If I Am Approved Will The Covid
No, approval of your COVID-19 Emergency Grant will not affect the amount or eligibility for other financial aid that you have already received.
Please note that each student can receive ONLY ONE Emergency Grant per semester from UIC. If you have received a previous Emergency Grant from your department or another UIC source, we will review your eligibility to determine which grant provides the most assistance to you.
Getting Your Pell Grant Award
After you fill out your FAFSA®, youll receive financial aid offers from the colleges that you applied to and have been accepted to. Your financial aid offers will outline how much the school will cost and what kind of financial aid package you’ll receive for one year. Your aid package will include any grants youre eligible for , as well as scholarships, work-study, and federal student loans.
If youre eligible, you can get your Pell Grant money in a few different ways. Your school can apply Pell Grant funds to school costs pay you directly, usually by check or a combination of both. The school must tell you in writing how much the award will be and how/when it will be paid to you. The school also has to disburse Pell Grant funds once a semester or twice during the academic year. Usually, the college first applies the grant or loan money toward a student’s tuition, fees, and room and board, if the student lives on campus. Any money left over is paid to the student for other expenses such as books, living expenses, and transportation.2
How Long Does It Take For Fafsa To Give You Money
Financial aid is disbursed at the beginning of each term that you are enrolled. If your school is on a quarter system, that will mean something different than if your school is on a semester system. Financial aid should always be applied to your student bill before tuition is due. Check with your schools financial aid department or your program advisor to find out when exactly direct deposits are released.
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Are Students Who Are Pursuing Prerequisite Courses For Graduate School Eligible To Receive Federal Student Aid
No. A student must be enrolled as a regular student in an eligible program in order to receive federal student aid. A regular student is someone who is enrolled or accepted for enrollment in a degree or certificate program. A student enrolled only in prerequisite classes is not considered to be in an eligible program, this usually occurs when acceptance into an eligible program is contingent on completing the prerequisite coursework. However, if a student is admitted into an eligible program and takes preparatory coursework within that program, they can be considered a regular student.
If I Plan To Get Married When Should I File My Fafsa

The FAFSA is a snap shot of your status on the day you submit it. Therefore, you should report your marital status as of the day you submit the FAFSA. If you marry after filing the FAFSA you will have the opportunity to update your marital status later. However, you will not be able to make this change by submitting a correction to the FAFSA. If your marital status needs to be updated after filing the FAFSA contact the Student Financial Aid Office for further guidance.
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Is There Aid Available For Summer School
The availability of summer aid is dependent upon how much aid the student used during the school year. Any portion of the yearly loan eligibility that was not utilized during the fall and spring semester may be awarded in the summer semester. If the students eligibility changes due to progression in grade level, they may contact our office to review their account. Undergraduate students must enroll for at least 6 credit hours and graduate students must be enrolled in 4.5 hours to be considered half-time for loan eligibility.
If you were eligible for a Federal Pell Grant in the fall and/or spring, then you may qualify for a Pell Grant in the summer term. If you were enrolled full-time in the fall and/or spring then you must enroll at least half-time in the summer to be eligible for the Pell Grant. If you were part-time in the fall and/or spring then there is no requirement to receive a Pell Grant .
Summer federal aid awards are made in April after registration opens for the summer term. Students will receive notification via their Crimson email address regarding their eligibility status for summer. If you are in need of additional funding for summer, then you may consider a Federal Direct PLUS Loan or a loan through a private lender.
Aid That Must Be Accepted To Be Applied To Your Bill
After the May 1st deadline, once you accept your offer of admission to Penn State and pay the required fees, you can accept, decline or decrease your financial aid. Keep in mind that we typically award for both Fall and Spring together, so you are accepting thetotal amount for the year. The exceptions would be if you applied for a one semester Graduate PLUS or Private Alternative Loan.
The following types of aid must be accepted in order to be applied to your bill:
- Federal Direct Subsidized Loans
- University Loans
- Federal Work-Study
Scholarships do not need to be accepted. However, please refer to your scholarship award letter for information on writing a thank you note.
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How Long Does It Take To Receive Fafsa Money
The FAFSA timeline is important to understand in order to receive financial aid for college. Learn about the FAFSA timeline in this article.
Christy Rakoczy Bieber
Overall, schools distribute grant or loan money in disbursements at least once per term at the start of each semester/trimester or quarter so expect it twice per school year if youre on the semester system.
How Will I Receive The Money From My Pell Grant
After youre accepted into a college, youll receive a financial aid award letter based on your FAFSA application. That letter will contain info about Pell Grant awards.
Then, the college will either pay you directly or disburse your Pell Grant funds to pay for tuition, fees, and room and board. If there’s money left over after that, it will distributed to you to pay for books or other school expenses.
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What Is The Pell Grant
The Pell Grant is a form of federal aid designed to assist low-income students. Learn how to apply for the award, how much you can earn, and who is eligible.
- The Pell Grant provides a maximum of $6,895 for 2022-23.
- Pell Grant eligibility depends on financial need, degree type, and enrollment status.
- To apply for the Pell Grant, students can complete the FAFSA as early as October 1.
Many students seek out financial aid in the form of scholarships, grants, and even loans to help them pay for the high cost of a college education. During the 2019-20 academic year, the office of Federal Student Aid reported that more than 18 million candidates submitted the Free Application for Federal Student Aid .
The FAFSA is used to award students institutional scholarships and government aid, including the Federal Pell Grant an income-based award for undergraduates with exceptional financial need.
This guide provides an overview of the Pell Grant, such as information on eligibility and the maximum award amount. You’ll also learn how to apply for a Pell Grant.
Eligibility May Fluctuate By Year
Remember the Pell Grant does not renew automatically. Youll have to fill out the FAFSA every year in order to receive it. If your familys financial situation changes in your following years of college, your eligibility may change as well. So, you could end up with a higher or lower award.
As a result, you shouldnt count on your first year grant to be equal to the next three years. Make sure that you plan accordingly in order to cultivate a secure financial situation.
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Do I Need To Do Anything Once My Federal Financial Aid Award Is Processed
Youll be notified on your student website when your federal financial aid award is processed, and you will need to complete Funds Acceptance for the Direct Loan as part of the Federal Financial Aid Active Confirmation process. This is how you will let us know exactly how much of your federal Direct Loan award you are willing to accept out of the total amount you are eligible to receive.
What Are Federal Pell Grants

The federal Pell Grant is a grant that is given by the U.S. Department of Education to low-income students. Federal Pell Grants do not require repayment, unlike loans. All eligible students in participating schools are paid Federal Pell Grant amounts by the Department of Education. Pell Grant awards will not exceed $6,495 for the 2021-2022 academic year.
College students can receive financial aid in the form of grants, loans, and work-study programs.
Depending on your Expected Family Contribution and how much it costs you to attend school, your status as a full time or part time student, and how long you plan to be in school, will determine how much you receive full or less. An award letter from your school will describe how much and what kind of financial grants you qualify for.
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Students who do not yet have a college degree or graduate degree are typically eligible for the Pell Grant. Pell Grants are available in some cases for students enrolled in graduate teacher certification programs.
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Can I Reject All Or Part Of My Loan Can My Direct Loan Be Adjusted Or Cancelled
Yes. If you have applied for aid with a FAFSA then you may receive a loan offer. However, you are not required to accept the full amount of the offer. You can borrow less than what is offered or you can decline the full offer through your myBama account. You should only borrow what you need, therefore if you accept a loan but determine that you do not need the full amount contact our office to make an adjustment or to cancel your loan. If your loan has already disbursed to your student account our office can process any requested adjustment within 30 days at which point you may return the funds to the Department of Education.
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Will I Need To Fill Out Forms In Addition To The Fafsa To Receive A Financial Aid Award
If you are selected for a process called verification the Financial Aid Office may need you to fill out additional forms to receive financial aid. The Financial Aid Office will inform you of any documentation you need to submit. Students can also go to their MyBama account and check their financial aid status under their student tab. Some of the financial aid forms requested can be located at financialaid.ua.edu.
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Understand The Aid And Requirements
Before accepting any financial aid, you should make sure you understand the terms and conditions. There are many different types of aid, including:
- Scholarships or grants: repayment is not required, but they may have terms, such as maintaining a certain grade point average
- Work-study aid: repayment is not required, but you must work while studying to qualify
- Federal, state, private lender, or college loans: this type of aid requires repayment with interest.
Once youve read through the terms and are sure youre happy with the aid, make sure you note the acceptance deadline. You must accept your aid before this date.
What If My Pell Grant Doesnt Cover Enough Of My Tuition
If you think you’ll still have trouble paying for college after you receive your Pell Grant, don’t stress! There are plenty of other financial aid programs available to you to ensure you can continue your academic journey.
You can explore more federal financial aid programs , scholarships, and work-study programs offered by your university. Your school’s financial aid office also may be able to provide financial resources to help you pay for tuition. Additionally, community college is a low-cost option that still accepts Pell Grants if your four-year-school’s tuition is too high.
You can also explore the possibility of receiving private student loans from a variety of lenders.
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Financial Aid Holds: What To Do If There Is A Financial Aid Delay
If you log into your student portals financial aid section and see that there is a hold on your financial aid, dont panic!
There are several possible reasons for this, and all of them have solutions.
First, make sure you are taking the correct amount of credits. Federal aid is only eligible for full-time students. If you arent taking enough credits, you will either need to forgo aid for the term, or rearrange and add to your schedule.
Another reason there may be a hold is unpaid balance on a previous bill. Go back through your student bills and make sure all balances are paid for you to be able to receive the new aid.
My Grade Level Is Going To Change Will I Be Eligible For More Aid
You might be eligible for more Federal Subsidized Student Stafford or Unsubsidized Stafford loans. Once your Fall/Spring grades have been posted on the Student Information System, if your grade level has increased from a Freshman level to a Sophomore level , or has changed from the Sophomore level to a Junior level you may be eligible for more Federal Student Stafford Loan or Federal Student Unsubsidized Stafford loan. This depends on your Cost of Attendance and the amount of your initial financial aid award.
If you would like your eligibility for a loan increase to be reviewed, contact us with your specific request. If you are eligible, the loan amount will be increased and you will receive a disbursement as scheduled. . Direct Loans will mail a disclosure statement to you reflecting the award increase. The increase could affect your loan eligibility for the upcoming summer if you plan on attending and receiving federal loans.
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Will The Pell Grant And Direct Loan Funds Be Disbursed At The Same Or Will They Disburse Separately
Generally, Pell Grant and Direct loan funds are scheduled to disburse around the same time. However, they are two different types of aid, and the disbursements may come in at different times. Specific disbursement dates can be found on your student website by navigating to Account > Awards & Disbursements > Disbursement Status.
What Are The Pell Grant Eligibility Changes For 2023

One of the most important FAFSA 2023-24 changes could be the Pell Grant eligibility. Students do not repay Federal Pell Grants, so award increases can have a massive impact on low-income families.
Last years awards saw changes to the award size and family income limits. The maximum award increased to $6,895 for the 2022-23 year
Following the recent student loan forgiveness announcement, its likely that Pell Grant recipients will see another bump for the 2023-24 school year.
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Why Do Disbursement Dates Get Pushed Back
Although anticipated federal financial aid disbursements can be rescheduled for a number of reasons, the most common is a change in your schedule. Because eligibility for federal financial aid disbursements depends on successful completion of both credits and weeks of instruction, a schedule change may create delays.
What Happens After I Submit My Application For Federal Student Aid
After receiving your completed application, the FAFSA processor will analyze your information and, using a formula established into law by Congress, calculate your Expected Family Contribution . The results of your application will be sent UA and to you in the form of a Student Aid Report by mail or email within 3-5 business days. This report details the information that you provided and informs you of any corrections that are needed to complete the application. Carefully review the SAR to make sure that all the information is accurate, as The University of Alabama will receive the same information.
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Accepting An Aid Offer With A Loan
Some aid offers include loans that require repayment, usually with interest. Processes for accepting these aid offers vary, depending on the loan type. You can expect the process to involve a few extra steps though.
Youll often need to sign a promissory note to confirm youll repay the student loan and any interest it accrues. The promissory note will spell out the loans terms, so make sure you read it carefully. Your schools financial aid officer can guide you through the process and answer any questions you have. You might sign a paper promissory note or complete one online.
When Do I Begin To Repay My Federal Direct Loans
You do not have to begin repaying Federal Direct Student Loans until after you leave college or drop below half-time enrollment. Direct loans have a grace period or a period of time after students graduate, leave school, or drop below half-time enrollment before repayment begins. Note that for many loans interest will accrue during the grace period.
However, PLUS loans enter repayment once your loan is fully disbursed . Your loan servicer or lender must provide you with a loan repayment schedule that states when your first payment is due, the number and frequency of payments, and the amount of each payment.
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