Financial Aid (Pell Grants) / PayBack

[whateverabouts]

I am a new student at UMPI YourPace for Sprint 2023.
I received a Pell Grant and a small SEOG Grant.
They covered the full $2800 tuition at UMPI YourPace (two sessions).
The remaining $748 overage was dispersed to me recently.

Long story short - I can tell that UMPI YourPace is not the right fit for me.
My question is about my options to NOT pay back any of the Pell/SEOG Grant monies.

I keep seeing the 60% time mentioned, but not sure how this works with my being in Session 1 of 2 currently.

Looking for the easiest path forward.

Do I do nothing with the 2 current classes in Session 1, end up failing them both, and don't take classes for session 2?
I don't know what other choices there are.
Dropping classes would guarantee needing to repay the grant money.
I don't know where this mystical 60% would fall and where?

Help please.

[rachel83az]

Whatever you do, I would try to avoid failing those last two classes. I would finish them to the best of your ability and just not ask for any new ones.

[whateverabouts]

Whatever you do, I would try to avoid failing those last two classes. I would finish them to the best of your ability and just not ask for any new ones.

Just to clarify if it wasn't clear... 

For this very first session, they gave me 2 classes. This is where I am currently at - in those first 2 classes in session 1. There are 2 more classes scheduled for session 2.

I don't want to drop any classes as it will simply guarantee I have to repay the grants. 

I have zero interest in putting in the effort even to half-ass a 10-15 page project for one class, and a 5-10 page writing for the other for session 1. That's why I asked.

Do I just put in what will look like an obvious 2-3% effort on all the assignments/quizzes and miss the final thereby failing these first two classes? 

I simply want to know what to do so I'm not on the hook for the Pell Grant money. It's not like this is something I can ask UMPI directly.

[rachel83az]

In that case, if it's just those two, you must not fail those classes if you don't want to repay the grant. https://www.bestcolleges.com/student-fin...ancial-aid

[ss20ts]

If you fail the classes, you'll end up with a 0.00 GPA. Do not fail the classes! Complete them or withdrawal. You should speak with the Financial Aid office to find out what the financial repercussions are and what your options. Don't get a 0.00 GPA. It will follow you forever. I would complete the courses and not sign up for additional courses.

[CatsDomino]

If you plan to try to utilize federal financial aid going forward, you need to also keep in mind satisfactory academic progress. You may disqualify yourself from receiving federal aid if you fail these classes. Here's a link (hope it works):

https://studentaid.gov/understand-aid/el...g-eligible

[allvia]

If you fail the classes, you'll end up with a 0.00 GPA. Do not fail the classes! Complete them or withdrawal. You should speak with the Financial Aid office to find out what the financial repercussions are and what your options. Don't get a 0.00 GPA. It will follow you forever. I would complete the courses and not sign up for additional courses.

And if you end up with a (zero) 0.00 GPA at UMPI it puts you at risk of not being eligible at other schools for federal aid as well. Do what you need to get through the required number of courses (2 each term, which equals one semester), then you can move on without issue(s).

[whateverabouts]

My intention is to not enroll in any other school ever again, and also to not apply for further financial aid. When I reached out to the financial aid office, they were less then helpful. They stated I need to fully withdraw for them to tell me what I would owe. I have twice asked them how they calculate the 60% rule for financial aid, as at that point, no financial aid repayment is required. If dropping my two current classes and two classes from session 2 will virtually guarantee owing them money, and failing the 2 current classes and not talking the 2 classes at session 2 will have the same result, wouldn’t the 60% rule by my only option as at that point, the US Govt considers that amount of time equal to 100%.

[bjcheung77]

Competency Based Education options aren't for everyone, there are a couple or few members who didn't like the WGU format either. It really depends on what you need and want in your educational journey and the style of learning that interests you. Since this is your first post, could you explain what the issue is with UMPI's format? My suggestion is to complete the two courses each session, this way, you can use those for another institution later and continue with your aid/grant.

[whateverabouts]

Competency Based Education options aren't for everyone, there are a couple or few members who didn't like the WGU format either.  It really depends on what you need and want in your educational journey and the style of learning that interests you.  Since this is your first post, could you explain what the issue is with UMPI's format?  My suggestion is to complete the two courses each session, this way, you can use those for another institution later and continue with your aid/grant.

I’ll just say there is a personal issue which makes it impossible for me to turn in the 10+ page finals for both current classes and would affect the same for the 2 classes in session 2.

As well, if I am hit with a bill for repayment of grant money, it will end up being a default and well, we all know how that snowballs quickly.

Since the possibility of failing the final equates to then failing the classes, and withdrawing from the classes seems to equal the same end result, the only other option I was thinking, was the 60% rule where at that point in time, you don’t need to repay and you’re considered as “earning” 100% of the financial aid. But UMPI seems diligent on not providing that information. I don’t know how they calculate such a date since they break it up into 2 sessions within a semester.

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If you plan to try to utilize federal financial aid going forward, you need to also keep in mind satisfactory academic progress.  You may disqualify yourself from receiving federal aid if you fail these classes.  Here's a link (hope it works):

https://studentaid.gov/understand-aid/el...g-eligible

I don’t plan on attending further schools or utilizing further financial aid. I’m simply trying to find the best way to not have a repayment bill as I don’t have the money for it. And finishing the classes is next to impossible. The financial aid office isn’t very helpful in this request, even in asking what date they consider the 60% rule kicking in, which is where the US Govt considers my “earning” 100% of the grant money and not needing to repay anything.