Pell Grant Requirements
Thinking of applying for a Pell Grant? There are a couple of requirements that need to be taken care of by a candidate if they wish to receive a Pell Grant. FAFSA (Federal Application for Student Aid), EFC (Expected Family Contribution) and SAR (Student Aid Report) are some of the terms that a candidate must be well acquainted with if a candidate is looking forward to applying for a Pell Grant. The EFC is an amount arrived at through calculations and policies of the Department of Education using the information submitted by the candidate in her/his Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form. Here is a list of requirements for being eligible for a Pell Grant:-
1. The candidate must be a permanent resident US citizen or an eligible non-citizen and must possess a valid Social Security number.
2. The financial income of the candidate’s family is less than or about around $20,000 per annum. (This rule has some exceptions, though.)
3. The course the candidate is pursuing is affiliated with a well recognized university and the degree certificate ultimately obtained is of significant value.
4. The post-secondary institution the candidate is enrolled at must be one among the 5,400 colleges participating in the Pell Grant program.
5. Male candidates aged between 18 and 25 compulsorily need to be registered with the Selective Services.
6. There should be absolutely no criminal records in the candidate’s past including jail-terms and substance-abuse related offences.
7. The candidate must provide enough evidence that she/he has not defaulted on repayment of financial aid or loans of any other financial agency and hence candidate is not going to use the Pell Grant for the clearance of that loan amount.
8. The academic progress made by the candidate must be reasonable and this has to be acknowledged by the University.
9. The candidate must certify in the FAFSA Form that the allotted funds will not be misused and will solely be used for educational purposes only.
It is advisable for candidates who are hopeful of receiving Pell Grants to apply at least 10 weeks prior to the commencement of the next semester. The reason is because the process of verification is considerably elaborate and the candidates may be asked to submit a few other documents like bank statements, tax returns, etc. to better substantiate their requirement of the Pell Grant. Here’s wishing all candidates who are looking forward to receiving their Federal Pell Grants the very Best of Luck!!
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