<p>Is it unheard of for financial aid to convert loans to grants based on circumstance?</p>
<p>I had a mix-up with my financial aid department and missed out on $7-$10k in grants for the previous two years. They've said they don't provide aid for past years, but I believe I was not at fault for what happened and would really like to recover some of that foregone aid.</p>
<p>I'm thinking of an alternative wherein they convert a portion of my current year loans to grants (a student for two more years,) is this unheard of?</p>
<p>Jelkins, there are the Federal and state grants and loans for which once you lose out, that is it. Even for a mistake. The government hold fast to its deadlines.</p>
<p>But in terms of your school, they can do what they want with their money… They can give you a loan at zero interest, a grant whatever. IF they so choose to do so. They may have their own internal rules blocking some of those actions, but there is no grand rule that says they cannot. But for federal loans and money, you cannot get PELL or whatever back for the governmentl regardless of reason. They shut their books each year and then it’s onwards to the next year.</p>
<p>If you feel you paid money that you should not have had to pay, and that the school should reimburse you for it, you should talk to an attorney and see if you have a case to procede.</p>
<p>The federal government has very strict rules about the money that they GIVE TO THE SCHOOLS ON YOUR BEHALF. When you apply for financial aid and get PELL or Stafford Direct loans, they come from governement sources and are paid to the school into your school account. If it is loan money, you have to go through a questionairre process, education process, test, and then sign a Master Promissory Note that makes it very clear what you are doing. So you are getting that loan from the government.</p>
<p>If you have a problems wit the school and mistakes the school made which appears to be the problem, the school cannot mess with any new money you get from the government. However, you need to address the problem with them. They can do what they want with their own money and if an attorney feels you have a case with documentation, you can try to pursue something from the school. My feeling is that the attorney will tell you to forget it and move on, but…I am not a lawyer and I don’t have all the facts in front of me. YOu need to get legal advice if you want peace of mind about this. MOst attornies do give free consultations, so if you want to pursue this legally, find a lawyer.</p>
<p>In this case, there is no way for the OP to prove that he/she should have received money in the past. The situation is that OP feels he/she should have been told of the option to pursue a PJ for dependency override. This will not hold up in court, and it is time for this student to move forward with the understanding that what is past is past.</p>
<p>I agree, Kelsmom. However, if the student feels strongly about this, and wil not rest till he does all he can, he should talk to an attorney who can lay it for him. I have seen far worse advice with terrible consquences that actually have been taken to court and thrown out, but an attorney can give him the $s and cents of the whole thing.</p>