Federal Pell Grant

Financial Aid is available at SWTC to students who qualify for Federal PELL Grants. SWTC does not participate in the Federal Direct Student Loan Program or the Federal Family Education Loan Program.

SWTC does not participate in or provide information regarding any private education loan programs nor does it have any preferred lender lists.

Purpose of the Federal Pell Grant Program

The Pell Grant Program is a federally funded grant program, which, for the 2024-2025 academic year provides up to $7,395 to full time postsecondary students and up to $3,698 to postsecondary students who are enrolled at least half time. The purpose of the program is to provide a foundation of aid to needy students. SWTC awards federal financial aid according to federal regulations and guidelines.

Federal Pell Grant Eligibility

To be eligible for a Federal PELL Grant, a student must have an eligible SAI (Student Aid Index). This number is an index of the student's ability to contribute to the cost of education. Grant amounts are based upon cost of attendance, the Student Aid Index (SAI) and the hours a student will attend during an award year. The government provides a Payment Schedule annually to be used to determine the amount of a Pell Grant.

The neediest students will have an SAI of -1500 and may be eligible for the maximum award. As the SAI increases, the amount of the award decreases and, after a certain point, the award becomes 0. The SAI can range anywhere from -1500 to 999999, this is not a dollar amount. The SAI is available on the FAFSA SUBMISSION SUMMARY/ISIR which is the official notice of the student's eligibility (or ineligibility) for a Federal PELL Grant. The SAI is computed by the Central Processing System and is based on the information reported by the student on the financial aid application. Eligibility is also based upon meeting the general criteria which is listed in this handbook. All students that complete a FAFSA and are deemed eligible by the US Department of Education and the Financial Aid Coordinator will receive the Federal Pell grant amount that they are entitled to. Students may not receive a Pell Grant from more than one institution concurrently.

Under the continuing appropriations, for the 2024-2025 award year, the maximum Pell Grant award remains fixed at $7,395. This situation could change at any time pending further action by Congress.

Under section 401(a)(2)(F) of the HEA, as amended, the minimum Pell Grant award is ten percent of the maximum award amount for the award year. Further, under section 401(b)(1)(B)(ii), Federal Pell Grant awards should be rounded to the nearest $5. Therefore, the Federal Pell Grant minimum award amount for 2024-2025 is $740.

the FAFSA Simplification Act changed the process for determining the amount of a student's Scheduled Pell Grant award. The Department will no longer publish a Pell Grant Payment and Disbursement Schedule for use in determining a student's Pell Grant Scheduled Award for the award year. Instead, each student's Scheduled Award is one of the following:

• A Maximum Pell Grant Award (Max Pell)

• Student Aid Index (SAI)-calculated Pell Grant, determined by subtracting the student's SAI from the annual published maximum Pell Grant amount

• A Minimum Pell Grant Award (Min Pell)

Maximum and Minimum Pell Grant eligibility are determined based on tax filing requirements, family size and composition (i.e., single parent or non-single parent), Federal poverty guidelines, and state of residence. If a student qualifies for a Maximum Pell Grant, the SAI is not used to determine the amount of that grant. An SAI-calculated Pell Grant is determined by subtracting the student's calculated SAI from the annual published maximum Pell Grant amount, then rounding to the nearest $5. If the SAI-calculated Pell Grant is less than the published minimum Pell Grant amount, the student is ineligible for an SAI-calculated Pell Grant. However, the student may still be eligible for Min Pell if they meet the minimum Pell Grant eligibility requirements.

Eligibility Requirements

U.S. Citizen or Eligible Non-Citizen
An applicant must be a citizen or eligible non-citizen. Unless the FAFSA SUBMISSION SUMMARY/ISIR demands it, U.S. citizens who answered yes on the FAFSA to the citizenship question do not have to verify citizenship. Permanent residents must submit proof of their status to the aid office. This proof becomes a permanent part of their file. All eligible non-citizens must submit proof of status for file. Proof includes U.S. passport stamped "non-citizen national" or "Form-I-151" (green cards.) Other forms of documentation are rare and the Financial Aid Coordinator will consult the Federal Student Financial Aid Handbook if necesFAFSA Submission Summaryy. A document verification request will be made on all aliens seeking aid.

Undergraduate Status

An applicant states on the FAFSA application that she/he does not have a Bachelor's degree. Students who have bachelor degrees are not eligible for the Pell grant.

Determination of Financial Need

SWTC employs the Federal Needs Analysis Methodology in assessing financial need and eligibility for Title IV Assistance. The Federal Needs Analysis Methodology is based on the following philosophy of financial aid

• to the extent that they are able, parents have the primary responsibility to pay for their children's education

• parents will, as they are able, contribute funds for their children's education

• students, as well as their parents, have a responsibility to help pay for their education

• the family should be accepted in its present financial condition

A needs analysis system must evaluate families in a consistent and equitable manner, while recognizing that special circumstances can and do alter a family's ability to contribute. Four broad categories of family resources are examined in need analysis. They are:

• tax filing requirements

• family size and composition

• federal poverty guidelines

• state of residence

Provide consent and approval to have your federal tax information transferred directly into your 2024-2025 Free Application for Federal Student Aid form. Both you and your contributors must provide consent and approval to have the IRS transfer your federal tax information into the FAFSA form. Your contributors must provide consent and approval even if they don't have a Social Security number (SSN), didn't file a tax return, or filed a tax return outside the U.S. If you or your contributors don't provide consent and approval, you won't be eligible for federal student aid.

Regular Student/Enrollment Status/Eligible Program Status

An applicant must be regular student which is defined as a student who is enrolled in an eligible program (an eligible program/career option for Pell purposes must be at least 600 clock hours and 23 weeks in length) is working toward a certificate and is attending at least part-time (15 clock hours per week).

High School Diploma/GED®/HiSET®/ Home School Equivalency

An applicant must have a high school diploma (this can be from a foreign school with appropriate documentation of equivalency), High School Equivalency Diploma (GED®, HISET®, TASC®) or a home school equivalency in order to qualify for a Pell Grant.

Default/Overpayment Status

An applicant signs a statement when completing the FAFSA stating that they are not in default on federal student loans or have made satisfactory arrangements to repay it, and that they do not owe money back on a federal student grant or have made satisfactory arrangements to repay it. A student who is defaulted on federal loans or who is in Pell overpayment status is not eligible for further Title IV assistance unless and until satisfactory arrangements for repayment are made. Students in default on loans must have a letter from the holder of the loan stating that the student has made satisfactory repayment arrangements and is eligible for Title IV funds or the Financial Aid Coordinator must receive a new Institutional Student Informational Record (ISIR) and National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS) report showing that the default status has been resolved before any funds may be disbursed.

Valid SSN

An applicant must have a valid Social Security Number. EXCEPTION: Students from the Republic of Marshall Islands, the Federated Stated of Micronesia or the Republic of Palau.

Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)

After a student's first (upon enrollment) eligibility, the student must thereafter maintain Title IV eligibility by meeting all criteria for Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) as set forth in SWTC's SAP policy. Please see the Satisfactory Academic Progress section of this handbook for complete information on SAP, or view the SAP policy online at www.swtech.edu.

Statement of Educational Purpose

All applicants must sign a statement on the FAFSA verifying their educational purpose (using Title IV funds only to pay the cost of attending an institution of higher education) and accuracy of information provided on the FAFSA.

Educational History of Student

If the student has attended this school in the past three award years, the Financial Aid Coordinator reviews previous files and determines whether the student was making satisfactory progress in previous course work at SWTC. If the student has attended other schools in the past, the Financial Aid Coordinator can access the NSLDS information from the FAFSA SUBMISSION SUMMARY/ISIR concerning defaults and overpayments. If the student has attended another school and the Financial Aid Coordinator determines that it has been within the current award year, she will then access the National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS) on the web at https://nslds.ed.gov. If the student is a transfer student for Pell purposes, NSLDS will give the student's current year Pell disbursement and the current year scheduled award. This information will be used in award calculation.