| Author |
Message |
emm3255@yahoo.com
Guest
|
| Posted: Wed Sep 01, 2004 2:27 am
Post subject: Problems with PHEAA state grants and their effect on my Staf |
|
|
Hello,
I filled out my original FAFSA last April prior to my freshman year of
college. I am an independent student. I received a letter from PHEAA (the
state of Pennsylvania's higher education agency) in May informing me that I
had been awarded a state grant for $450 for both the Fall 2003 and Spring
2004 semesters. However, my school's award letter, which I received
sometime in late July, had no mention anywhere of the state grant.
My original awards from my school were as follows:
Fall 2003:
Federal Pell Grant $2025
Federal Sub Stafford Loan $1313
Federal Unsub Stafford Loan $1865
Spring 2004:
Federal Pell Grant $2025
Federal Sub Stafford Loan $1312
Federal Unsub Stafford Loan $1865
I spoke to someone in my school's financial aid office in October about
there being no mention of my state grant award in anything I had received
from the school, and she informed me that everything was normal and that
state grants weren't dealt with until November. Sometime in early December,
my school finally applied my state grant to my account (and not until I
mentioned it again to them, I might add), and adjusted my awards as follows
to avoid an over-award:
Fall 2003:
Federal Pell Grant $2025
PA Higher Educ Assist Grant $225
Federal Sub Stafford Loan $1088
Federal Unsub Stafford Loan $1865
Note: According to my school, the state grant was cut in half because I
dropped a 15 week course and replaced it with a 10 week course, and the
state does not accept 10 week courses when it comes to grant money. So even
though I was taking 13 credits, my school says that the state only
considered it to be 10 credits.
Spring 2004:
Federal Pell Grant $2025
PA Higher Educ Assist Grant $450
Federal Sub Stafford Loan $862
Federal Unsub Stafford Loan $1865
As you can see, my subsidized, not my unsubsidized, Stafford loan was
reduced when my school applied the state grants to my account. So even
though I was eligible for the max subsidized Stafford loan for a freshman
of $2625, I only ended up getting $1950. Is this supposed to happen?
I am asking about this because I have a similar situation brewing for the
Fall semester, and I'm not sure what my options are, if any. In April or
May of this year, I received a letter from PHEAA informing me that I have
been awarded a state grant of $800 for the Fall 2004 sememester and either
$780 (guaranteed) or $800 (estimated) for the Spring 2005 semester. And
once again, my school's award letter makes no mention of it and does not
take it into account for my aid package.
My current package, which is the same for both Fall 2004 and Spring 2005 is
as follows:
Federal Pell Grant $2025
Federal Sub Stafford Loan $1750
Federal Unsub Stafford Loan $1773
Am I allowed to request a reduction of my unsubsidized Stafford from $1773
to $973 in each semester in order to avoid the same situation?
Thank you for any help you can offer.
|
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
Woelfe
Guest
|
| Posted: Wed Sep 01, 2004 7:42 am
Post subject: Re: Problems with PHEAA state grants and their effect on my |
|
|
<emm3255@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:Xns9556A77521F5Bemm3255yahoocom@216.196.97.136...
I received a letter from PHEAA (the
| Quote: | state of Pennsylvania's higher education agency) in May informing me that
I
had been awarded a state grant for $450 for both the Fall 2003 and Spring
2004 semesters. However, my school's award letter, which I received
sometime in late July, had no mention anywhere of the state grant.
|
Some schools may not add the award until they receive a notification from
the state org that the grant is available, while some will estimate it (if
possible) and include it.
My experience with state grants is usually that they are very late getting
set up for some. Mass Grant money usually doesn't arrive until Oct-Nov time
frame but we usually know who they are ahead of time.
If you have an award letter from PHEA I would suggest giving a copy to the
FA office and ask them to verify and add it to your package.
| Quote: | As you can see, my subsidized, not my unsubsidized, Stafford loan was
reduced when my school applied the state grants to my account. So even
though I was eligible for the max subsidized Stafford loan for a freshman
of $2625, I only ended up getting $1950. Is this supposed to happen?
|
It can, yes. What happens is the financial aid office has to have a COA
(cost of attendance) for you and cannot award aid beyond this budget; this
is called over-awarding. What they do is reduce loans first before they
reduce grants. So even if you are eligible for X amount of loan money, you
can't receive any portion of it that would exceed the total of your COA.
| Quote: |
Am I allowed to request a reduction of my unsubsidized Stafford from $1773
to $973 in each semester in order to avoid the same situation?
|
Once again, if you have an award letter from PHEA it is probably a good idea
to give them (FA Office) a copy and request they add to your package ahead
of time and reset your loans accordingly.
| Quote: |
Thank you for any help you can offer.
|
No worries!
Mike B |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
emm3255@yahoo.com
Guest
|
| Posted: Wed Sep 01, 2004 4:43 pm
Post subject: Re: Problems with PHEAA state grants and their effect on my |
|
|
"Woelfe" <woelfe_den@hotmail.com> wrote in
news:xO9Zc.348458$%_6.332876@attbi_s01:
| Quote: |
emm3255@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:Xns9556A77521F5Bemm3255yahoocom@216.196.97.136...
I received a letter from PHEAA (the
state of Pennsylvania's higher education agency) in May informing me
that
I
had been awarded a state grant for $450 for both the Fall 2003 and
Spring 2004 semesters. However, my school's award letter, which I
received sometime in late July, had no mention anywhere of the state
grant.
Some schools may not add the award until they receive a notification
from the state org that the grant is available, while some will
estimate it (if possible) and include it.
My experience with state grants is usually that they are very late
getting set up for some. Mass Grant money usually doesn't arrive
until Oct-Nov time frame but we usually know who they are ahead of
time.
If you have an award letter from PHEA I would suggest giving a copy to
the FA office and ask them to verify and add it to your package.
As you can see, my subsidized, not my unsubsidized, Stafford loan was
reduced when my school applied the state grants to my account. So
even though I was eligible for the max subsidized Stafford loan for a
freshman of $2625, I only ended up getting $1950. Is this supposed to
happen?
It can, yes. What happens is the financial aid office has to have a
COA (cost of attendance) for you and cannot award aid beyond this
budget; this is called over-awarding. What they do is reduce loans
first before they reduce grants. So even if you are eligible for X
amount of loan money, you can't receive any portion of it that would
exceed the total of your COA.
|
I understand that my financial aid cannot exceed the cost of attendence.
My question was whether or not that reduction should have come from my
*subsidized* Stafford instead of my *unsubsidized* Stafford.
The state grant, when it was added by my school, was returned to the
state to avoid the overaward. I have no problem with that. What I don't
understand is why that money was used to pay down my subsidized Stafford
instead of my unsubsidized Stafford.
| Quote: |
Am I allowed to request a reduction of my unsubsidized Stafford from
$1773 to $973 in each semester in order to avoid the same situation?
Once again, if you have an award letter from PHEA it is probably a
good idea to give them (FA Office) a copy and request they add to your
package ahead of time and reset your loans accordingly.
|
If I were able to reduce the amount I take from the unsubsidized
Stafford by the amount of the state grant, I would avoid going over the
COA when the grant is applied to my account. Thus, at least in theory, I
could avoid having my subsidized Stafford reduced like it was last year.
I want to know whether or not that is allowed.
| Quote: |
Thank you for any help you can offer.
No worries!
|
I wish  Thanks for your help.
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
| |
FAQ
Memberlist
Register
Profile
Log in to check your private messages
Log in