A few days ago I got a letter in the mail from the university I attend, recapping the financial aid package I received for the 2007-2008 school year. Today, I received another financial aid letter outlining the funds I'll be receiving for the 2008-2009 school year. My heart was broken when I realized they revoked a bunch of grants I was awarded last year. According to my FAFSA record, I am not eligible for the Federal Pell Grant, a grant I was awarded last year. I also lost one of my university grants, a first-year competitiveness award (that one I can understand, seeing as I'm no longer a first-year student), and a couple other grants I earned.
What I don't understand is how these could change. My university grant (the one they let me keep) went up, the Stafford E-Loan went up (subsidized), some other thing went up, and another loan they gave me (unsubsidized) is added on. On top of that, both tuition and housing went up in cost. Housing I'm not worried about since I don't live on campus. It's the tuition.
Nothing in my household had changed financially. My father still works as a produce man at ShopRite, my mom's still a CSL (customer service leader, AKA clerk) at Wawa, and I still work ONE DAY A WEEK at a small grocery store in town. Why on Earth are my grants revoked? Why am I not eligible for the Federal Pell Grant?
I emailed the financial aid office (because they never answer their phone) at school, but they haven't gotten back to me. I may phone them next week or stop by before class to see if they can answer my question. My luck, the office will be closed for the summer by time I get there.
So all I can really do at this point is either reject the unsubsidized loan (and pay 1k more a semester), or keep it and continue applying to outside scholarships. Regardless of what happens, I'm still going to apply for outside scholarships. I mean, any money is good money, and good money will pay for my education.
Supposedly education is made available to anyone and everyone, provided they show some interest in pursuing a further educational career, but they make it so hard for anyone to do anything; the people that really need it aren't getting it and those who don't want it are getting it.
Come on, people, screw your heads back on.
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