<p>I am 18 and just graduated from high school and will be going to college for this fall semester. me and my mom have been discussing financial aid, and I have wanted to move into a small apartment between 500-900 per month. lately Ive been researching what type of aid there is and this is what ive been thinking to do: sign up for FSASA(whatever it is lol), then apply for both grants. my prediction that I might get 4000 for the pell grant and 3000 for the other one, so that'll equal 7000. for the student loan, I'm thinking of getting 5-6,000 so thatll be about 12k that I'll have from financial aid. I'm going to start recieving disability benefits(SSI) this summer, so I'll use that money to repay the loan, (which is 750 per month, if ur wondering). plus, i'm planning to recieve food stamps if possible(hopefully they werent lowered too much from the recent cuts)</p>
<p>So do you think that it'll be enough to live on my own? I will also be paying monthly utility bills, so hopefully that doesn't hurt my chances.</p>
<p>So, what money will you use to pay tuition, if the grants and loans (as a first year student, you can only get $5500, and some of it is subtracted in fees, so you don’t get it all) are used for rent and the food stamps for food? Does your state allow college students to receive food stamps? What does your mother make? Is she your custodial parent? Usually, financial aid money is paid directly to the school you are attending, and then sometime after classes have begun if you are due any refund, it will be given to you. Don’t forget you also need money for books ahead of the start of classes. If you are getting SSI, does that mean you won’t be working at all?</p>
<p>Federal grants are based on your EFC which is based on your parent and your income and assets. The maximum pell is around $5600. Your EFC would have to be around 1600 is for you to get $4000 Pell for the year.</p>
<p>What “other one” are you talking about? </p>
<p>The maximum direct student loan for a freshman is $5500 for the year. So $4000 Pell if that is what you are eligible for, plus $5500 would be $9500 for the year.</p>
<p>Financial aid can not exceed the COA of your school. The COA generally includes tuition and fees, room and board, books, allowances for some miscellaneous expenses and travel. Some schools have different COAs for different living situations - on campus, off campus with parents, off campus without parents. You can use FA to pay for off campus living expenses such as rent. Any FA you receive will first be used to pay for direct expenses such as tuition by the school. Any excess is paid to you and you can use it for your living expenses.</p>
<p>the other one is the Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants. I had to copy and paste cause I keep forgetting the name lol. but yeah I believe that I might earn near the maximum because my family is pretty tight financially right now. so 3000 for the “other one” will add up to 12,000, And 9k wont be enough because I can only get aid for each 9 months. also, do you mean the COA is a limitation for the amount of money I can get? like if I want to get 12k, I cant get paid that much because the limit would only be like 7,000 or something like that?</p>
<p>Complete your FAFSA ASAP. SEOG funds are limited per college. They are awarded on a first come/first served basis.</p>
<p>If you can continue to live at home and commute to a college, you will save even MORE money. The maximum Pell, Direct Loan, and even SEOG will not be in total enough for room, board, tuition, fees, books, even at a community college.</p>
<p>You are not guaranteed the SEOG. It is what is called campus based aid and has very limited funding. Schools are given a set amount of $$$s for campus based aid and decide how to best allocate it to their students. This included the criteria for awarding it and the maximum they will award. As the funds are very limited, schools usually run out of SEOG funds early and even eligible students may not receive it. Both my kid’s schools required a 0 EFC for SEOG. My son’s school limited the max to $200 a year. My daughter’s limited it to $2000.</p>
<p>If your school’s COA is $7,000 for a year, the maximum FA you can receive is $7000. FA can not exceed the COA.</p>
<p>How are you coming up with your estimated Pell? Remember, it is based on your EFC. This is calculated using both your and your parents income for 2013 and assets on the day you file FAFSA. When you file FAFSA using that information, it will give you an EFC. That EFC will determine your pell eligibility.</p>
<p>By the way, you don’t “apply for the grants” as such. You submit FAFSA to your school. The school uses the EFC produced by FAFSA to calculate what aid you are eligible for and makes you a financial aid offer.</p>
<p>It seems that you’re planning on using all your aid for housing and such. What is going to pay for tuition, fees, and books? and transportation?</p>
<p>SEOG aid is very limited. Often times students get NONE…or only get $500 a semester.</p>
<p>If you’ll get $4000 for Pell, then you have an EFC greater than 0. Often students with EFCs greater than 0 get nothing for SEOG. </p>
<p>Each state is different in regards to students getting food stamps. What state are you in?</p>
<p>I didnt mention the SEOG. didnt even know what it was until thumper brang it up. the tuition for the school I want to go to is $3000. do you think I will have enough left for housing if I were to spend the first 3k on the tuition? BTW I live in florida</p>
<p>Post 4…You mentioned SEOG and I was responding to that. My post is 5.</p>
<p>What is the total coat of attendance for off campus students at YOUR college? Please find out. It should be on the school website. The total cost of attendance will include tuition, fees, room/board or some allowance for that if you live off campus.</p>
<p>Yes, SEOG is the Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant. It is not guaranteed and your eligibility will depend on your school’s own policies. Pell will depend on your EFC.</p>
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It completely depends on your school’s COA. We have no way of knowing that. The school web site should list the COA somewhere.</p>
<p>The best thing for you to do is contact the school’s financial aid office & talk to them - ask them how much is included in the Cost of Attendance for living expenses. Talk to them about your situation, and ask them if is is possible that you will be able to get enough in aid to cover your projected expenses. They are in the best position to advise you. If you file your FAFSA before you talk to them, they will be better able to help you.</p>
<p>It is possible, but it depends upon the school as to how they wil calculate your Cost of Attendance for living expenses and what you can find in living arrangements for that amount. As Kelsmom says, you will get the answers most pertinant to your situation by talking to a financial aid officer at your school. </p>
<p>What you are guaranteed is PELL, Direct Loans ($5500 max first year) up to COA which is determined by the school. ANything else is a maybe situation. IF your state has programs, you might be able to get some of that. IF your college has grants, and it chooses to give you some of the money, that is a POSSIBLE source. You MIGHT get SEOG, MIGHT get work study, MIGHT get Perkins, but those are all limited sources and not everyone, in fact most students do NOT get that money. </p>
<p>Do understand if you borrow money to live on your own while going to college, you may have to be living back home to pay back those loans, an irony I am seeing a lot of kids living right now. And it will stink even more having to go back home after living on your own for a few years, and you won’t be as wanted. You do have to pay the piper, and finding a living wage job after college is still a pipe dream for a lot of graduates, especially those who have the student loans. If you can commute and avoid borrowing, you’ll be in a lot better shape.</p>