Incorrect FAFSA disbursed? Coincidence or fulfillment of whole grant to be expected?

Hello everyone,

So I’m a new transfer student at a 4-year CSU and I noticed my disbursement is off by about $4278. I have qualified for a pell grant and the state university grant in the total amount of $5815 and the check I received today is for the amount of $1537. I’m wondering if anyone is knowledgeable on this before I step foot in the financial aid office and schedule an appointment to meet with someone because wait times are ridiculous right now.

I’ll also be receiving the Post 9/11 GI Bill since I applied and am also an eligible veteran but I feel like that should have no bearing on my FAFSA itself.

Any thoughts on this? Thanks.

You only get half, for the first semester (or 1/3 if your school is on quarters). You’ll get the other half next term.

Of course, you only get what is left after they apply whatever is owed to your bill. Have you seen the entire bill and what is applied to tuition, fees, other billed amounts?

I’m a little confused. This poster is getting a GI benefit. Does that mean that he is not entitled to whatever Pell Grant amount his EFC would indicate?

To the OP…your check received would be a refund that you would get AFTER all of your school bills are paid. It is quite possible that the remainder of your grant money was used to pay the billable costs to your college. Those bills would be paid first…and what is left would be sent to you.

So…go to your bursars page. What was paid on your behalf? Was a portion of the Pell grant used to pay your billable costs?

And as noted above…only half would be for this term if you are on semesters.

AFAIK Pell would still apply, but the Post GI Bill WILL apply to FAFSA since part of that benefit is a Basic Allowance for Housing/Sustenance.

Actually, Post GI Bill is not taken into consideration for financial aid purposes. It was once upon a time, but they stopped factoring it in about 7-8 years ago.

VA benefits that cover tuition are coordinated with other aid - schools have to report all of this in the VA-Once system, and the VA pays what isn’t covered.

OP, unless you paid your charges before the aid kicked in, your check is what was left after the other aid was applied to your student charges. Look in your web account to see what amount was actually applied to your charges (in your student account section, rather than in your financial aid section).

Thanks for the correction @kelsmom