You want to know if you have the right Pell Grant qualifications to get free money from the government to go to college. Let me give you a little background on what the Pell Grant is exactly.
The Federal Pell Grant is available to low to middle income students who want to attend college and is based on need. Criteria for determining if your family is low to middle income is simply, how much money does your family make in a year. A low income family is considered a family that brings in $35,000 per year or less. All income must be reported on the FAFSA application and will be verified by attaching a copy of your parent’s tax return from the previous year.
Other factors for determining need that are also taken into consideration are, the number of family members who live in the student’s household, any of the members of that household that are already enrolled in college, any money in checking and savings accounts and the value of any assets or investments your family may own.
Your enrollment status, meaning full-time or part-time, will also affect how much you will be awarded. Obviously, if you are a full-time student you will be awarded more than if you are only a part-time student. The maximum amount awarded through the Pell Grant program for any student is $5,550 per year.
You may qualify for the Pell Grant each year as long as you remain an undergraduate student, unless you are going to school to get your teaching certificate. If you are going to get a teaching certificate then you may have some of the right Pell Grant qualifications needed to take advantage of this source for free government money.
You must also be a US citizen, naturalized citizen or have permanent resident status, have a high school diploma or GED equivalent and show some ability to do well in your chosen area of study to qualify for the Pell Grant.
The Department of Education will determine your level of need based on the information you provide them. The formula they use to determine what your Pell Grant award will be is the cost of tuition minus your expected family contribution.
When the Department of Education processes your application and arrives at the amount of the Pell Grant you will be awarded they will send out the Student Aid Report, or SAR, to you and your family and the Institutional Student Information Record, or ISIR, to the college you are or will be attending. Your Pell Grant award will then be forwarded to the school of your choice and be waiting there for you at the start of the school year.
So, whether you are a recent high school graduate looking for financial help to start your college education or a student already enrolled in college pursuing your degree, you can apply for the Pell Grant and get free money from the federal government to complete your college education if you meet these Pell Grant qualifications.