<p>I was awarded $5,550 for 12-13 to be broken down into 2775 for fall and for again for summer.</p>
<p>I am about to start as a full time student in which a large business will be paying all of my tuition/fees/books. If I don't touch my Pell Grant money, will the 2775 be refunded to me?</p>
<p>The Pell Grant will be credited directly to the university bursar account.</p>
<p>If you’re asking if they’ll just give you a check for the Pell amount - no, they won’t.</p>
<p>Only if there is an overpayment on the account will the university refund any money - but if the business is “overpaying,” they will likely consider that their money, not yours.</p>
<p>If the student doesn’t have an outstanding balance because job is paying school expenses, then the student will be given the Pell money…likely by a check sent to the home, or direct deposited into a checking acct, if that’s been set up.</p>
<p>The school would not just consider the money their own.</p>
<p>But the Pell Grant is (or, at least, used to be) credited to a student’s account instantly upon aid award - before other entities can pay the balance.</p>
<p>I didn’t say the school would consider it their own - I said a smaller balance due would mean that the business would have to pay less than the full cost of tuition to settle the balance owed. Whether the business wants to pay in full anyway and leave the overpayment to be refunded to the student is between the business and the student.</p>
<p>If you have a balance in your bursar’s account (regardless of who pays it), you can request a refund from the school.</p>
<p>Well now I’m boggled. Why would a student who is receiving a full ride through an employer be entitled to a Pell grant in the first place? Is there no way such a gift is disclosable on FAFSA, so that taxpayer money isn’t given to people who don’t need it?</p>
<p>Pell eligibility is strictly based on EFC and has nothing whatsoever to do with any other aid the student receives. It is the only “entitlement” aid … and it is only awarded to the very neediest students.</p>
<p>The Pell Grant is a federally funded entitlement which is based solely on the FAFSA EFC. If the EFC is $0, the student would receive the full Pell. Students who receive full ride merit scholarships who are Pell eligible still get the Pell grant.</p>
<p>MommaJ…</p>
<p>Also…even tho the employer is supplying tuition, fees and books, that’s not the entire COA anyway.</p>
<p>Nevertheless… Pell is an entitlement and they’d get the money regardless.</p>
<p>Sounds as though if even if the employer were paying the entire COA, the Pell would still be fully available. The purpose of the Pell grants is to enable poor students to attend college. So logically it shouldn’t be payable in cases where it’s not needed. Guess I shouldn’t be surprised that a government entitlement program has logic holes that cost me money.</p>
<p>MommaJ, You are right that federal financial aid can’t exceed the cost of COA. There are two caveats though: 1- The student is getting tuition, fees and books paid. That doesn’t include room and board which will likely exceed the $5550 Pell. 2- It depends on how this business is giving the student the $. I once worked at a company that paid some of my college credits. It reimbursed me after I had completed the class and earned a passing grade. In a case like that, the Pell Grant would be credited because the school won’t even know about the other transaction.</p>
<p>Geez, almost feel like I need to defend myself here. Thank you for the information folks, I’ve been waiting for emails back from Fin.Aid from the school, but I can only assume they are swamped.</p>
<p>Sorry to make you feel that way Chootem. I don’t blame you a whit for making sure you get everything you’re entitled to. I’m questioning the underlying system, not you.</p>
<p>There are many other costs that actually are NOT included in the Cost of Attendance for low income students. The most notable being that school sponsored health insurance is not included in the COA. While some of these students qualify for health coverage in their home states, they don’t always qualify OOS. AND the policies they have also may not meet the colleges’ minimum coverage requirements. In addition, the COA doesn’t include things like toiltries (shampoo, soap, etc), or school supplies (pens, paper, etc…never mind something like a computer…some DO include a computer in the COA but not all do). A student who has a $0 EFC would likely have no monetary buffer to pay for any unanticipated expenses (say…a LOT more in books one term).</p>
<p>I don’t see how the amount of anyone’s COA changes the issue. OP ends up in much better financial shape than many who don’t even get the full Pell because he has an outside source of income that is not in any way taken into account in calculating his need. OP only has to cover insurance and personal supplies; most other Pell recipients have a heavier burden. It’s hard not to see the inequity here. I still maintain that third party payments should be reflected in the EFC calculation, just like any other source of income. The purpose of the Pell program is not to assure a free education, but that is the apparent result in OP’s case.</p>
<p>MommaJ, That is what happens to anyone who gets a Pell and a full scholarship. The OP’s position is the same as it would be if he were a Pell recipient receiving a full tuition scholarship at a college. It is the same as it is for students who attend colleges that meet full need, where the Pell is awarded first and then the rest of the money is awarded. It is even the same as it is for students who attend colleges in states or schools that have initiatives to help low-income students attend their state schools: Pell comes first and then the other money is awarded. While the purpose of Pell may not be to assure a free education, the purpose of the other programs-- including, in this case, something that the student has presumably worked for-- is. The outside award should not reduce his need because it’s more like a scholarship than income.</p>
<p>Whatever the program provides, it’s inappropriate for a an educational grant paid for by taxpayer money to go to a student who doesn’t need it while others don’t get their need met. Just a poorly designed system. Once it becomes apparent that a student has another source of funds for school that put him or her in a position equivalent to those who don’t qualify for Pell (be it an employer grant or a traditional scholarship), the Pell should be negated. Claiborne Pell had a great idea; the execution is flawed. At many colleges, outside scholarships result in a reduction in financial aid because colleges want to preserve their funds for those who need them–the same principle should apply here.</p>
<p>MommaJ, I don’t know of any school that hands back Pell money to use its own. As a matter of fact, it could easily be argued that at almost all schools, the availability of Pell Grant money allows schools to offer their own money to more students. If the COA is not covered, then the student <em>needs</em> the money; I’m not sure where you think that meeting tuition puts them in a place “equivalent to those who don’t qualify for Pell.” Those who don’t qualify for Pell have more household income than this candidate. </p>
<p>OP, just to get back to you-- please realize that the amount of $ you receive in excess of tuition (and fees and books I think but please check this out since I can never remember if books are included) is taxable by the IRS. You will need to declare it on next year’s income taxes.</p>
<p>If a college, an employer, or an outside scholarship organization wishes to reduce their own funding in the amount of Pell received, they are within their rights to do so. They would just have to develop a policy & enforce it equally. However, it is not the responsibility of the Pell program to reduce its award … it would be the other way around … and if those other organizations are fine with giving poor kids a break, that is their call.</p>