Do you have to pay back a Pell Grant?
A Federal Pell Grant, unlike a loan, does not have to be repaid, except under certain circ*mstances. Find out why you might have to repay all or part of a federal grant. You may not receive Federal Pell Grant funds from more than one school at a time.
Pell Grants are not loans. Because this money comes in the form of a grant, you do not have to repay Pell Grant funds under normal circ*mstances. There may also be other grants to help you fund your education that are available from the federal or state government; from your school; or from private institutions.
Applying for Financial Aid
You can get over $6,000 in financial aid to pay for your education per academic year, and Pell Grants don't have to be repaid. If you're eligible for a larger Pell Grant than you need for school, you could even receive a Pell Grant refund and get the unused money to use for other expenses.
The amount granted depends on your Expected Family Contribution (EFC), cost of attendance, your status as a full-time or part-time student, and your plans to attend school for a full academic year or less.
Typically, the school first applies your grant or loan money toward your tuition, fees, and (if you live on campus) room and board. Any money left over is paid to you directly for other education expenses.
However, if there are any funds left over after your school applies your Pell Grant toward your tuition and fees, those funds are given directly to you, and you then may use them to reduce your loan amount.
If you fail a course, you will not have to repay the Pell Grant that you took out for it. Although failing a course can have drastic effects on your GPA and hurt your transcript, it will not require repayment of any Pell Grant funds.
Use grant or scholarship money
Federal Pell Grants can also be used to purchase laptops (in a roundabout way). These grants are paid directly to your school to cover tuition and fees, but if there's money left over you may be issued a refund check.
Undergraduate students who have not completed a Bachelor's or professional degree and who meet other Pell Grant Program criteria are eligible to receive an award between $750 to $7,395 in the 2023-2024 academic year (July 1, 2023 - June 30, 2024).
TurboTax Tip: Schools often combine all student charges including tuition, fees, and room and board in one account. If your Pell grant exceeds the amount of your qualified expenses, you'll need to report the excess as income on the “wages and salary” line and enter “SCH” to the left of the amount.
How much does the average person get from Pell Grant?
| State | Total Recipients | Average Award per Recipient |
|---|---|---|
| California | 938,931 | $5,018 |
| Colorado | 115,544 | $4,648 |
| Connecticut | 77,065 | $4,466 |
| Delaware | 17,385 | $4,578 |
How much money can I get? Amounts can change yearly. The maximum Federal Pell Grant award is $7,395 for the 2023–24 award year (July 1, 2023, to June 30, 2024).
The Pell Grant is the largest federal grant program offered to undergraduates and is designed to assist students from low-income households. A Federal Pell Grant, unlike a loan, does not have to be repaid, except under certain circ*mstances.
Federal Pell Grants may be used to purchase laptops, however, you may get the funds in a roundabout way. Pell Grants are paid directly to your school for tuition and fees. If there is money left over, you may be issued a refund check, which you can then use to purchase educational supplies, including a computer.
Your household income changes.
Your household income is one of the factors used to calculate the amount of your Pell Grant. If your family's income increases, you may qualify for less financial aid and may have to pay back part of your Pell Grant.
Grades Slipped or Haven't Completed Enough Credits
You need to make satisfactory academic progress in college or career school in order to keep getting federal student aid. Talk to your school about whether you can appeal the decision that made you ineligible to continue receiving federal student aid.
A Federal Pell Grant, unlike a loan, does not have to be repaid.
Federal grants, such as the Pell Grant, will not be affected by you taking a semester off. In fact, the Pell Grant is available aid for up to six undergraduate years, and they don't have to be consecutive.
Early Graduation
Students that intend to graduate early – for instance, in December – will have their financial aid prorated to cover only the semester that they're enrolled. If you've been awarded aid for the entire year, you can expect that your aid will be cut in half.
If you drop a class, you may qualify for a full or partial tuition reimbursem*nt. When you fail a class, however, you have to pay tuition. Furthermore, an F on your transcript can affect your GPA and your ability to receive financial aid. Note that many colleges set a deadline for dropping a class.
What GPA do I need for fafsa?
To be eligible for federal student aid and college financial aid, a student must be making Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP). This generally consists of maintaining at least a 2.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale (i.e., at least a C average) and passing enough classes with progress toward a degree.
Is it better to withdraw from a class or fail the class in college? According to Croskey, it is usually better to withdraw from a class. Exceptions may result for students with many withdrawals already if they can create a productive plan to retake the course after failing.
Usually, a school will use the Pell funds to credit the student's account for any unpaid charges for tuition and fees (and room and board, if provided by the school), and then will pay the remaining Pell funds (if any) to the student for remaining living expenses.
Pell Grants are awarded usually only to students who have not earned a bachelor's or a professional degree. To be eligible for a Pell grant, you must also meet the general federal student aid eligibility requirements.
Moravian University
Moravian provides all incoming students with MacBook Pro laptops and iPads. IT staff help learners set up these devices.
