2 Schools have told me that I qualified for a Pell Grant of 2625
another told me 825
and another told me 980
Shouldn’t my Pell Grant be the same for all schools?
Additionally,
Is there a specific website somewhere where I can officially check what my Pell Grant is?
Yes, it should be the same at all schools. When you submitted the FAFSA, didn’t you get a confirmation page indicating your anticipated EFC and Pell eligibility? You would also have received an email with that information - the subject line reads "FAFSA Confirmation Page E-mail”.
Yes, your Pell should be the same at all schools…because it is based on your FAFSA EFC which should also be the same for all schools.
Would contacting my schools be the best course of action? Since it is essentially “my” money.
and yes I did receive the Estimates immediately after I submitted my FAFSA. It was 2800 but I was just concerned if there was an “official” place to check since I was given different Pell Grant information from different schools.
Did a school make a correction to your fafsa? check to see what your EFC currently is.
Also, check to see if these lesser amounts are for each term…maybe each quarter or each semester…as opposed to the full year.
COA and enrollment status are also factors, right?
http://www.ifap.ed.gov/dpcletters/attachments/GEN1502Attach.pdf
You should have received an email with your SAR, student aid report, and the SAR should have your FAFSA EFC， Here instructions to view it
https://fafsa.ed.gov/help/fotwfaq69.htm
COA is a factor, but I wonder if the COA is THAT different at these colleges.
I presume the OP applied to be a full-time student at these schools. COA only matters if it’s less than $5775. The Pell Grant just can’t exceed the COA. If the schools are all CCs, COA could come into play.
http://www.ifap.ed.gov/dpcletters/attachments/GEN1502Attach.pdf
I will start by assuming the 2625 EFC is from 2 schools that do not have your tax return and did not verify your FAFSA.
The 825 amount is an actual amount on the 15-16 Pell schedule - with an EFC in the upper range (over 5000). There may have been a change made by this school if you submitted your tax returns. If you did not have to submit tax returns to the 2 schools with the 2625 award, this is probably what happened.
The 980 amount is not on the Pell schedule for “most” schools. If this is a low-cost school, like a CC, the issue may be that COA is really low, so the Pell payment is lower.
If the 2 schools with the 2625 EFC have your tax return, maybe they changed the numbers and your EFC was lower as a result … and the 825 school is using the numbers on your FAFSA.
What is your EFC on your FAFSA??
Estimated Expected Family Contribution (EFC)= 003026
Pell Grant Estimate - $2,680.00
None of these schools are CC
I did not yet send tax returns to the two schools that gave 2625
the estimate is just that, an estimate until they get the actual numbers.
Did you use the IRS data retrieval tool?
If not, your package will be subject to change, when you use the data retrieval tool, turn in a copy of your taxes or go through verification
^ so if you used the IRS data retriever tool the estimate is pretty much the actual number?
I did not yet send tax returns to the two schools that gave 2625
But did you send your tax returns to the other 2 schools? I am betting they made changes based on that info, if you did …