Pell Grants

[sanantone]

I am doing the Pell Grant overage which Cookderosa wrote about, with an online community college, but it's been harder than I expected. I think a person might be better off working more hours to pay for school instead, but everyone's situation is different.

For anyone considering it, I believe the most you will get in a semester is $1600, if you do it online and aren't a resident of one of the cheap states. In most states, I don't think residents can get a better deal at their local B&M school either. The states that are best are California, New Mexico, Texas, probably Arizona, and probably Kansas. Perhaps there are others.

Edit: To clarify, I mean $1600 after paying for the cheapest classes/books/etc. However, if you wanted to fail the classes, you could get a little more, but it doesn't seem like a good idea.

The Pell Grant award doesn't vary by state or whether or not you're in-state or out-of-state. It's based on your income. For those who qualify for the maximum Pell Grant award (which probably means that you're kind of poor), it's currently $5,920. If you attend half-time (6 credits per semester), you're only going to get half of the award. If you attend full-time (12 credits per semester), you'll get the full award split into two semester. However, if you attend half-time during fall and spring, you can use the remaining annual award during the summer.

Edit: I see what you're trying to say by having leftover aid. Some states don't have very cheap community colleges, so it might be cheaper to go out-of-state. It's rare, but it happens. CCs are usually cheaper in-state (and in-district for states that have them). I don't see how you can get more money by failing classes. If you received a full award based on attending full-time, and you ended up successfully completing less than 12 credits in a semester (or 6 months at schools that don't have semesters), then you would end up owing money.