What can I buy with Federal Pell Grant funds?

Question

I received a Federal Pell Grant that will more than cover my tuition expenses for the upcoming semester (I will have about $1,300 left over). Am I able to use the leftover funds to buy software from the school (Adobe Photoshop, Microsoft Office, etc)? Or is this money ONLY for tuition and textbooks. Please reply if you know or have been in the same position. This is the first semester I have gotten a grant and would like to purchase some software that is otherwise extremely expensive. I appreciate any responses.

Answer 1

Anything at all.  Food, booze, drugs, women (or men).  Or, you know, text books and stuff.  You don't have to report to the government what you spent it on...they just assume you'll spend it on "the cost of living".

Answer 2

yes you can buy software with it.  It is not ONLY for textbooks.  You might shop around though... you might get a better deal going and buying it somewhere else.  Any left over Pell money is issued to you a few weeks after the semester starts.  You can use it for living expenses, groc, gas, textbooks cheaper on eBay...

Be aware through, if you are planning on going to college NEXT summer, you will have used all your Pell in the spring and fall semesters if you go full time.  You might opt to save it so you don't have to take out a student loan for the summer.

I would encourage you to enroll in more hours as well.  Taking only 12 hours a semester is a mistake (no matter how much the schools will push it).  You have to take at least 15 hours in the fall and the spring to graduate on time.

Good luck