<p>I have twin sons that have been accepted to the same private LAC. I received their financial aid award letters today. They both have the same COA and EFC yet one of the twins was offered a Pell grant of $1,200 and a SEOG grant for $500.</p>
<p>I thought Pell Grants were provided through a federal formula that removed the school from subjectively distributing the funds. Apparently I'm misinformed. Further confusing the matter is that the twin that did not get a Pell Grant from this school did get one in his offer from another school.</p>
<p>I've been researching this on-line the past couple of hours and have come up empty. I plan to call the financial aid office for clarification on Monday but thought I'd ask for help here. </p>
<p>The only other difference in the financial aid offers is that the twin that did not get the Pell and SEOG grants did get more institutional grant money as he qualified for an academic scholarship. Perhaps this affects Pell eligibility, but I couldn't find anything definitive on-line. </p>
<p>Can anyone explain why one twin would qualify for a Pell Grant and one would not?</p>
<p>What was each twin’s EFC? </p>
<p>Pell is based on EFC. Did one twin have more earnings/savings and end up with a higher EFC that may have exceeded Pell?</p>
<p>Pell is an entitlement…you get it if you have the EFC. Merit scholarships don’t change that.</p>
<p>The other grant might explain not having SEOG, but I don’t think it explains the lack of Pell. My understanding is that the Pell is an entitlement grant that you get if you are eligible and that it is not reduced by other aid/scholarships.</p>
<p>The one twin is lucky to have received the SEOG. A lot of schools only give SEOG to 0 EFC students (it is the school’s choice how they award SEOG, but not Pell).</p>
<p>If the EFC on both Student Aid Reports (SAR) is exactly the same, they should have exactly the same Pell grant amount. </p>
<p>It is possible that the school has made a change to one twin’s information that was not made to the other’s. This can happen if two different aid officers are reviewing the FAFSA … it shouldn’t, but human error is possible. It could even happen if the same officer reviews both, just not at the same time. Again, it shouldn’t happen but it can.</p>
<p>I would start by going to each FAFSA and looking at the current SAR. Has one of the FAFSA’s been updated by the school so that now the twins have different EFC’s? If so, call the 800 number and ask which school made the update. Then contact the school Monday to find out what is going on.</p>
<p>If there are no changes that you can see, post back & I’ll think about that …</p>
<p>Oh, I missed the same EFC part. If that’s the case, then both should get the SAME Pell. But, one may not get SEOG.</p>
<p>the school may have thought that one with the merit didn’t need the SEOG as much as the other twin. SEOG isn’t an entitlement like Pell is.</p>
<p>What was the EFC for each?</p>
<p>I went to check the exact EFCs and this is what I found:</p>
<p>March 8 the college lowered the EFC for the Pell recieving twin from $8,162 to $4,388, and for the Non-Pell twin, from $8,162 to $4,392. Won’t quibble about 4 bucks.</p>
<p>However, on March 15 the college raised the EFC on the Non-Pell twin to $5,767 but did not change the EFC for the Pell receiving twin.</p>
<p>Why would they change the EFC for one twin when all assets and income provided on the FAFSA are identical? </p>
<p>Neither twin has any income. All financial info on the FAFSA is exactly the same. The only difference is the academic scholarship Non-Pell was awarded. Which, I always thought, didn’t affect EFC or Pell eligibility.</p>
<p>Any insight?</p>
<p>*I went to check the exact EFCs and this is what I found:</p>
<p>March 8 the college lowered the EFC for the Pell recieving twin from $8,162 to $4,388, and for the Non-Pell twin, from $8,162 to $4,392. Won’t quibble about 4 bucks.</p>
<p>However, on March 15 the college raised the EFC on the Non-Pell twin to $5,767 but did not change the EFC for the Pell receiving twin.</p>
<p>Why would they change the EFC for one twin when all assets and income provided on the FAFSA are identical? *</p>
<p>What reason was given for raising the non-Pell twin? If nothing, then try to find out what that was. Have you reviewed the info on each FAFSA…I know that you say that the financial info is the same, but closely review the student sections. It sounds like there is some mistake there.</p>
<p>Or maybe the Pell Twin’s EFC will soon also rise and that Pell/SEOG will disappear?</p>
<p>Something is odd…your EFC was higher, then lowered, then one was raised again. There seems to be some corrections going on.</p>
<p>Why were the EFCs lowered in the first place.</p>
<p>mom2:</p>
<p>All good questions. I wish I had the answers. I will carefully examine both FAFSAs to make sure they’re identical and then call the school on Monday for clarification.</p>
<p>Each of my sons have received financial awards from five schools that they have been accepted to. This is the only school they both applied to. No other school has changed the FAFSA like this school has. Very strange.</p>
<p>Examine the FAFSA’s line by line to see what is different between the two. I would guess that you will find a difference in the parent income information … probably taxes paid or something in the tax credits (which you would see in untaxed income) … maybe in the untaxed payments to pensions area. Once you find the difference, post. I verified thousands of FAFSA’s in my time and know the regulations cold. I will advise once you know the discrepancy.</p>
<p>For those following this saga, here is the latest–for some reason the college lowered the parent “Net Current Investments” for both twins by about 30%, then filed a revised FAFSA raising the parent “Net Current Investments” for Non-Pell twin to the original figure I submitted. They left Pell twin’s parent “Net Current Investments” at the reduced amount. </p>
<p>I have no idea why they lowered the number in the first place, nor why they changed it back for one twin and not the other. </p>
<p>I submitted 2 FAFSA for each twin, 1 with estimated tax info, and then 1 with the actual info after I filed. On both FAFSAs the “Net Current Investments” amounts I submitted were identical; the higher number as specified above. </p>
<p>I’m baffled and hope the financial aid office can shed some light when I call tomorrow.</p>
<p>*for some reason the college lowered the parent “Net Current Investments” for both twins by about 30%, then filed a revised FAFSA raising the parent “Net Current Investments” for Non-Pell twin to the original figure I submitted. They left Pell twin’s parent “Net Current Investments” at the reduced amount. *</p>
<p>Which “net current investment” number do you agree with? The higher amount or lower amount? If the higher amount is correct, then it would seem that the twin with the Pell award will lose that award once the right value is determined.</p>
<p>It does seem odd that your initially reported “net current investment amount” was lowered. I could see a school doing that if your math had been obviously wrong. But, if you’re saying that you have some assets worth $XXXXX, it’s odd that the school decided that the worth is significantly less.</p>
<p>mom2:</p>
<p>The higher number that I reported on both FAFSAs is the correct figure. You’re right that the twin that received the Pell may lose it once this is all sorted out. I’d rather get things correct now as opposed to addressing it down the road. I doubt they’d just let him keep the money if they found out later that he didn’t qualify.</p>
<p>Pell eligibility is based on EFC and the EFC max limit for Pell eligibility is $4,995. If the EFC is higher than that you will not be eligible for Pell.</p>
<p>This absolutely requires a call to the aid office … to a manager, since it seems to me that there is at least one aid officer who does not know his/her job. I wouldn’t trust anyone but a manager to straighten this one out. Call Monday and don’t take no for an answer when you request to speak to a manager. Let us know what happens!</p>
<p>The saga ends happily. I spoke with the financial aid office who said that the parent’s net current investment figures were initially lowered due to the special circumstances form I had sent them regarding a personal family matter that I prefer not to disclose here.</p>
<p>Non-Pell twin’s EFC was erroneously re-raised, which will be lowered again making him Pell eligible and he will receive the same Pell and SEOG grants as his brother. </p>
<p>All in all an easy fix and welcomed news.</p>