To apply, applicants are required to complete the following forms by May 1st of the academic year for a PELL grant: 

• Federal Form, Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

• Financial Aid Form (FAF) or the Family Financial Statement (FFS).

The Financial Aid Department submits the completed forms electronically to the Central Processing Unit in Washington, DC. Institutional Student Information Reports (ISIR) are created and electronically returned to the Institute. 

The deadline for mailing FAFSA is June 30th of the current award year.  Failure to present FAFSA on time will result in the loss of funding for that award year.

The ISIR contains information provided by students on the original PELL application.  It also provides the Expected Family Contribution (EFC) numbers that the Financial Aid Administrator uses to determine the student’s award eligibility.  If the student’s EFC is too high for a PELL award, the ISIR may be used to calculate the need for a GSL, if applicable.

PELL does not send the actual award amount to students.  The Institution credits Federal PELL grant payments after every 300 hours of attendance that the student accumulates. 

To receive a Financial Aid Award Statement, students must report to the Financial Aid Office.  If a student withdraws or is dropped from the school’s roster prior to completing the pro-gram, a refund calculation is determined.

Federal regulation requires that financial aid transcripts must be received from all schools an applicant previously attended before financial aid can be disbursed.  A financial aid transcript is necessary even if the student did not receive any aid.

Before any disbursement for the current award year, students are notified of their expected PELL before any award is made.  They are also notified of the amount of SFA funds he/she can expect to receive, and how and when these funds will be disbursed.

Verification is the process used to check the accuracy of the information that a student gives when applying for Federal Student Aid.  The U.S. Department of Education selects certain applications whose data is to be confirmed.  The Institute will verify data for those applicants selected by the U.S. Government for verification. The selected applicant and spouse, if any, must submit, at a minimum, U.S. tax return(s) as filed, and a Financial Aid Application Form, which replaces the Verification Work-sheet.  The dependent must also submit the parents’ tax return(s).

Policies and Procedures For Verification

All selected applicants will be verified.

Selected applicants must submit required verification documents within thirty days of notification.

If a student fails to provide the required documentation within the established time frame, the student will be treated as a cash-paying student until the requested documents are provided.

If a student does not meet the deadline and is not capable of making a cash payment at the end of the deadline, he/she will be dismissed from the Institute.  The student may re-enter the Institute only he/she can provide documentation or makes a cash payment.

The Bursar’s Office reserves the right to make exceptions to the above stated policies due to extenuating circumstances, on a case-by case basis.

Students will be given a clear explanation of the documentation needed to satisfy the verification requirements and the process for document submission.  They will also be informed of their responsibilities regarding the verification of application information including the school’s deadline for completion of any actions required.

Students will be advised of the actions the school will take for failure to complete the verification requirements and submit the requested documentation to the Institute within the time specified by the school.  They will also be notified if the result of verification changes any scheduled award

Verification procedures must be completed before any disbursement of Title IV funds is made to students.  Additionally, no interim disbursements of Title IV aid will be made prior to the completion of verification.

Any suspected case of fraud will be reported to the Regional Office of the Inspector General or, if more appropriate, to a State or Local Law Enforcement Agency having jurisdiction to investigate the matter. Referrals to Local or State agencies will be reported on an annual basis to the Inspector General. 

Required Documents For Verification

Required documents for verification include a signed copy of tax returns for base year; non-tax filers must submit a statement that no tax had been nor will be filed for the base year, and must state the amount and source of income; a copy of IRS Form 4868 (Request for Extension of time to file) and copies of all W-2 forms for the base year; and copy of IRS approval of extension beyond the four-month period; completion of verification work-sheets; and other documents, as needed to resolve any discrepancies or conflicting data on file.

For additional information with regard to the PELL Grant, contact United States Department of Education, P.O. Box 84, Washing-ton, DC  20044; or call the New York State Regional Office in New York City (212) 264-4456.

In cases where the student has withdrawn and the amount of financial aid which the school is entitled to exceeds the cost of tuition and other training-related expenses, refunds shall be allocated to various agencies in the order shown: GSL (if applicable) TAP, and PELL.