If I got approved for a Pell Grant at the end of last year, So I got

by Susan Erickson
(Reno, NV. Washoe)

the first half of the 5500, I don't have to fill out a new app for the new year, if I'm supposed to get paid the second half of the money for this semester am I? Will I win the appeal if they are saying I'm not eligible for the rest of it. I went to school full time and passed all four of my classes with A's except one B. They are saying it is because of classes I took over 20 years ago. I am devastated because I am really serious now, and I don't know why they would approve me in the first place then since that was my status at the beginning of last semester.

Answer:

Under normal circumstances, the application you filled out for the fall semester, would apply to the spring Pell grant disbursement, as well.

But from your details, it seems as though you had received federal financial aid before and didn't fulfill the requirements- passing the courses, maybe?

If this had happened, you would be responsible for the overpayment (for what you had received back then) and you would need to repay that before you could be eligible for more. Perhaps your first school had tried to contact you for repayment, but failed. If it was a different school and had occurred a number of years ago, and you had not indicated on your FAFSA that you had received federal aid before, it might have taken the Department of Education this long to track it down.

If your financial aid office says that you cannot get the Pell grant money, you can appeal. But if this is what happened, you will not get federal money until someone repays what you owe, or you make arrangements for payments that are satisfactory.

Ask your financial aid office what steps you need to take to become eligible again. Depending on the school, they may be willing (in view of your good grades last semester) to commit their own resources to help you, but ultimately, any money owed for financial aid (no matter how old the debt) is your legal responsibility.