Before we start the process of checking the amount left in your Pell grant, let's understand what a Pell Grant is and how it is beneficial to undergraduate students.
What is a Pell Grant
Pell Grant is the financial help provided by the government to financially struggling students. They can utilize this grant for affording their education, living expenses, and books.
The sole requirement for this grant is good academic performance. All you have to do is maintain your grades to a specific condition illustrated by the USA government.
Moreover, you can utilize this grant for free for altogether 12 semesters. However, if you are using the grant and fail to maintain your grades, you would have to pay all the grants you have utilized until that point. After that, your grant will be canceled, and you have to bear your educational expenses yourself.
Students who fail to remain eligible for the grant can decide with the government for the repayment plan.
Undergraduate students can avail themselves altogether of $6,150 in a year with the Pell grant. These funds are debited to the school account, and students will have to take funds from them.
The Government of the United States allocates a total amount of $35 billion for this grant every year.
However, you cannot get more than that. You can only receive what is given to students from high school graduating class up to that point in time.
There are certain qualifications that you need for securing a Pell grant, such as:
- You must be an undergraduate student. Postgraduate students aren't eligible to apply for the Pell grant. This is designed to benefit those who want to make it big after completing their bachelor's degree.
- Undergraduate students can receive a maximum of $5,500 in a Pell grant annually. They can avail themselves of this money by remaining eligible and should also not exceed twelve semesters (six years) following high school graduation. If they violate any conditions set by the U.S government, you would have to pay back all the money granted till that point and lose your eligibility for future grants as.
- The most important condition is that you must be a U.S citizen or an eligible non-citizen to avail of this grant for your education.
- You can also receive Pell Grant if you are incarcerated, just as long as your release date is somewhere during the academic year and before you have enrolled or at least attended classes in a college or university.
- You cannot earn more than $17,820 annually from sources other than your parents. If you do so, you wouldn't qualify for a Pell grant scholarship even if they meet all other conditions mentioned above.
- You cannot maintain a GPA of less than 2/4 (for undergraduate students). 7. Your degree course should be one that qualifies for federal financial aid assistance under Title IV of the Higher Education Act.
How much financial aid do I have left in my Pell grant account?
Although the process of checking your grant funds is straightforward, still, lots of people ask us, "how can I check how much financial aid I have left in my Pell grant account."
Well, the answer to this question is straightforward, you can either go to your school's financial aid office or log in to your FAFSA account in the free application for federal student aid and check out the student aid report.
The process to see the amount of money left on your Pell Grant
Before you log in to the FAFSA account, you need a few things such as an FSA ID; by creating an FSA ID, you can instantly login to your FAFSA account and see your SAR.
IF you already have an FSA ID, all you have to do is search for FAFSA.GOV and fill in the details to log in.
Once you get logged in, you can easily see a tab showing the student aid report. Now you have to click on that to know your eligibility, remaining fund, etc.
Financial aid by the government can be different depending on the student and time. If the government pays the full amount, it will equal $6150, but it can be different next year.
If a student needs financial help and is enrolled in a full-time course, the government will provide a 100% loan to such students. While on the other hand, if a student is enrolled in a three-quarter degree, he/she can only avail grant for 75% funds and so on.
If a student is not enrolled for a full-time course, he/she can only get less amount of funds.
What should I do if my Pell Grant has been canceled?
It's certain that many of us would like to know what we should do when our Pell Grant has been overused and has been canceled. Well, don't worry about it! The federal government understands if there are some unexpected circumstances that keep students from successfully completing their college education; therefore, they provide you with another chance to file your FAFSA for getting the Pell Grant.
However, you should know that if this happens, it will be counted as an additional year in your eligibility period to get financial aid under Pell Grant. So, if your eligibility period has ended and you are not able to avail any more funds for the next 12 months; then, don't worry! You can apply for filing your application next year also by logging into your account on the www.fafsa.gov website. All I want to say is Federal government really cares about students' future and provides them with all possible opportunities that they deserve!
How long does my Pell Grant money last?
It's certain that many of us would like to know how long does my Pell Grant money lasts? Well, don't worry about it! The federal government understands if there are some unexpected circumstances that keep students from successfully completing their college education; therefore, they provide you with another chance to file your FAFSA for getting the Pell Grant.
How is the Pell Grant distributed?
The government debts in the school's account will first be used for tuition, boarding, and books.
The grant is given twice in the year, and you can easily afford your educational expenses with it if you are a hard-working student.
Note: every school has different distribution methods. Therefore, not every school needs to follow the above-stated process.
If your Pell Grant has been overused, then you would have to see the amount of money left on your grant.
When a student gets enrolled in a school, he/she will usually get an award letter from the school which shows how much financial aid they have received and what is still left on their account. This way it becomes easier for the students to manage their expenses so that they don't use up all their funds in one semester.
However, most of us face difficulties in understanding how these awards work and most importantly when our Pell Grants are going to end.
Conclusion
In a nutshell, we have explained to you all you need to know about the Pell grant, and we are sure now you have a good understanding of this financial grant.