Sunday, May 06, 2012

How the Pell Grant Changes Will Affect You



Congress is reviewing a budget proposal for 2013 that includes changes to federal Pell Grants. College tuition increases 3 times the rate of inflation making it more difficult each year for students to attend college.


As of July 1, 2012, students who did not receive a high school diploma or GED but demonstrated their ability to attend college will no longer be eligible for a Pell grant. This change will affect approximately 65,000 students according to the Association of Community College Trustees. Only students with a high school diploma or GED will be eligible for Pell Grants.

The change also affects low-income families. The maximum income for low-income families has been reduced from $32,000 to $23,000 which will affect approximately 12,000 students starting July 1, 2012.

Students who previously received the minimum Pell Grant award or 5-10% of the maximum Pell Grant amount will no longer be eligible to receive the grant.

Under the Pell Grant full-time students can use the grant for up to 18 semesters. Starting July 1, 2012, the grant can only be used for full-time students up to 12 semesters.

Since this is an election year, write Congress to voice your concerns and push for increased financial aid for college students.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Wow...I hope this means military spending will have a bigger cut down as well.