<p>My USC financial aid was generous, but my sibling at an ivy's was even more generous. I know USC isnt as rich as the ivies, but i am confused as to why i got MUCH less in pell grant and SEOG grant than my sibiling. Do schools determine these federal grants differently? Should i appeal?</p>
<p>the SEOG grant is a MASSIVE difference...i got almost nothing while my sibling got a maximum grant.</p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>SEOG is federal money that is given to a school to allocate among its most needy students. There may be more money at Harvard and/or fewer needy students. Or it just may be policy - where I worked, students only got SEOG with a 0 EFC … and even then, it was only $1000 … and it ran out really fast, so only the earliest filers got it. </p>
<p>Your Pell can differ when EFC differs. If you have more earnings and/or more savings, your EFC will be higher, so the Pell will be lower.</p>
<p>The only thing that should matter to you is the total of grant dollars in your package. Why does it matter which bucket the monies come from, either federal money or the school’s own financial aid dollars? If they raise the federal $$ for example, they’ll just lower the school grant amount to meet your EFC as they calculate it.</p>
<p>Of course you can appeal, but try to add new information to your appeal letter.</p>
<p>What was YOUR FAFSA EFC?</p>
<p>What was your brother’s FAFSA EFC?</p>
<p>Do you have a different income/savings than he has?</p>
<p>SEOG is optional, so you can’t compare that. If you and your brother have the same FAFSA EFC, then your Pell should be the same.</p>
<p>If your brother is at H or Y or P, then his overall aid pkg may be more generous.</p>
<p>op, you are transferring to USC, correct? therefore the following is probably the reason for the difference in your grant from your sibling’s grant-</p>
<p>"and it ran out really fast, so only the earliest filers got it. "</p>
<p>newly accepted freshman students probably got the lions share of this $$- as they were notified of their acceptances earlier than transfer students, and there was probably very little left for transfer students.</p>
<p>considering i applied jan. 3rd that is really unfair…</p>
<p>oh well. USC isnt a very wealthy school compared to HPY so i didnt expect as much</p>
<p>considering i applied jan. 3rd that is really unfair… application date is irrelevant- you werent accepted until may . incoming freshman were accepted as early as feb, so those $$ were given to them first.
It is what it is.<br>
your award will probably be a lot higher next year. be sure to complete the FAFSA as early as possible in 2013</p>