<p>Kelsmom,</p>
<p>So what you are trying to say is we don’t know if the summer term is considered the 4th term of 2010-2011 or the 1st term of 2011-2012 (assuming we are on a quarter system) since each financial aid program may have different policies depending on the school?</p>
<p>Can you also elaborate on the new rules for the summer crossover periods that may or may not stay in effect?</p>
<p>Well, darn. I was really hoping the summer Pell would at least survive for this summer. That will change some plans. This is frustrating.</p>
<p>chaospaladin, there were incredibly complicated rules put in place for second Pell, and part of the regulations treated Pell differently than any other aid. Schools would have to review both years, even if the summer was a trailer (2010-11 for this summer) … and use the Pell from whichever year was a more beneficial payment even though the rest of the awards used a different year/possibly different EFC. Software vendors poured tons of money into updating systems, which schools in turn had to pay for. Crossover periods are something that doesn’t concern students but does concern aid offices … in other words, your school will be concerned with crossover periods, but they won’t be something that would be communicated to students. It’s more a behind the scenes thing.</p>
<p>Suffice it to say that the most likely scenario for a trailer school is that there would be no Pell for summer (or just the rest of the unused 1st Pell award). But the possibility does exist that the summer award might need to come from the 2011-12 award. It’s a wait & see thing.</p>
<p>Our school has posted that summer school awards are delayed until official guidance has been received from the USDE. Understandable. But the first session starts in 4 1/2 weeks so people really need to know if they can afford summer classes.</p>
<p>So if you’re transferring in the fall but taking summer classes at the old school can the old school award you summer FA that will conflict with or detract from the new school’s fall FA? Assuming pell grants are involved.</p>
<p>Summer is part of 2010-2011 at the old school. I don’t want to accept summer pell money only to find out I messed up my FA at the new school.</p>
<p>I think if your school includes summer as part of the preceding year, they will not be able to offer you pell for the summer under the new rules (assuming you have had your full one year’s pell).</p>
<p>Oh, ok. I can deal with that. I just want to make sure I don’t inadvertently jeopardize things at the new school. </p>
<p>It’s kind of funny, the old school proudly advertises summer Pell grants all over their website! Someone needs to update the site. ;)</p>
<p>I think the maximum Pell Grant award for 2011-12 will end up being $5550 in total with the proposed budget bill being passed this week. The $4860 maximum award described in the bill is likely only discretionary funding appropriated with the budget bill. An additional $690 from mandatory funding from the College Cost Reduction and Access Act of 2007 will be added to the $4860 discretionary maximum in the budget bill to yield an overall maximum Pell Grant of $5550.</p>
<p>Of course I could be all wrong, especially if the CCRAA was not left alone or was discontinued. Too, after the Dems and White House making such a big deal about how they pushed to keep Pell going with the same maximum award, I’d be surprised if maximum award ended up less than $5550.</p>
<p>
Well this is very new for them as well. Our school has just now posted that they are delaying awarding summer aid until they get guidance on the new rules. The way the govt works with getting the rules finalized I can’t imagine them having the awards out in time for the 1st summer sessions.</p>
<p>Lizard,</p>
<p>If what you say is true, then will all Pell Grant Awards less than the maximum remain unchanged as well?</p>
<p>Yeah, I want to know this too.</p>
<p>yep, plumazul, thank <em>goodness</em> that millionaires and billionaires get to keep their historically low tax rates. Woohoo!!
Lowly proles shouldn’t be able to go to college anyway…</p>
<p>It’s just a little too much excitement for kids to be getting FA packages now with Pell awards written up as “estimate”. $690 may not seem like a lot of money from some perspectives, but at some point the additions and subtractions become the tipping point for 4 year school vs. community college. </p>
<p>In some cases the community college may very well be the best academic environment for the student, but if it isn’t, or the program structure adds years between high school graduation and college diploma, this immediate shortfall becomes less efficient than it at first appears.</p>