<p>I just got a email that says I know longer qualify for the pell grant as of 2012-2013 year. It says that I might be eligible for other forms of aid but how will I find out about this. Will I get a letter from my school saying I will not receive the Pell but maybe give me other options?</p>
<p>Not automatically. No. If your school guarantees to meet 100% of your need, and your need remains the same by their definition as the prior year, such a school will replace your PELL grant. With what, remains up to the school. You could end up getting it replaces with loans or workstudy, unless the school has a no loan policy or you are loaned up by school policies.</p>
<p>If you are at a school with no such guarantee, they have no reason to make up the difference. Do you not qualify because you family income is now too high? Have you been in school to long? Not that it matters. If you don’t qualify, you don’t get it, and no, most schools will not replace it. It’s your problem.</p>
<p>Of the 6 years I have had kids in college, we have qualified for Pell (income wise) a few of those years. Neither school increased aid in any way the years we did not qualify. One school was a private that does not meet full need (gaps quite a bit actually) and one was a state school (out of state for us tho).</p>
<p>The college I am going to is a local state community college. The email I got wasn’t from them, it was from US Department of Education. I hope to hear from my college this week and if I do not I am going to contact them and see what other aid might be available. Maybe I can qualify for a work study program.</p>
<p>That’s unusual. I’m curious why you no longer qualify.</p>
<p>New regulations have limited Pell from 18 to 12 semesters. Now students are not eligible once they have used 600% of their eligibility, as opposed to 1200%.</p>
<p>Correction: 900%, not 1200%.</p>
<p>Yes, I knew about that and assumed that was the issue till the OP said he/she was in community college still. Hopefully he/she has not used up the full 600% of Pell at a CC.</p>
<p>I got a similar email but 2012-2013 is my last year and I should be graduating. I did my first years at a CC and now in university. Here’s what the email said:</p>
<p>We want to alert you to a recent change in the law that affects your Federal Pell Grant award for the 2012-2013 school year and beyond. This change limits the total number of years a student may receive a Pell Grant to the equivalent of six years.</p>
<p>Based on our records, you have received more than five years of Pell Grant funding. This means that the amount of your 2012-2013 Pell Grant award will be less than the amount you would have been eligible to receive if the law had not changed. Note that you still may be eligible for other federal, state, and school financial aid.</p>
<p>For information on how we calculate the “equivalent of six years” click on the following link: [FSA</a> Portals](<a href=“http://www.studentaid.ed.gov/pell-limit]FSA”>http://www.studentaid.ed.gov/pell-limit).</p>
<p>If you have questions about the information in this e-mail, please contact your school’s financial aid office.</p>
<p>Federal Student Aid U.S. Department of Education</p>
<p>I too got the email yesturday, and let me tell you, THE SCHOOLS ARE NOT INFORMED of the new info. I was looking into transfering due to a potential move and both my current school nor the new one knew anything about it. </p>
<p>This is going to affect Non-traditional students tremendously, and I don’t see how they are supposed to finish up. I have 3 more semesters until I am done, but with no way to pay the additional costs, I don’t see how I am going to finish up. I have 93 credits and only need 120.</p>
<p>“What to do when you no long qualify for the Pell Gant?”.</p>
<p>Get a job.</p>
<p>Anxious is a little harsh, but I think he has a point. Community college tuition is relatively inexpensive compared to a four-year. I think the reduction in the Pell grant is to ensure that more students have a plan to transfer or finish an A.A. I know too many people at my CC who signed up for the financial aid and I know a good deal of others who take out loans. I think that tuition is low enough that a student can do well WITHOUT a loan or financial aid. I managed to get though 3 years of CC without either and worked full-time.</p>
<p>1NonTradStudent, I share your experience. I worked full-time while attending university full-time. Yes, I missed out on the social aspect of the college experience; no frats, parties, etc. So what? It was worth it. I find that today’s students have a sense of entitlement and even a reluctance to sacrifice. Too bad. Hardshihp forges one’s character.</p>
<p>I am working, I also am not a TRADITIONAL student. I have 3 kids, 2 still at home and 1 in college herself as a freshman.</p>
<p>As to Community Colleges vs 4 years, your right to a point.
I did attend CC and received my AS, I then started at a 4 yr college and I am in my senior year. In fact I was just informed this morning that I would not need the extra semester if I could take 2 classes this summer. </p>
<p>Transferring out of a 4 yr college and back into a CC is not an option. First off, only so many credits transfer. And most colleges (whether CC or 4 yr) will require to complete a certain number of credits at thier school for the degree.</p>
<p>This was my first thought only to learn the cost was going to be much higher in the long run and I can’t afford it.</p>
<p>I have struggled to get my education having to jump through hoops and over tons of obstacles. In fact when I first attempted to go the local CC was most unhelpful. I ended up at a tech school that was a nightmare. I finally found someone to help me figure out all the paperwork once I reached the age limit where I was not considered a dependent student. (My parents refused to give me or the school their financial information)</p>
<p>I am meeting with the FA office to see what I can do and if there is any help available, I already pay for a portion and books on top of any aid I did receive.</p>
<p>I am in the same boat. I also have three semesters to go. I hear people say get a job but yes that may be the solution for some but every situation is different. What work for some may not work for others. There could be other factors involve that may not be helpful for a student to try and work and pay for their education at the same time that’s why there are grants, loans and scholarships. It is so unfortunate at this time but I have faith that it will work itself out, we have come too far, jumped over too many hurdles and obstacles to allow our education to be in vain. Good luck. Peace.</p>
<p>I wonder if the individual schools will be sending out information on this, will we be getting a letter from them as well as the email from the U.S. Department of Education?</p>
<p>Anxious Father,</p>
<p>Get a job? Are you serious? Yeah because in this country you can totally find a job that suits your school schedule and pays you enough (even though you havent yet got a degree) to pay 18-50,000 dollars a year depending on your school while also being able to eat. Unfortunately this isnt 1968 when Stanford tuition was in the 100s not 10,000s. And where we provide food and housing assistance to meth addicts, alcoholics, and people who have no desire in contributing to society we deny it to our youth who are beating their brains to get degrees, to get jobs, to be functional and productive members of society.</p>
<p>Whats the real answer? Vote, take action, read bills, demand legislation to reform higher education. Because if your in a predicament where you’ve lost your grant money unless you can come up with scholarships which arent that easy to come by your looking a debt, debt that will follow you around for the rest of your life. They offer you “forgiveness programs” in which for 10 years your giving up a 10% or more of your pay. In other countries youth are paid to go to college because their citizenry understands that our future depends on an educated populous. The problems and issues that we face on a global scale require people who at bare minimum have the knowledge and skill that come along with an undergraduate degree. So get a job? I have one. I work, giving opportunities to people with disabilities, anywhere from 40-70 hours a week. I go to school, but because I wasnt handed money, no one educated me on financial aid, no one explained to me the gravity of loans, or how to succeed in college its taken me a little longer and I will lose my Pell Grant before I finish my degree. So what should I do?</p>
<p>Perhaps your anxious because your beliefs in the system have failed you and you have yet to admit it to yourself.</p>
<p>Dude… the last post in this thread before yours was more than two and-a-half years ago. anxiousfather hasn’t been active on CC since May, 2013.</p>