Okay honestly so frustrated at this point. Maybe I have my information wrong regarding grants, but Rutgers gave me TWO financial packages. Both Nursing, one from Newark and one from New Brunswick( the one I’m enrolling). But for Newark I received two FEDERAL grants. From my understanding federal grants comes from the government and the school is not paying. I called the office almost five times trying to solve this. But they just replied with scholarship funding varies with campuses. One of the federal grants is called Pell Grant. Can anyone share their opinions or correct me if I’m wrong?
Yes, funding varies by campus. If you applied to both campuses, then your packages could be different. For clarification, contact each financial aid office separately, and ask them to talk you through their packages.
Pell is federal money. Yes, the amount can be a bit different for two different places because the financial aid offices are allowed to make certain adjustments based on your file and their professional judgment. Again, this needs to be discussed separately with each institution.
@happymomof1 Thanks for your reply! You see…I never applied for Newark which makes the situation even more confusing. As for the grant I received absolutely nothing for New Brunswick which I probably should because my EFC is zero. Thanks for your advice! I will go talk to the Newark campus too…hopefully something good will come out of it
If your FAFSA EFC is $0, you should receive the highest Pell grant (just under $6,000), as well as subsidized federal loans (for a first year student, $5,500 in loans of which up to $3,500 may be subsidized).
Pell should be the same at every school unless you asked for professional judgment. If your EFC is $0, it should be $5920. The SEOG is also a federal grant, but it is up to each school to distribute the funds to the students.
@twoinanddone @BelknapPoint oh okay so I definitely should be getting money from New Brunswick. The thing is I called them again and they just kept repeating that eligibility is different for different campuses! How low of an EFC do you have to be eligible?! Should I mention that on FASFA my EFC if 0?
As suggested above, ask to review each piece of your FA, line by line. Don’t worry about comparing the award with the other school. Your award should be something like:
Pell $5290
SEOG $2000
Subsidized loan $3500
Unsub loan $2000
(NJ grant?)
(School grant?)
If the Pell grant or loans are missing, they don’t have your FAFSA. Did you send it to each school?
The school will know what your EFC is. What does your package look like from each school. Please post then we will be in a better position to assist. Also, is your package based on being on campus or commuting.
NB may not have funds… many state schools rely on fed and state grants. They often have few dollars of their very own to give out.
Sounds like you’d get Pell, and maybe FSEOG (look to see what the name of that other fed grant is)…and probably a NJ state grant.
@twoinanddone I sent the FAFSA to New Brunswick for sure. And yes for both campuses I have the loans.
@sybbie719 I’m not sure how to send pics but I’ll type it out
Newark:
Rutgers Assistant Grant 5,000
Federal Pell 5,920
Federal Supplimental. 1,500
New Brunswick:
Rutgers Assistant Grant. 5,000
Both campuses offer loans and both are Nursing and I am on campus
@mom2collegekids the second grant is just titled federal supplemental
Well at NB you will also get the Pell Grant, but you may not get the supplemental
As you can see, all aid is fed or NJ based because those schools don’t have much of their own money to give no matter how low your EFC is.
@mom2collegekids I see, that makes sense! That’s why I’m more hung up on the Pell Grant haha.
PELL is an entitlement. You will get it. @mom2collegekids said, the federal supplement will be based on wether or not NB has the funds to give. If you add your student loan to the grant and the PELL, you will be able to cover your tuition. You do not have enough aid to live on campus. Your may have to commute
@sybbie719 the EFC is based on last year’s tax so based on that I won’t have enough but this year my situation is a lot better so campus won’t be a problem! (Also have work study to help out)
This:
Is different than this:
So you didn’t receive “absolutely nothing for New Brunswick,” you did receive something. And as has been pointed out, you should also be getting the full Pell grant of nearly $6,000, based on your FAFSA EFC of $0. You are also eligible to take up to $5,500 in direct federal loans, most of which should be subsidized.
Are you saying that you have the 12-14K needed to live on campus?
If that is the case perhaps you should still save your money and commute. You must think about how to finances college over the course of 4 years. This means when you file for next year , because you will have more money you will get less pell and state grants. You will have to make up that money.
@BelknapPoint sorry I wasn’t being clear. “Absolutely nothing” for federal grants
@sybbie719 I would commute if I had a choice but I’m out of state and don’t know anyone there. Dorming is safer and more of a college experience. I’d commute in the second year though