Federal Grant and Pell Grant ?

Trouble:

Right now it is up in the air what the Pell Grant awards will be for the 2009-2010 academic year. The economic stimulus bill that was passed by the House this week includes a $500 increase in the Pell award - but that still has to be considered by the Senate before it becomes law.

For the 2008-2009 school year, the maximum award was $4731. That amount is paid out in two (nearly) equal payments - and it is disbursed electronically, directly to the bursar's office at your school.

The Pell Grant is actually just one of several types of educational grants that the federal government makes available to college students. Your eligibility to qualify for the Pell or any of the other, supplementary grants, is determined by the information that you provide on your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (the FAFSA).

When you submit the form to the Department of Education, they will calculate an Expected Family Contribution - and pass that score to any college or university that you ask them to forward it to. The financial aid office at that school will use this EFC score to determine what forms of aid you are eligible for.

For more information on all of the assistance available to US college students, I highly recommend the Department of Education pamphlet that I've linked to, below.

Good luck to you - I hope this information helps.