<p>This is my first time dealing with the FAFSA. I plan on taking 3 college credit hours this fall. Can I get aid for 3 hours? What can I include as an expense car insurance, gas for car, books? Anything else? Will I need a receipt for everything? I will qualify for it because of my low income and low assets I have already checked that part out.</p>
<p>If you will be enrolled in a regular, degree seeking program, you will be eligible for aid. In order to borrow federal loans, however, you must be at least half time (generally speaking, at least 6 credits for the term). If you qualify for a Pell grant, you will receive 12.5% of your annual award amount during a semester in which you take 6 credits (unless your EFC is at the high end in terms of qualifying for Pell, which means you may not get a Pell payment for 3 credits). </p>
<p>The way aid works is that schools will let you know what you qualify for, based on the cost of attendance that they determine for your enrollment. Most aid requires at least half time status, with the exception being Pell (and Pell is prorated based on enrollment).</p>
<p>You must be a degree seeking student to be eligible for aid.</p>
<p>You don’t get to include expenses. Aid is based on the schools Cost of Attendance which includes expenses such as tuition/fees, books, room & board.</p>
<p>The Pell grant, if you are eligible, is reduced based on your level of enrollment. 12 hours is full time. 3 hours would reduce your eligibility to 25% of your eligibility for the semester.</p>
<p>Federal student loans require at least half time enrollment.</p>
<p>So if I understand this right. I will need to be enrolled in a regular, degree seeking program, you will be eligible for aid. Is that true for a pell grant too? I will not be getting any loans.</p>
<p>So they would give me a Pell Grant for 25% of my eligibility for the semester. I am going to a low cost community college can I pocket the difference if it is more?</p>
<p>Yes, it is true for the Pell.</p>
<p>If you are very low income and eligible for the max Pell, the max annual is around $5500. For 3 hours, that would be reduced to about $685.</p>
<p>Yes, you are entitled to the payment as long as you qualify for aid.</p>
<p>Or would that be $1375 which is 25% of $5500?</p>
<p>No. $5500 is the annual amount. The semester amount is half that, and for 3 credits you would get 25% of the semester amount.</p>
<p>I understand now. Thank You</p>
<p>here is the breakdown</p>
<p>If you receive $5500 in pell and were attending full time (12 credits) you would receive $2750 each term.</p>
<p>If you receive $2750(half time max) in pell and were attending half time (6-8 credits) you would receive $1375 each term.</p>
<p>If you receive $1375(quarter time max) in pell and were attending 25% of the time (3- 5 credits) you would receive $687 each term.</p>
<p>“You must be a degree seeking student to be eligible for aid.” So one can not go to college and take one class in auto maintenance another in HAVC and one in dental assistant? Would there be any Pell money for someone like this?</p>
<p>You need to be a matriculated student in a degree seeking program to get federally funded need based aid for college. If you are in a degree program and are trying different courses, then I suppose you could get need based aid.</p>
<p>You apply and get accepted to the college…you also complete the FAFSA and submit THAT to the college. If you are not a matriculated student, the college will NOT prepare a financial,aid package for you.</p>
<p>You need to be a matriculated student in a degree seeking program to get federally funded need based aid for college. If you are in a degree program and are trying different courses, then I suppose you could get need based aid.</p>
<p>So you could try a different class that is not part of your degree? Let’s say I was working to get a General Education Certificate (it is like a AA in liberal arts) Could I take a class HAVC and have it covered by a Pell Grant even if it is outside of the General Education Certificate?</p>
<p>Has anybody ever done something like this?</p>
<p>
You’ll not get financial aid for that class.</p>
<p>If you only take a few credits each semester, then you can “run out” of aid. Pell and some other aid (state aid) often has a limit to how many semesters you can qualify. </p>
<p>So, if you only take one or two classes at a time, you could run out of aid before you graduate.</p>
<p>I am learning a great deal here Thanks everyone.</p>