Using Pell Grant refund for a second school? And related financial aid inquiries...

Paying for College
1

<p>I'm in CA, and attend WLAC. Unfortunately, one of the professors cancelled a class that was worth 5 units, and now I've dropped from 14 to 9 units --in other words, I'm no longer a full time student.</p>

<p>I'm meant to receive around $5000 per year from the pell grant, and already received my first disbursement sometime in mid September. I also get the BOG FW, so I don't ordinarily pay tuition. </p>

<p>Anyway, some questions:</p>

<ol>
<li><p>If I take an online class at SMC (or a different community college that has online classes available to start ASAP) worth at least 3 units, am I once again full time in the eyes of FAFSA and the refund-givers? I kind of depend on these refund cheques to live and eat and such. </p></li>
<li><p>If taking classes at two colleges does indeed allow me to be a full time student, how does payment work? (does the BOGFW apply at SMC as well as WLAC? Or can I pay out of the next refund cheque? And if so, is it worth it to spend a few hundred out of about a grand, or should I inform the school of my changed status, and take...I guess it'd be ~500$?)</p></li>
<li><p>If I've dropped to part time this semester and can't fix it, next semester won't be affected, right? Assuming, of course, that I sign up for enough courses and all. </p></li>
<li><p>I also just applied for a subsidised stafford loan, as a full time student. Anyone know how this'll be affected? </p></li>
</ol>

<p>Thanks for any answers or advice!</p>

2

<p>you can’t get FA from two different schools. You need to find out if there is an online class that you can take at your CURRENT school.</p>

<p>You need to do this because the school will likely expect you to either pay some of the Pell back, or give you less money next semester.</p>

3

<p>Once you dropped to 9 credits, your Pell grant eligibility also dropped. Whatever you had for a semester payment will be adjusted to 75%. If you received $2500 for the term, the payment will be reduced to $1875. If it hasn’t been done yet, it will happen soon … during this term. Look at your student financial information … you probably have a tuition refund from the dropped class, along with an adjustment in Pell. You also need to make sure your BOG isn’t reduced (I don’t know the rules for BOG). Grants are usually reduced or even eliminated entirely when a student drops below full time status (even if it wasn’t really your fault).</p>

<p>You are still eligible for a loan, because you are at least half time.</p>

<p>You definitely cannot get aid at two schools at the same time. Your best bet is to add a class at your current school. Get yourself to the aid office tomorrow morning to find out exactly what is what.</p>