<p>If I am understanding the New 12 Semester Pell Grant Rules, a student may take a total of 6 years or 12 semesters to complete a BA/BS degree but may not choose to complete the same degree in 4 years or 8 semesters plus summer semesters. I read the rule to state that the summer would count as part of the years maxium total. This seems a bit strange? I know that many abuse Pell Grants and I understand the need to set firm guidelines and limits. But I feel that each summer should/could count the same as the the extra 2 years allowed to complete BA/BS degree. I hope that I am misintrpeting the new guidelines/limits.</p>
<p>Students can get Pell in summer … if they don’t use their entire award in fall/winter. The way it works is that each year, a student gets a Pell award. He can use his award until he reaches 100%. If he takes 12 or more credits in fall, he will use 50%. If he takes 12 or more credits in winter, he will use 50%. Since the new award year does not begin until the next fall (for most schools), he does not have any remaining eligibility for summer. However, if he takes 11 credits in fall, he uses 37.5% of his award. If he takes 12 or more credits in winter, he uses 50% of his award. In this case, he has 12.5% of his annual award available to use for summer.</p>
<p>I get annoyed at the “semester” term that is used when explaining Pell eligibility. It is NOT 12 semesters. It is 600%. Add up the % used each year, and you can keep getting Pell until you reach 600%. For many students, this will be 6 years … but for many more, it will be more than 6 years. Students going part time will get more than 6 years of Pell.</p>
<p>Two Pell grants in one year was tried (Year-round Pell). It had a ton of difficult to understand rules associated with it. A lot of students ended up not getting what they thought they would get due to the rules … and because a lot of students did end up getting it, it cost the government a whole lot more than they expected. It was quickly ended.</p>
<p>The truth is, you should be able to get through your undergrad by the time you have used 600% Pell. Society cannot keep subsidizing students who stay in school forever. I actually know someone who couldn’t graduate because she couldn’t pass her math proficiency. She kept getting Pell & work study, as well as institutional money. She was in school for way too many years. Frankly, I am glad her Pell is going to end at some point (actually, the new SAP rules have resulted in her losing her aid …).</p>
<p>I don’t quite understand what you are asking seadonnell. There is no summer Pell anymore unless the student has not received their full annual Pell eligibility during the regular school year (for instance if they started in the Spring instead of fall). If a student were eligible for Pell in the summer (because they had not attended school in the Spring or Fall), then receipt of the Pell in the summer would count toward their total Pell eligibility.</p>
<p>My understanding is that the new Pell eligibility is based more on a percentage - that you can receive 600% of annual Pell - which translates into 6 years, 12 semesters or 18(?) quarters for students on quarter systems. But, as I said above, if a student has received their full Pell eligibility for the school year, there is no additional Pell (there was for about 2 years - that ended last year though).</p>
<p>SAP rules changed?</p>
<p>SAP rules were really tightened up effective this year. Schools can’t keep giving out aid to students who keep going & going. I left before the s**t hit the fan … but it was bad where I used to work. A lot of students lost aid who would previously have been given a pass. Unfortunately, some students did not know that they would not be aid-eligible until they had already paid for fall … they knew they were on probation, but they figured they would have their appeals approved … and it didn’t happen for all who assumed it would. I was glad not to have been there, to be honest.</p>
<p>I can imagine. That would not have been a fun place to be!</p>
<p>I think seodonnell’s point is, since the money is allocated for 12 semesters or 600%, why shouldn’t a student be able to use it in 4 calendar years instead of over 6. That way the student, even full time or part time could graduate and be in the workforce 2 years sooner.</p>
<p>Because there is only so much funding Congress allocates per year. The year-round Pell was attempted, and it just didn’t work.</p>
<p>Year round Pell was available for just 2 summers (or 3 max). Summer 2011 was the last summer it was available. The reason given for discontinuing it was that there was no evidence that it helped people graduate quicker, which I thought was a little disingenuous when the program was available for such a short time (so really no time to judge whether it was effective or not). I think the real reason was that it cost so much. </p>
<p>Anyway, whether we think it should or should not be available, it isn’t.</p>
<p>Yes Yankee Bell, that was my point…a student should be able to use their 600% or 12 semesters over 4 to 6 years. When it is used up it is gone! Summer could count as additional semesters just as the fall and spring do. In this manner if a student completes their degree in 12 semesters over 4 years which include summer or if they only attend fall and spring over 6 years they will still recieve the same Pell Award in the end. I understand the misuse of aide and such concerns, but this new guideline will force students to attend longer and delay earning degree, thus seeking employment and beginning to repay student loans.</p>
<p>You’re just being too logical 
.This is the govt you are dealing with here. They got rid of year round Pell a year before they changed the % you can get from 900% (which was a little ridiculous) to 600%. If they had changed the % first, then maybe they would have seen the logic in making the 600% apply to whichever semesters you attended, including the summer. But then again, it’s the Government…</p>