<p>Hi,</p>
<p>I am going to be submitting a FAFSA application. I have completed the FAFSA estimator and my EFC is low. I am currently receiving a 3.9 at my current community college, which is the college that I am listing for the 2010-2011 school year. I have taken community college classes at different schools several years ago where I have received at least 2 F’s. I did not apply for any sort of financial aid at those schools. Do my previous grades factor into receiving the Federal Pell Grant or other financial aid? On the FAFSA EFC estimator, it did not ask for any previous schools attended, so do I need to inform anyone on the online FAFSA application or my financial aid office that I have attended a different school in the past? All schools are in California.</p>
<p>Thanks</p>
<p>Previous grades don’t affect FAFSA financial aid. However, if you have any outstanding unpaid bills at those old colleges, you might not be able to receive aid at your current school.</p>
<p>You should let your current college know that you have studied somewhere else, and you should have copies of all of your transcripts sent there. Talk to the counseling office if you haven’t already done this. Some of your earlier credits may transfer which will mean that you can finish your AA or AS degree a bit sooner. When you do apply to transfer to a 4-year college/university you will have to provide copies of all of your transcripts from everywhere that you have studied. The good news is that your recent good grades will count for much more in the transfer process than your old bad grades will.</p>