How do I know how much grant money I'm getting?

Question

I went to the financial aid office at my university and the told me that i got the Pell Grant in x amount. I've not gotten anything in writing confirming this, should I count on the money or not?

Answer 1

Never count on any money until it's in your bank account.

Answer 2

Your Pell Grant award is based entirely on your registration status (full time, three quarter time, half time) and the EFC score that was reported to you on the SAR that you received from the Department of Education.

There is a table that the financial aid office refers to, which shows the amount of Pell grant awarded to applicants.

Most schools send financial aid recipients an "Aid Offer Letter", I'm surprised that your school hasn't done so. If you have an online "student" account, you may want to check and see if there is a financial aid section - perhaps this information can be found there, once you have logged in.

Because your Pell Grant award is entirely determined by your EFC score and registration status, you should not need to worry that your school won't pay the amount that they have quoted you. You should expect to see those funds applied to your account balance in two equal payments, one in the fall semester and one in the spring.

Good luck to you - I hope that helps.