To begin the process of Pell grant application, you must first and foremost complete a FAFSA form (Free Application for Federal Student Aid).

What can be gained from by the Pell grant application is determined by the student’s financial need. This includes providing detailed information of the student’s assets, income, dependent information and living expenses. This is part of the Pell grant formula that is used, called EFC (Expected Family Contribution).

Most students who submit Pell grant application have an income of less than $20,000. You must prove financial hardship in order to qualify for a Pell grant.

The Pell grant is a limited source of free government funding for education. That means it does not have to be paid back.

You must be a US citizen, have your green card, or be a naturalized citizen of the United States in order to qualify.

A Pell grant application can be considered as a foundation for a student’s financial aid package because other grants can be added on top of the Pell grant.

Both partial and full Pell grants can be awarded. The maximum amount that is being awarded for 2010-2011 is $5,500. Full time students will receive more grant money than part time students.

Deadlines for a Pell grant application fluctuate according to how colleges word their deadline instructions. Some refer to the Transaction Receipt Date and others are stringent about the date you complete the aid application being sent to the federal processor (i.e. the college’s financial aid office).

Do not miss deadlines for your Pell grant application. It can ruin your chances and opportunity for financial aid.

To help you with your Pell grant application, Student Financial Aid Services offer up-to-date information for individual state filing deadlines along with special assistance to late filers. Especially for those that face immediate deadlines.

Completion of a Pell grant application can potentially have mine fields that can be avoided. In order not to miss any opportunity for financial aid, check with your college’s financial aid and administrative officers.

The deadline for a Pell grant application is January 1st.. You can apply much earlier than that, and your application will automatically be dated as of January 1st even if your application has a prior date. Remember that when the money runs out, so does the Pell grants!

Filling out the FAFSA form (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) is mandatory. If you do not complete this first step, you have no chance of having your Pell grant application being considered at all.

Early submission of your Pell grant application is the best way for you to move towards successfully funding your education.

Keep in mind that any full or partial scholarships will reduce your financial need and therefore will qualify you for a lower Pell grant. You should apply for any and all scholarships that fit your criteria.

Once you have completed your Pell grant application, you are automatically eligible for other Federal college grants. Two of these are the National SMART Grant and the Academic Competitiveness Grant.

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