Where does the Pell Grant money go?
Pell Grants first pay for any tuition a student owes, and any books, materials, etc that they have signed a promissory note to pay for. Any money left over will go back to the student on approximately a 6-week cycle (vacation periods may lengthen this time, etc.) in fractional amounts. This money that goes to the student, is to help cover your cost of living, and other educational expenses they may have.
What can Prevent or Delay a Pell Disbursement?
A Student will NOT receive a Pell Grant Cost of Living Disbursement at the end of the Current Session if any of the following occur:
- A student has not maintained 90% attendance (Due to holidays, this generally means not missing more than 2 days of school per session)
- A student is failing their course
- It is the last session of the student's program (All disbursements have already been made previous to this point in time.)
- A student does not qualify for a Pell Grant
The following are the most common reasons why students have their Pell Grant Cost of Living Disbursement delayed:
- A student does not have a Safe Credit Union Account
- A student has not submitted an accurate and signed Direct Deposit Form
- A student has not completed their verification process
- A student has had excused absences that have not been fully communicated to the Financial Aid Office
When do students receive their Cost of Living Disbursements?
The earliest a student will receive their cost of living disbursement is at the last day of the current session. Sessions are 6-weeks in length, plus any weeks of vacation that occur during the session. Students should see the current Class Schedule Brochure for a list of class sessions. While Twin Rivers Adult School works diligently to disburse funds on the last day of the session, due to a variety of reasons, disbursements may arrive the following week.
Students will not receive a disbursement at the end of their last session of their program.
How Much Money is Each Cost of Living Disbursement?
There are several variables that affect the size of each disbursement a student receives to assist with their cost of living, including:
- How much money the student qualifies for in a Pell Grant
- How much money the program qualifies for in a Pell Grant (Programs less than 900 hours do not qualify for full Pell Grant awards)
- How much of the program a student has completed
- How much money the student owes Twin Rivers Adult School for Tuition
- How much money the student owes Twin Rivers Adult School for promissory notes (for books, supplies, etc.)
Federal rules state that we can disburse no more than 50% of the total Pell Grant until a student has completed at least 50% of the hours and 50% of the weeks of a program. Further, Twin Rivers Adult School does not disburse at the end of the last session.
Because of these variables, and federal rules, students usually receive less money early in their program (before they have completed the required 50% of hours and weeks), as they often have promissory notes to pay off with their Pell Grants. Students will often receive larger disbursements after completing 50% of their hours and weeks, due to the fact that they won't receive a disbursement at the end of their last session.
Twin Rivers Adult School recognizes that disbursements can get complex, and we are more than willing to explain our exact calculations to those interested.
How do students receive disbursments?
Students receiving a Pell Grant are required to have a Safe Credit Union Account, in which the Pell Grant Cost of Living Disbursements will be direct deposited using ACH (the Automated Clearing House). Students MUST provide their account information to the Twin Rivers Adult School Financial Aid Department on the appropriate Direct Deposit form, in writing, to receive their funds in a timely manner. Students who fail to get an account or turn in their direct deposit form will generally have delays in receiving their funds. Students who are unable or unwilling to get a SAFE Credit Union account will need to make alternative arrangements with the Financial Aid Office.
