<p>How much does FAFSA give (in terms of grants, not loans) to aid you in dorming?</p>
<p>I go to UIC, where commuting is VERY easy and cheap compared to dorming. (Dorming will cost around $10k for a year, compared to estimated cost of commuting of less than 2k.)
So that knocks off a whopping $10k from the total cost of attendance that I state on FAFSA.</p>
<p>What would be the difference in FAFSA grants if I decided to Commute rather than dorm?</p>
<p>I have heard that FAFSA doesn't give much in terms of Housing assistance, but I want to know the gist of the amount.</p>
<p>If you have a $0 EFC you will be eligible for a Pell Grant of $5500. This amounts goes down if your EFC is greater than $0. </p>
<p>You specifically asked about grants… pretty much the federal government grant available is the Pell Grant… $5500 with an EFC of $0. Some states also give additional state grant money to students to help cover tuition. I do not believe that most federal or state grants will cover tuition AND room and board. The grants are just not that large for the most part.</p>
<p>I am not certain if the Pell Grant is reduced if your COA goes down because you commute. I believe if the COA (commuting) is still under the amount of the Pell Grant that you would keep the amout of Pell that you have been awarded. There are Financial Aid professionals on this site who can answer with more certainty.</p>
<p>Anyone who completes the Fafsa is eligible to take out Stafford Loans … if you are a dependent freshman the maximum you can borrow is $5500. Depending on your EFC a percentage of your loans may be unsubsidized. The amount of Stafford loan you may take out will go up a bit each year as you reach higher academic standing.</p>
<p>Fafsa does not give money. It is the application (Free Application for Student Aid) that colleges use to determine eligibility for federal grant and loans.</p>
<p>For a freshman student with an EFC of $0 the Pell Grant of $5500 and the Stafford Loan of $5500 will cover $11000. This is generally enough to cover tuition at a CC (while living at home) or as an IS student at many state schools (living at home).</p>
<p>A student will not qualify for more federal loan or grant money because they live on campus.</p>
<p>The Parent PLUS loan is also available if you fill out the FAFSA (I believe you must fill out the FAFSA to qualify), and your parents qualify. But this is a loan that parents take out, not the student.</p>
<p>It’s just an application that provides an EFC number. That number determines if you qualify for any grant money. The largest Pell grant is 5550.</p>
<p>You don’t get more fed grants for living on campus.</p>