question!

Boog'sCRRN246, RN · Jun 20, 2010

I've gotten the Pell grant for the last 3 semesters. First, it covers your tuition costs, lab fees, etc. Second, unless it's summer term, it covers your books. Whatever is left over is mailed to you in a check.

foreverLaur · Jun 20, 2010

I never qualified for a grant, but with the federal loans, if you accepted the full amount and it exceeded tuition, you would get the difference in a check in the mail. If you accepted only the exact amount you needed, you'd never see the rest of the money. I'm not sure if it is the same with Pell Grants, so I would recommend talking to your financial aid office at school - part of your tuition is paying for the staff to be there so utilize them!

mangopeach · Jun 21, 2010

Yes you will get a refund. But remember that Financial Aid does not only apply to tuition and books. And books can be pretty expensive so if 1500 is tuition - depending on how many classes you are taking, especially if they are science classes - Budget for at least $300 in books. You can buy used or rent to save.

But back to what I was saying, Financial Aid covers expenses other than tuition and books, so part of your award package includes your cost of living, food,housing,clothing,transportation. Etc. These are all legal expenses for financial aid. Thats all calculated into your award package. Not just tuition so you will get a refund after the school has taken out their portion for tuition and fees.

foreverLaur · Jun 21, 2010

But since when do you get enough financial aid to cover all that?!

cost of attendance: $17,422.00

estimated family contribution: $1,930.00

need: $15,492.00

financial aid: $3,500.00

i tried to get a personal loan but was denied (credit score 737) and it carried an 18% interest rate anyway. where do they expect me to get the remaining $12,000 plus the cost of books/supplies?! ergh.

vccorscc · Jun 21, 2010

Well I'm at a communtiy college..they estimated my aid needed at 11'k....I got 2700 pell grant for the fall semester and was offerd 2 other loans...but tuition for the fall semester should be about 1000 and then 2 of my 4 classs will need books so I will left over from that 2700

vccorscc · Jun 21, 2010

Not to mention both my parents were laid off and were getting only unemploment..so a family of 4 kids 2 of them being college students we qualified for the maximum pell grant..thank god cuz I had no idea how I was gonna pay for ns

mangopeach · Jun 21, 2010

But since when do you get enough financial aid to cover all that?!
cost of attendance: $17,422.00
estimated family contribution: $1,930.00
need: $15,492.00
financial aid: $3,500.00
i tried to get a personal loan but was denied (credit score 737) and it carried an 18% interest rate anyway. where do they expect me to get the remaining $12,000 plus the cost of books/supplies?! ergh.

You don't get enough to cover all that. I never said that. That is not the point I am trying to make here.

I was trying to explain to the OP, why she would be getting a refund. Cost of living and associated expenses are part of the calculation. No one gets enough to cover all their expenses. I mentioned the cost of living calculation because sometimes people don't realize that financial aid does not only cover books and tuition. So whatever is left over from tuition and fees is yours to cover your cost of living expenses in relation to school. In reality, no one gets enough to cover their cost of living.

mangopeach · Jun 21, 2010

Well I'm at a communtiy college..they estimated my aid needed at 11'k....I got 2700 pell grant for the fall semester and was offerd 2 other loans...but tuition for the fall semester should be about 1000 and then 2 of my 4 classs will need books so I will left over from that 2700

Don't forget the fees. Most schools have other fees besides tuition. So if the tuition is 1000, there will be additional charges for miscellaneous fees. Administrative fees, Lab fees, technology fees, I pay gym fees even though I never use the darned gym, I need to start doing that. A whole host of of other fees that run a few more hundred dollars.

UVA Grad Nursing · Jun 21, 2010

Pell grants and other federal aid is based on total Costs of Attendance. If you were originally packaged as a Full-time student, and end up being a part-time student, then you will lose some of that aid. You cannot get more federal grants (scholarship) than are the costs of attendance.

Loans are a different story. You can take out more loan money than are the tuition costs.

Definitely talk with the counselors at your financial aid office.

mystic2fire · Jun 23, 2010

Be aware when you take the rebate check (or whatever you want to call it) for loans-it has to be paid back. Think smart.

MInurse.st · Jun 23, 2010

You don't get enough to cover all that. I never said that. That is not the point I am trying to make here.
I was trying to explain to the OP, why she would be getting a refund. Cost of living and associated expenses are part of the calculation. No one gets enough to cover all their expenses. I mentioned the cost of living calculation because sometimes people don't realize that financial aid does not only cover books and tuition. So whatever is left over from tuition and fees is yours to cover your cost of living expenses in relation to school. In reality, no one gets enough to cover their cost of living.

Not necessarily true that no one gets enough to cover cost of living.. At my school, "cost of attendance" included tuition, fees, books, living expenses based on the local cost of living, etc. and my financial aid package always covered this entire amount. After taking out my tuition/fees, I was left with $1,100/month to pay my off-campus rent, groceries, bills, etc. Although I chose to work part-time, this amount would have been adequate for me as a single college student..

For the poster who did not receive enough financial aid to cover tuition, yet had a low EFC, I would suggest a large state school, which is wear I went (for BA degree).