College changed FAFSA and is now giving me issues

Paying for College
1

<p>Over the summer I received a random refund check. Since I don't just cash checks that I'm not sure of, I sent the info to my school and asked what was going on and if there had been an error. They looked into it and told me that they did a review, my FAFSA was incorrect, so they changed it and the refund was for a Pell Grant I would have been eligible for. Since I had clarification, I went ahead and used it to pay down some of my other loan debt (I had plenty since that was the first time I qualified for a Pell Grant).</p>

<p>Two months later, I randomly received an email from them asking for verification information and an IRS transcript. The transcript takes 5-10 days to get to me, and they wanted the information in less than that time. I didn't even see the e-mail for a few days. I sent in the verification forms they wanted but I'm still waiting on the transcript.</p>

<p>They keep throwing deadlines at me for this information but I'm not sure what to do. I don't have a time machine. I'm also wondering if this has happened to anyone before? I'm concerned they're going to expect me to pay back money that I don't have because of a mistake they made. Is this kind of thing common? Can they really hold me responsible for their mistake?</p>

<p>Also, are there any actual deadlines coming up that I'm not aware of? I'm hoping they just keep giving me these short deadlines in order to get the information, but there is honestly not anything I can do to get that transcript sent to me faster.</p>

2

<p>Go to your financial aid office in person. Work your way up past the first couple of levels of staffers until you reach someone who can explain to you exactly what is going on, and who understands that tax paperwork only moves so quickly - and that there will be further delays likely now that the federal government is shut down.</p>

<p>Next time you need a tax transcript, find out where your closest IRS office is. There may be one you can get to easily. They will issue the tax transcript immediately and you will be able to walk out of that office with the paperwork in your very own hands.</p>

3

<p>Thanks, I’ll give it a shot!</p>

4

<p>Are you currently in school? Is summer part of the current school year, or is it part of 2012-13? Has the school removed your summer Pell grant payment, leaving you owing money?</p>