Grants

Federal Pell Grant

The Pell Grant is an entitlement program. It is awarded to help undergraduates pay for their college education. Unlike loans, grants do not have to be paid back. Students who have earned a bachelor’s degree are ineligible for a Pell Grant. To qualify for a Pell Grant the student must have financial need and be enrolled in a degree-seeking program on a full- or part-time basis. The maximum award is distributed over two semesters.

Pell Lifetime Eligibility Limit

The amount of Federal Pell Grant funds a student may receive over a student’s lifetime is limited by a new federal law to be the equivalent of six years of Pell Grant funding. Because the maximum amount of Pell Grant funding a student receives each year is equal to 100 percent, the new regulations state that a student may receive up to 12 semesters or the six year equivalent of 600 percent.

Whether a student has used all of his or her Pell Grant eligibility or only a portion, the student needs to be conscious about the lifetime limit of the Pell Grant when changing majors and/or scheduling classes; the Pell Grant equivalent of 600 percent will be for the student’s entire award history.

To view Pell Grant Lifetime Eligibility Used (LEU), students can log on using their Federal Student Aid PIN to the National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS) at www.nslds.ed.gov/ to view LEU. (The LEU will be found on the Financial Aid review page.) The information will include all Pell Grants received over a lifetime from any college, not just Delgado Community College. If 600 percent of lifetime eligibility is not used, some Pell Grant eligibility may be remaining, if eligible.

For additional information on the Pell Grant program, please visit http://studentaid.ed.gov/types/grants-scholarships/pell/calculate-eligibility.

Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG)

FSEOG money is limited and available only for those who have exceptional financial need. Students with exceptional financial need are those who are eligible for a Pell Grant, have the lowest expected family contribution, are enrolled at least half-time, and still have unmet financial need.

Federal College Work-Study (FWS)

The Federal Work-Study (FWS) Program encourages and provides part-time employment for students to help meet their cost of attending college. Hourly wages must not be less than the federal minimum wage. Students must file a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) as part of the application process for FWS assistance. The FAFSA can be completed on the web at www.fafsa.ed.gov.

Community Service (CMS) jobs are defined as positions that improve the quality of life for community residents, particularly low-income individuals, or solve particular problems related to their needs including on-campus child care services that are open and accessible to the community. CMS also includes services to students who have disabilities and are enrolled in school. On-campus jobs can meet the definition of community services, provided that the services are open and accessible to the community and that they meet the other FWS limitations and conditions.

The Family Literacy Program provides literacy or pre-literacy education to children and literacy training for parents or other caregivers of children in the program. It also provides a means of equipping parents or other caregivers with the skills needed to partner with their children in learning as well as providing literacy activities between parents or other caregivers and their children.

Student Eligibility

Students must meet the eligibility requirements for student aid. There is no restriction for students who have previously earned a bachelor’s degree (unlike the Federal Supplemental Equal Opportunity Grant (FSEOG) and Pell programs).
Students must be approved for a federal work-study position by the FWS coordinator before beginning employment,

FWS Requirements:

In addition to meeting the general eligibility requirements, students wishing to be considered for FWS:

Must have financial need as determined by FAFSA, and
Be enrolled (at least half-time) in a course of study leading to a degree or certificate.

Louisiana Go Grant

The purpose of this program is to provide a need-based component to the state’s financial aid plan to support nontraditional and low to moderate-income students who need additional aid to afford the cost of attending college.