EDUCATION
What are Pell Grant Requirements & Eligibility Criteria?
O
btaining a college degree is critical to success in life & finding a higher
paying job in America. While a college degree gives you a competitive edge over other people applying for the same job, the cost of university or college has gone through the roof. In order to make school- ing more affordable, the US federal gov- ernment has put forth the Federal Pell Grant & other scholarships/grants to help college students pay for their fees. Be- cause Pell grants are not to be repaid, there are strict criteria on who qualifies for Pell grants so that only need-based college students have access to it. Below are some criteria that are used to deter- mine eligibility & requirements for ob- taining a Pell Grant.
Financial Need This is the most important criteria, you
must demonstrate financial need if you want to obtain a federal pell grant. The Pell grant is specifically catered for those low-income & needy undergraduate stu- dents who would otherwise not be able to afford college education without govern- ment help. The level of need will be deter- mined by the student’s college expenses minus expected family contributions. In general, Pell grants are awarded to stu- dents whose family incomes are less than $20,000 a year which is at or below the poverty line. We have seen other students with family incomes of less than $35,000 also awarded the Pell Grant. Your level of financial need is reduced if you win schol- arships from other organizations & sourc- es. Go here to read on Pell Grants & Scholarships.
Dependency Status A student’s dependent status also af-
fects his level of financial need. As an ex- ample, a student who has applied as inde- pendent will be considered differently than one who is dependent upon his par-
44 PROFESSIONAL WOMAN’S MULTICULTURAL MAGAZINE
ents. Since independent students do not rely on anyone but themselves for finan- cial support, they would have to show proof of their assets/net income & debts. If a student is independent, then his assets & income is factored. However is a stu- dent is dependent on parents, then the in- come/assets of his parents are also fac- tored.
High School Education Candidates applying for Pell Grant
must have a high school diploma or show that they will significantly benefit from the training course at university. This is done when first year students who are fresh from high school apply for college & are set to attend their first year in col- lege.
CELEBRATING 11 YEARS OF DIVERSITY
Academic Performance The student must have & maintain a
good academic record to be eligible to re- ceive Pell grant. The student must have at least a C (or 2.0) grade point average by the end of the second year if the degree is longer than two years, or prove the equiv- alent for shorter courses.
Citizenship Recipients of Pell grant must be citi-
zens of the United States, permanent resi- dents or legally allowed to attend school in America. Citizenship is normally prov- en by providing one of the two docu- ments; US Permanent Citizen (Alien Reg- istration Card or I-551) or a Conditional
Permanent Citizen (I-551C). Source: Articlesbase
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