Will I receive the full Pell Grant amount if I completed my FAFSA in Spring?

Paying for College
1

<p>I began attending a California Community College last Fall (2009), but thought it was too late to apply for FAFSA for that semester. My parents ended up paying for classes and textbooks through various loans from relatives. However, this semester (Spring 2010), I discovered I could still apply for FAFSA 2009-2010 while applying for FAFSA 2010-2011, so I applied for both.</p>

<p>My Financial Award Letter for 2009/2010 was sent to me recently, with money from the Pell Grant and the BOG Waiver. Obviously, as the BOG is instantaneously applied to school fees, I cannot receive the BOG Waiver for the Fall 2009 semester because it already ended. </p>

<p>Is there is a possible chance I'd be able to receive the entire Pell Grant, since it can be separated from institution fees?</p>

<p>I had a 3.5 GPA for Fall 2009, and I didn't violate any terms that prevent Financial Aid retrieval.</p>

2

<p>Yes, you will be eligible to receive the Pell grant, but your payment for the fall term will be based on the number of credits completed (that is, credits for classes you began but did not finish, even if you paid for them, cannot be considered in determining the course load for payment). When you don’t apply until after the term is finished (or if you don’t complete requirements for verification until the term is over), Pell has to be paid based on hours completed for the term that is already over.</p>

<p>Pell is paid based on number of credits (12+=100%, 9-11=75%, 6-8=50%, 1-5=25% with the exception of some of the highest Pell eligible EFCs, which might not get disbursements at some lower credit levels), and your semester eligibility is 1/2 the annual scheduled award (so 100% for a semester is actually 50% of the annual scheduled award).</p>