I filled out my fafsa and noticed that I did not get a pell grant estimate. I only got a Loan estimated which was 5100. However my sister got a 5600 pell grant estimate and a 12000 Loan estimated. I was wondering if me not getting the pell grant estimate meant that I would not be receiving anything from fafsa. Also I was wondering why me and my sister’s estimates were different even though all our information is exactly the same.
Are you both dependent students? $12k in loans for your sister seems like an independent student’s award.
If you are both dependent students, and neither of you had a high income or assets (you, not your parents) it is likely one of you made a mistake.
Both of us are dependent. And I just went through and made sure there was no mistake and I still got the same estimate. Are the estimates fafsa give you really accurate. @twoinanddone
Okay, there is something wrong. Your sister would only be eligible for $12,000 if she checked something that indicated she qualifies as an independent student AND if she checked that she will be a junior or senior in college (it would be $12,500 in that case). You, as a dependent freshman, should be eligible for $5,500 in federal loans.
Your sister needs to look at her answers to her dependency status questions (and year-in-school questions) & make sure they are correct. Sounds like they may not be. The Pell grant is because she answered a question in a manner that she was considered independent.
If you do not qualify for a Pell grant, you would only get a loan estimate when you complete your FAFSA.
P.S., if your sister is older, she may be independent due to age!
A loan estimate of $5100? How much does your college cost?
How much does your sister’s college cost?
There is NO loan that is $5100…as noted the freshman Direct Loan is $5500.
The EFC/SAR number you get when you file are accurate if the information put in was accurate. The the school makes a change because income doesn’t match the IRS report, or if they find out you had IRA/401k contributions that weren’t reported, the EFC will change.
If your sister is 24, she can be a dependent for tax purposes but independent for FAFSA purposes.