Help! Caught in a FAC Grant Catch 22!

[swimcatsmom]

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Also, when I called FAFSA they said it was up to the school to determine whether to give the funds or not. How they interpret the requirements.

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<p>The FAFSA helpline is probably not your best bet for answering these questions as they generally only know the rules for completing FAFSA and not for how aid is awarded. They are not trained FA officers at all and probably know nothing about the rules for individual programs such as the ACG. My experience dealing with the FAFSA by phone (PIN problems) was that they were very willing to help but not actually able to (I have found CC much more helpful). Schools are given very strict rules and training about how to award grants such as the ACG. The FAFSA helpline people are given training in how to complete FAFSA.</p>

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Have you taken this issue to the highest person within the F/A ranks of the school? If so, start going over their heads…to the ass’t provost and such.</p>

<p>Seriously, if I kept getting nowhere with this issue, I’d tell them that this is their last chance, and then I’m taking it to the media where the general public will not look favorably at this situation. The school will look bad. Do they want that ???

I honestly don’t think threatening to to go to the media will have any effect other than to alienate the FA office. They are following the rules. They often may not agree with them and may think they are stupid, but they have to follow them. Most FA officers I have dealt with are truly trying to help the students they deal with, not trying to shortchange them by ‘interpreting the rules’. The ACG rules for this year at my daughter’s school are exactly what SVMMom is being told</p>

<p>In a previous thread about this <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/780898-acg-taken-away-2.html?highlight=ACG[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/780898-acg-taken-away-2.html?highlight=ACG&lt;/a&gt; (started by romanigypsyeyes) Kelsmom (an FAO in real life) posted that grades from CC classes might make the student eligible for the sophomore year grant. Kelsmom posted this in post #25</p>

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Romanigypsyeyes … and others who lost Year 1 ACG eligibility due to AP/IB credits putting you in sophomore standing: There is a loophole. If you took any college courses in high school (such as dual enrollment courses) and you have ANY college grades for courses you are transferring in … you can use the grades you received for course/courses transferred in to qualify you for the Year 2 as long as the grade average is 3.0 or above.

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<p>Post #20 also explains the new ACG rules (created by the government) that are causing this problem.</p>