Perhaps the most popular financial aid program for college students is the Pell Grant.  The Pell Grant is a government run financial aid program for students who are working on their first undergraduate degree or other qualifying post-secondary education certificate or training program.  The Pell Grant helps with educational costs associated with a wide variety of programs, including trade and vocational education, and associate and bachelor degree programs at online schools and traditional colleges. There is much more to learn about this subject, as well as single mothers grants.

Students who receive aid from the Pell Grant qualify based on financial need, but some students whose family income is in the $60,000 range also qualify, based on other criteria, like the number of students who are in college at one time.  For the most part, however, students with a family income of around $30,000 or less are the main recipients of the grant.  The Pell Grant may be used at accredited online colleges, as well as traditional school environments.

The Pell Grant program was recently revamped by Congress with important changes to the administration of the program.  The changes that were implemented are mostly concerned with benefit amounts and the eligibility of applicants.  Online degree students are one of the groups of students who may be highly impacted by these changes in a positive way. If this interests you, then you should read more about scholarship.

Beginning this year, the upper award for a Pell Grant is now $5,550, which is a $200 annual increase.  The Pell Grant has never had a cost of living increase built into it, but now it does.  In the 2013-2014 school year; the COLA will go into effect; it will be tied to the consumer price index plus one percent.

The Pell Grant award is calculated using a formula that includes the Expected Family Contribution (EFC).  Beginning this year, the EFC threshold has been moved upward, from $4,617 to $5,273.  Because the threshold was moved upward, the number of people who may qualify for aid is automatically increased; however, the families whose EFC is lower will receive more aid than those families whose EFC is near the top.

Often, people who work full time enroll in online degree programs because of the time factor; they don’t have time to go to school on a full-time basis.  Previously, they would not have been eligible to receive aid from the Pell Grant, because only full time students were qualified.  Now, however, the full-time requirement has been waived.  Students who are enrolled at less than full-time may now be qualified to receive a Pell Grant award. Don't stop reading here, find out more about grants for college.

For many online college students, the summer is a time to make up classes since many students must work full time and they can only take classes on a part-time basis.  If these students were using a Pell Grant to pay for their classes, they weren’t allowed to pay for their summer classes using Pell Grant funds.  With the upcoming school year, the rules for summer session classes have been changed; now a summer session Pell Grant is available to eligible students who take a minimum of six hours during the summer.  You financial aid office will have more details regarding the summer Pell Grant program.

The Pell Grant is likely to become even more popular than it was in the past with the wide range of beneficial changes to the program.  Online degree students may be among the most benefited because of the new summer session rules, among others.  Being able to finish their degree program in a lesser amount of time than they thought, with fewer student loans; helping students move into their new careers with a much greater sense of financial security than they thought possible.

Tags: grant, online college, Online School, scholarship

Perhaps the most popular financial aid program for college students is the Pell Grant.  The Pell Grant is a government run financial aid program for students who are working on their first undergraduate degree or other qualifying post-secondary education certificate or training program.  The Pell Grant helps with educational costs associated with a wide variety of programs, including trade and vocational education, and associate and bachelor degree programs at online schools and traditional colleges. There is much more to learn about this subject, as well as single mothers grants.

Students who receive aid from the Pell Grant qualify based on financial need, but some students whose family income is in the $60,000 range also qualify, based on other criteria, like the number of students who are in college at one time.  For the most part, however, students with a family income of around $30,000 or less are the main recipients of the grant.  The Pell Grant may be used at accredited online colleges, as well as traditional school environments.

The Pell Grant program was recently revamped by Congress with important changes to the administration of the program.  The changes that were implemented are mostly concerned with benefit amounts and the eligibility of applicants.  Online degree students are one of the groups of students who may be highly impacted by these changes in a positive way. If this interests you, then you should read more about scholarship.

Beginning this year, the upper award for a Pell Grant is now $5,550, which is a $200 annual increase.  The Pell Grant has never had a cost of living increase built into it, but now it does.  In the 2013-2014 school year; the COLA will go into effect; it will be tied to the consumer price index plus one percent.

The Pell Grant award is calculated using a formula that includes the Expected Family Contribution (EFC).  Beginning this year, the EFC threshold has been moved upward, from $4,617 to $5,273.  Because the threshold was moved upward, the number of people who may qualify for aid is automatically increased; however, the families whose EFC is lower will receive more aid than those families whose EFC is near the top.

Often, people who work full time enroll in online degree programs because of the time factor; they don’t have time to go to school on a full-time basis.  Previously, they would not have been eligible to receive aid from the Pell Grant, because only full time students were qualified.  Now, however, the full-time requirement has been waived.  Students who are enrolled at less than full-time may now be qualified to receive a Pell Grant award. Don't stop reading here, find out more about grants for college.

For many online college students, the summer is a time to make up classes since many students must work full time and they can only take classes on a part-time basis.  If these students were using a Pell Grant to pay for their classes, they weren’t allowed to pay for their summer classes using Pell Grant funds.  With the upcoming school year, the rules for summer session classes have been changed; now a summer session Pell Grant is available to eligible students who take a minimum of six hours during the summer.  You financial aid office will have more details regarding the summer Pell Grant program.

The Pell Grant is likely to become even more popular than it was in the past with the wide range of beneficial changes to the program.  Online degree students may be among the most benefited because of the new summer session rules, among others.  Being able to finish their degree program in a lesser amount of time than they thought, with fewer student loans; helping students move into their new careers with a much greater sense of financial security than they thought possible.

Tags: grant, online college, Online School, scholarship