The first Pell grant requirement you must complete is to be enrolled in a college, vocational school or certain post baccalaureate programs of a participating institution. The post baccalaureate program eligible for a Pell grant is a teaching license/certificate.
Next comes the application process. There is a start time for when the Federal government will begin accepting applications for the upcoming school year. Usually after January 1st of the preceding school year. Get your application in as early as possible to make sure you get what you need. Awards are given out on a first come, first served basis.
When filling out your application make sure you have the things you need close at hand so you are not hunting around and wasting valuable time. Some of the things you will need are your social security number, and your tax return for the previous year. If you did not file taxes then you must have your parent’s tax return. You probably should have your parents fill out the form with you, since this is a very important Pell grant requirement, to make sure you don’t make any mistakes that will delay you being awarded the money you need.
You can also fill the form out online at fafsa.ed.gov. This may make processing your award a lot quicker since you won’t have to send things through the mail.
The Pell grant has been made available to students demonstrating financial need to further their education by going to college since 1973 and is part of the Higher Education Act of 1965. Claiborne Pell, a US senator from Rhode Island, originated the legislation to offset the rising cost of going to college. Since the cost of getting a bachelor’s degree at a public college or university is now in excess of $50,000, “free money” like the Pell grant, that never has to be paid back, is more popular than ever. The Department of Education awards more than 16 million dollars in aid to students each year through the Federal Pell Grant Program.
The US Department of Education is the body of government that determines your need and what you are awarded. They have a formula that calculates what your needs are by the information you supplied to them on the application. The formula they use is the cost of attendance, or COA, minus the expected family contribution, or EFC.
After the Department of Education makes this determination they will send the report to your financial aid officer at the school you have been accepted to or are enrolled in. Your financial aid officer will the go over the report on what you have been awarded with you, and your parents if need be, to make sure all is in order.
Then, just prior to the start of the school year the school you are enrolled in will scedule a few days and then you will have access to the money you have been awarded to help with tuition costs, books and any supplies you may need. The money you are awarded may even be enough to help you with living expenses.
So remember to follow each Pell grant requirement to the letter so you won’t have to worry about where the money will come from to pay for your college education and you can concentrate on your studies.