I got a pell grant and still owe $444 how can i get that payed off?

Question

I have 3 children and owe that much. I have 2 friends that only have 1 child and they only owed $200 how can I get mine reduced that much?

Answer 1

Institutional charges and financial aid packages are very different depending on the student's federal eligibility, where you attend school, and what classes you're taking -- so it's generally not worth your while to question why Person X owes more or less than you do.

If you need additional financial aid funding, you will need to contact your Financial Aid Office, describe your situation, and ask what your options are. There should be additional funding available to you -- at the very least, a small Stafford Loan.

Keep in mind that no Financial Aid Office or Business/Bursar Office with even the *slightest* knowledge of Federal Student Aid regulations would give you additional grant aid based on the claim "my friend got more money than me" -- so when you speak to them, you really need to focus on your own particular financial circumstances. There's a lot more that they consider than just how many children you have.

If you are adverse to borrowing (even $444?) and your school doesn't offer scholarships/grants, you could consider applying for private scholarships. There are a variety of places you can seach for funding: libraries, your former high school, your future college, clubs/associations near you, and the internet:

http://www.finaid.org/scholarships/other.phtml
http://www.fastweb.com
http://www.srnexpress.com
http://www.scholarships.com
http://www.scholarships101.com
http://apps.collegeboard.com/cbsearch_ss/welcome.jsp
http://services.princetonreview.com/default.asp?RUN=%2Fcollege%2Ffinance%2Fscholar%2FscholInterview%2Easp&RCN=auth&RDN=7&ALD=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eprincetonreview%2Ecom
http://www.collegeanswer.com/paying/content/pay_free_money.jsp

Pursue funding from as many legitimate sources as you can -- you might even be able to obtain funding for non-billable charges like books and housing. Don't be discouraged if you are turned down from a few (or more than a few). All scholarships, including the small ones, are competitive. You do need to be wary of scholarship scams, not the least of which is the claim that that there are "tons of unclaimed scholarships" just floating around out there. For information on this myth (and other scams), try reading these pages:

http://www.finaid.org/scholarships/unclaimedaid.phtml
http://www.finaid.org/scholarships/protecting.phtml
http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/alerts/ouchalrt.htm