What are acceptable Pell Grant expenses?

[elegantlion]

I'm waiting to see what my financial aid package (for me) looks like. I have applied at one school, determined I could handle 2 classes per semester online. A rough guesstimate for tuition, fees, and books, would not equal a full Pell Grant.

 

Would the grant amount only be for classes? If there is an overage, what would be acceptable "educational expenses"? I'm having trouble finding a clear answer except for textbooks. If I'm taking these classes online could I use it to pay for Internet service? What about a computer upgrade? Traditional School supplies?

 

Again, I'm speculating as I haven't received any notification yet.

[Barbara H]

Two classes per semester would be just part time so the amount you receive would be less than the maximum Pell Grant. The average Pell award is $3,800 per year, but that includes students who are full time students and thy receive more. So, if you are looking at four to six courses per year, I'd be surprised if it fully meets your tuition cost and leaves extra.

 

Colleges give students a budget that includes costs like tuition, fees, books, etc. and aid can't exceed that amount. Internet access, office supplies, and computer upgrades are not typical budget expenses. Again though, it is really a pretty rare situation for students to get aid that comes close to covering the budget so exceeding is not a very typical situation.

 

Hope that helps.

[elegantlion]

Okay, that may be the case but what specifically applies to a grant, just tuition and books? Do paper supplies and other traditional supplies count?

[Annie G]

Dd worked at the college bookstore and every semester, near the end, the Pell Grant students got a check for any remaining grant money that hadn't been used for tuition or books. The date was posted at the bookstore so they trained the staff to answer the questions that students would ask about it- and she was told unused grant money could be used for living expenses, gas, food, transportation, etc. Many of the kids would bring their check and buy bus passes and cafeteria cards, which are sold at the bookstore. 

 

[Pegasus]

A Pell grant can be used for any of the cost-of-attendance: tuition, fees, textbooks & supplies, room & board, transportation, personal/miscellaneous.