<p>Hi everyone. I have particular problem with Pennsylvania state grant. Only in fine print on their web site pheaa.org it is mentioned that there is a limit to 8 semesters when this grant can be received. My stepdaughter used PA state grant to pay for two summer semesters, and now she is significantly short for funds to pay for her final year in college. Is there way to get around of this limitation? I beat myself because I encouraged her to take those summer semesters and use them to do additional research work (coincidentally unpaid). Is thee some kind of appeal process? Their web site is clearly misleading, I am not a simpleton, but I fell into that trap. College financial aid office should have alerted her about the pitfall, but proven to as useless and clueless as many times before. It is all going all in another town, so I did not get the opportunity to pry the meaningful answer out of them. As for college, it was only too happy to grab even more money.</p>
<p>The standard time to complete an undergraduate degree is 8 semesters full time. Your daughter got the max amount of grants that she is entitled to. She (or you) chose to do the summer session. Read the fine print next time!</p>
<p>I guess I already know that - but if nothing can be done in my case I want to warn anyone who think about taking summer semester that is financially detrimental thing to do. The deception have to be stopped. </p>
<p>How much was the grant? $3,000 -$4,000 a year might be able to be earned with a job. Did she work this summer, does the school offer scholarships to upperclassmen?</p>
<p>Yes it is about $4k, but it is in addition to a gaping hole of $15k a year due to unrelated circumstances. That is why it is annoying and important in the same time.</p>
<p>I’m sorry she is having this issue, but I don’t think you can blame the college for being ‘happy to grab even more money’ because you didn’t know the rules. My son did a summer study abroad which he used his financial aid for, but it enabled him to graduate early, skipping a regular semester.</p>
<p>The students I know who do summer classes either pay it out of pocket or get a separate grant from the colleges/ Also summer research is often unpaid but there are sometimes grants from the college you can apply for to cover your living expenses, or some professors do have budgets to pay you. That was our experience. Hindsight for you but for future readers.</p>
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My stepdaughter used PA state grant to pay for two summer semesters, and now she is significantly short for funds to pay for her final year in college. Is there way to get around of this limitation?
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<p>Find out if you can back-pay for those 2 summer semesters to get those back. Since you were the one who pushed her to do the summers, you have an ethical obligation to find/pay for a solution.</p>
<p>I think many of the state scholarships and grants are for 8 semesters or 4 years. If they paid the $4000 for a summer, and the summer cost at least $4000, then you received the same money. If the summer was only $2000 and they didn’t give you credit for the remainder, then you lost some possible funds. </p>
<p>Instead of appealing, maybe the school has different grants available.</p>
<p>You are out of luck about the funds,yes. This might be a good time to look at all of the small print and conditions of all of the awards your student has so that you and she doesn’t get caught like this. There are limitations and situations with many of the programs, and too many recipients don’t know them until they get “caught” like your student did. Not the way to learn the rules. </p>
<p>Yes, many, if not all, states have grants for 4 years…so that they can budget for all students…ones coming in, and ones coming out. if they didnt have those limits, kids would stay longer and blow the budget.</p>
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<p>Deception?</p>
<p>I don’t know what it was like when you applied, but today the PHEAA website does explain the 8 semester max. rule, and that summer grants can reduce aid in the last year. I just looked at it a couple months ago when my daughter was taking a summer class. </p>
<p>Most people who take two summers of classes would hopefully be able to avoid the last regular semester.</p>