Hello there! In the middle of last semester (FALL 2017) I graduated high school early and finished my dual enrolled classes at my local community college. Being that I was still in high school, I never received proper advising about financial aid and also had to pay for everything out of pocket. Also, since I was considered dual enrolled, tuition only came out to $12, for each semester.
Fast forward to this spring, I just received my award package for the 2017- 2018 academic year which was over $7000 ($1000 from BOG and $6000 from Pell Grant). I was just confused on how it all works and how I will receive that money. I know it goes to the school first, to pay for my tuition, but again, I only had to pay $12. What will happen with the rest of the money? I already spent money on supplies and books before I received this award to will the reimburse me?
Sorry if I’m all over the place, but I do appreciate any answer.
If you were in high school in the Fall, you weren’t enrolled in a degree seeking program so it is unlikely you were eligible for Pell. Go in and talk to your FA office about it.
I looks like his fall tuition was covered by the school district. He now graduated, but the FAFSA was filed for the 2017-18 school year so the FA was issued that way. He can’t use the fall 2017 funds since he didn’t have any costs to offset. Only half the pell should be available for spring 2018, but there might be some funds available for the summer should he choose to go for the summer AND if the school puts summer term with 2017-18 FAFSA.
Sorry for the confusion everyone! As you can see, my situation is a little abnormal.
Twoinanddone is completely right. In the Fall of 2017, the cost of tuition was only $12 because when you are dual enrolled, tuition is waved. This waiver was carried over to Spring 2018, so this semester is only $12 as well because the waiver is annual and not by semester. ( I lucked out!) Even though I didn’t pay for the regular $45 per unit at my local community college, I applied for financial aid for other school expenses (lunch, materials, etc) because I come from a low-income family.
I think it’s safe to say that I won’t use all of the $7000 this semester so I was just wondering what will happen with the rest of the money. My FA advisor didn’t really explain this well since my situation is perplexing.
FA is awarded by semester/school year. It doesn’t carry over to the next FAFSA filing period (next year). Nothing happens to it, it is just never given to you (or the school).
You need to go to the FA office and see if you are entitled to receive any of these funds. The college should have a Cost of Attendance which might includes living costs (even if at home), transportation to the school, books, etc. Because there is no tuition, they might have to adjust it for you.
Go to the college website and look up the cost of attendance. One of the items in cost of attendance should be travel and personal expenses. Take a screen shot of it and bring it to the financial aid office. They should be able to reimburse you that amount from the financial aid you were awarded.
She would not have gotten the aid if she weren’t matriculated. She got the special rate because the dual-enrollment rate applies for the entire academic year, even if she’s graduated HS in the interim.
@thumper1 Yes, I turned in all my required documents. I gave them my high school transcript saying I graduated in the FALL and declared ‘Mathematics for Transfer’ as my program.
So…please clarify…did you apply for admissions, and matriculate to,this community college in a degree seeking program?
If not…you won’t be getting any need based aid for this term. But then at $12, you really don’t need it for college purposes…other than books. Hopefully you have a part time job too!