a community college. In this case, you might even have money left to yourself. Your school is obliged to disburse the remained directly to you. In turn, you can use it to cover any expenses related to your education. You can buy a new computer, get a card for the public transport, pay for your lunches at school or even cover childcare expenses. Generally, if you want your Pell Grant to cover your tuition and to get an overage, you have to look for a school with a lower cost of attendance.
Irrespective of the college you choose, you should apply for a Pell Grant as early as possible to get the funding on time.
How Long You Can Use a Pell Grant for?
Any student coming from a family with an income lower than $50,000 per year can take advantage of the Federal Pell Grant Program. All students can apply using the standard Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form. The process is really simplified since you can fill in and submit your application online. However, the entire system is complex. As a result, it is perfectly normal for students to have questions regarding the duration of the Pell Grant.
You apply for a Pell Grant per academic year. As a result, you will get a sum of money for an entire academic year. The confusion comes from the fact that the grant is not disbursed in one tranche. The amount available to each student is split so that there is an equal sum for each term. In most cases, the students attend a fall and spring semester. In turn, they get half of the money in the fall and the other half in the spring. You do not have to reapply to receive the part of the Pell Grant for the second semester.
Still, if you start school in the spring semester or if you return after a leave, you can still apply for the grant and get it for this term. It is also possible for you to receive the grant automatically the following semester, if they fall in the same academic year for you. If your case is specific, you can ask your school’s financial aid office for individual advice.
It is now possible for a student to get Pell Grant funding for their summer courses as well. If you plan to take classes in the summer as part of your degree, certificate or diploma program, you can include this information in your financial aid application for the respective academic year. You simply have to check carefully which academic year the summer courses fall in.
Generally, the application cycle for a Pell Grant for an academic year starts on January 1st and ends on July 30th of the following calendar year. For instance, you can apply for a 2010/2011 grant from January 1st 2010 to June 30th 2011. This means that you have to reapply for a Pell Grant every academic year, preferably before its start. The earlier you apply the better. In this way, you will be able to get the sum you are eligible for before the start or soon after the start of the first semester.
Students can receive a Pell Grant for up to 18 semesters. If your school does not use this standard system, then an equivalent is applied. This rule gives you the option to apply for, get and use the grant throughout all 4-years that you need to complete a bachelor’s degree. The situation with students pursuing an associates degree is slightly different. You can use a Pell Grant for the 2 years of study for completing the degree. If you decide to pursue a 4-year bachelor’s degree, you will be eligible for the scholarship for 2 of these 4 years.
Pell Grant and Tuition Reimbursement from Employer
You should not hesitate to pursue postsecondary education even if you are already working. This will give you the chance to exploit a lot of benefits, such as a higher salary, promotion and faster career development. It is usually not easier for employed individuals to pay for the entire cost of their education. That is why you should definitely look at all the options for financial aid that you can take advantage of. The Pell Grant will certainly help you a lot and so will any tuition reimbursement available from your employer.
There are a number of things that you should take into account when considering to use the two type of aid together. Firstly, you have to be eligible for a Pell Grant in order to get it. Since you are employed, your income and other relevant financial factors, including your cost of attending school, will be taken into consideration so that your expected personal contribution can be determined. It should be equal to or less than $5,273. Hence, if you are classified as a student who is able to contribute more, you will not be awarded the grant.
Another thing you have to consider is the amount of tuition fee reimbursement your employer can provide. Some companies may offer 25% reimbursement only while others can agree to cover 75% or 100% of your costs. Keep in mind that you have to take the money out of your pocket first. This means that you have to secure enough funds to pay your cost of attendance in order to get the reimbursement.
You have to be extremely careful when combining the two options. You cannot get reimbursed by your employer for the part of your tuition fees that are covered by the Pell Grant. That is why you should arrange for everything in advance and get a clear idea of your cost of attendance and how much of it will be covered by the two sources separately. It is perfectly possible for you employer to refuse to make any reimbursements before the Pell Grant has been applied to your tuition fees.
The best course of action will be to apply early for Federal financial aid in order to get the scholarship first. Then, you can cover the remainder of the tuition fee, if any, out of your pocket and request the reimbursement from your employer. Of course, you should have made the appropriate arrangements with the company first.
You have yet another option that you have to consider. You may arrange with your school for a partial application of the Pell Grant towards your cost of attendance. In this way, you will get to use a larger chunk of the money from the scholarship for other school expenses, such as books and a computer, for instance. You will also get a bigger reimbursement from your employer since you will pay a bigger portion of the tuition fees out of your pocket.
Overall, you have to arrange your Pell Grant and tuition reimbursement as best as possible and keep your finances under control.
Can You Use a Pell Grant for Summer College Courses?
The Federal Pell Grant Program is one of the largest in the United States. It provides financial aid to thousands of college students every year. In 2009 official changes of the program were announced. The maximum grant is now larger and more students can participate in the program. Another major change is that eligible students can now receive a Pell Grant for summer college courses. This amendment is valid form summer 2010 onwards.
You can now receive a Pell Grant if you take courses in the summer term. Previously, it was possible for students to get this type of funding, only if they had not received the grant for the spring or fall semester. Now you can use the entire amount you are awarded with during the academic year (the fall and spring semesters) and receive funding for taking summer courses as well.
The amount of the Pell Grant you receive for the summer is determined on the basis of a range of factors including the number of classes you take. Still, the application process is the same. You have to fill in the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and mark that you will need financial aid for the summer term.
Given that the change was introduced in late 2009 some students might have not included this request in the FAFSA for summer 2010. If this is applicable to you, you need to contact your financial aid’s office for help. Most schools do not require you to change your FAFSA. Students are usually asked to complete a separate form from the school to get the funding. Keep in mind, however, that this is a special measure for summer 2010 only.
There is another important aspect that you should take into account. In order to get a Pell Grant for the standard academic year, you are not obliged to meet any academic criteria. This is not the case with the summer Pell Grant, however. In order to be eligible for this scholarship, you have to meet a number of requirements.
You must have completed 24 credit hours in total throughout the academic year (the fall and spring semester). In addition, you must have received passing grades (or higher). The third eligibility criterion requires you to have at least 6 credit hours of classes during the summer. This means that you have to be on a half-time summer program, at least. As said earlier, the number of credit hours will determine the amount of Pell Grant money you get, as usually. This rule is not amended.
The changes in the Federal Pell Grant Program are more than beneficial. You can readily get financial aid for your summer courses. It is a good idea for you to fill in your FAFSA form as early as possible in order to secure the money you need. In addition, it takes some time for schools to adjust to the changes in the Federal aid programs. For this reason, you should keep an eye on the announcements regarding the summer Pell Grant coming from the financial aid office of your school.
Can You Receive a Pell Grant and Participate in a Work-Study Program at the Same Time?
You should explore all your options if you are in need to financial aid for financing your postsecondary education. There are plenty of opportunities that you can take advantage of, so you should not miss your chance. Both the Pell Grant and the Work-Study program, available from the Federal Government, are designed to aid you in paying your costs for school. You should definitely learn how they can be useful to you.
You can receive a Pell Grant and participate in a Work-Study program at the same time. The two are not mutually exclusive. You can readily take advantage of both sources of funding. Still, you have to consider a number of other factors regarding these two financial aid options.
In order for you to get a Pell Grant and participate in Work-Study, your school has to offer both type of programs. Most schools do, but some do not have the capability to participate in the latter because it is more complex to administer. Hence, you should check whether you can get both types of aid from your school.
You can apply for both programs automatically using the standard Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). You simply need to indicate that you have an interest in the Pell Grant and in Work-Study. You will receive your expected family contribution (EFC) sum which will determine your eligibility for Federal financial student aid. If you are eligible for both programs, then you have to check with your school what the specific arrangements are.
There is one essential point that you should keep in mind. Your income from your Work-Study job is not included in your expected family contribution. Simply put, this income will not determine how much Federal financial aid you will get. This means that you will not get a smaller Pell Grant because you participate in the Work-Study program. You are asked to announce these earnings separately on your FAFSA form, so that they are not considered when your eligibility for Federal grants is determined. Still, this income is taxable and you have to include it in your tax return.
Generally, it is perfectly possible for a student to receive a full Pell Grant and to participate in Work-Study at the same time. You have to decide whether this combination works well for you. Some students find it difficult to work and study at the same time. As an undergraduate student, you are permitted to work for up to 40 hours a week, but this is way too much. Most students are recommended to be on the job for no more than 10 to 20 hours a week. In addition, you have to take into account the fact that you will not have a wide range of choices when getting a job as part of this program. In addition, you might have to meet some requirements in order to get a position.
Overall, you can take advantage of a Pell Grant and Work-Study, but you have to make sure that you can manage between work and school.