Federal Pell Grant Program: 5.16

ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURES

PURPOSE

This procedure outlines the process for awarding the Federal Pell Grant program.

PROCEDURE

The Federal Pell Grant Program is a federally funded financial assistance program authorized by the Higher Education Act of 1965 for Title IV programs. The Federal Pell Grant is designed for undergraduate students working toward their first bachelor’s degree and assists financially needy students in paying the cost to attend a postsecondary institution.

Students are required to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for each academic year. Students may complete the paper FAFSA or may apply through the FAFSA website. The FAFSA is mailed or transmitted to the Federal Central Processing Service (CPS). Within 4 weeks of submitting the FAFSA, the CPS forwards a Student Aid Report (SAR) to the student and electronically transmits the SAR record to the college(s) indicated on the FAFSA. The SAR document indicates the students’ eligibility to receive the Federal Pell Grant. The SAR also specifies how eligibility was determined and what information was reported on the FAFSA.

The Financial Aid Office downloads the SAR record by using the Federal Student Aid Internet Gateway (formerly known as the Electronic Data Exchange, EDE). The Financial Aid Office prints the students’ SAR and determines if additional documents are required. The Financial Aid Office notifies students of their eligibility or ineligibility to receive the Federal Pell Grant. For eligible students, the Financial Aid Office forwards the student an Award Notification letter. The Award Notification indicates the award description and how much funds the student is qualified to receive.

Students are encouraged to apply at least six to eight weeks prior to the first day of classes. Students may begin completing the FAFSA in January for the upcoming academic year. The last day the student may compete the FAFSA is on June 30th or the last day of classes, whichever comes first for the current academic year.

The Financial Aid Office will assist any student who requests a re-calculation (Professional Judgment) of eligibility for the Federal Pell Grant award. The Financial Aid Office will determine if the student indeed has an extenuating circumstance that warrants a Professional Judgment decision. Professional Judgment requests are handled on a case-by-case basis. Students requesting a Professional Judgment for independency status must meet certain criteria as documented on the Independency Appeal Form. Students are required to meet with a campus Financial Aid Manager or Counselor for pre-determination of meeting one of the criteria. The Independency Appeal Form and supporting documents are forwarded to the Director of Financial Aid for final approval or denial. The Director of Financial Aid forwards the response letter to the student. Independency Appeals are handled on a case-by-case basis.

History:

Formerly 5.412