Pell For The Single Parent
Paying for a college education can be very expensive. It can be even more so for a single parent who already has most of their resources committed to raising a family. A lot of single parents might choose not to go to college, believing that they cannot afford it.
There is a lot of help out there for students who are going to college or single parents who are trying to return to school. A lot of this financial aid is available in the form of grants and scholarships. Grants and scholarships are basically gifts from the government or organization. They do not have to be paid back.
There are a few ways to apply for this grant. The student can ask the financial aid office of the school for help. They are more than glad to assist with this application. They also have the form and can file it for you. This is a very good choice for the first time student, or the student returning to school who may not be familiar with the Pell Grant. The student can also fill the form out online, or request that it be mailed to them.
Any student who applies for the Pell Grant is going to be asked to fill out their FAFSA, if they haven’t done so already. The FAFSA (Free Application for Student Aid) helps determine the student’s eligibility for federal grants like the Pell Grant. This can work in the single parent’s favor.
The FAFSA helps determine the students eligibility by looking at two key factors in the application. One is called the EFC or expected family contribution, the other factor is called COA, or cost of attendance. To determine these factors it must be determined how much money the students family will be contributing toward the students education.
Obviously this is a factor for students who are just getting out of high school, but it also works in the single parent’s favor. Most single parents are going at it alone, and the lower the family contribution is, the more aid the single parent can receive. If the family doesn’t help out, the federal government will at least help the single parent get an education if they want to.
The other factor is called Cost Of Attendance. This includes all costs associated with attending an accredited school for a year. These costs may include transportation, or in the case of the single parent, daycare. The Cost Of Attendance is then totaled and compared to the EFC.
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