Finacial Aid and Grants

Hi I was wondering when the school gives you lets say 900 to use for books and supplies for school what happens to the extra money aren’t I suppose to get that extra back? I am fortunate that I am a very stupid but also very smart depending how you look at it student!! Basically because I never graduated from high school or got my GED I ended up meeting someone from a local college at a job fair and she brought me in and said that If I chose to challenge the GED meaning if I took the ACT and scored high enough then I could go to college tuition free for the first 3 semesters and the school would pay it’s called an achieve grant I believe anyway my question is if FA gives me 900 for books and I only spend 450 what happens to the rest? am I suppose to get that back?? and if so do I need to file taxes to get it im not working just going to school

If that $900 is specifically allocated to books and supplies…that’s ALL it can be used for.

If it’s for anything, you might get a refund of the balance.

Are you supposed to buy your books and supplies at the student books store…using an account there?

NO…you don’t file taxes to get a refund of school granted financial aid.

You might be surprised at the cost of books and supplies. Also ask if supplies include your personal Computer.

Call the COLLEGE and ask them. It’s really impossible for us to give you an accurate answer for your college…without even knowing the college.

ETA…free advice…get a part time job. Lots of college students work 10 hours a week or so.

I apologize LOL and thank you so much for replying I am currently getting my associates degree
as a paralegal at Bryant & Stratton College in Amherst NY
Yes I have to buy my books and supplies online at the college book store however 9 times out of ten they don’t get used Also I already have a computer and the books are not even close to 900 that’s why this semester I decided to use the extra to get a new laptop and thanks for the free advice but I’m not hurting for cash I was just wondering is all who doesn’t want an extra accumulated unused $1200??

Part of your challenge is that you are attending a for profit school. Carefully read the fine print of what you signed along with your financial aid statements. Don’t believe for one minute that you are getting 3 semesters of free tuition.

Sounds like a scam to me - you meet someone at a local job fair and now you are going to a For Profit college…

Two questions- what kind of education are you getting where you don’t use your books? And this “financial aid”- what is the source- is it your Pell Grant which the school is getting on your behalf from the Federal Government and then turning around and calling it a scholarship? If so, you need to do a better job understanding your financial aid package.

Have you taken out any loans or signed a promissary note of any kind?

And how much of your personal information did you give this for profit school…and what exactly did you sign?