Federal Grants and Work Programs
The Pell Grant is a federal need-based grant. Pell is awarded depending on income reported on the various IRS 1040 tax forms, the number of people in the student’s household, number of students in college and the number of classes taken at the college. Eligible applicants must have a high school diploma or GED. Students who have earned a bachelor’s degree are not eligible to receive any federal grants.
Pell awards are calculated based on the number of credit hours. Students must attend classes for 60 percent of the semester before they are eligible for the full Pell award. Dropping classes before the 60 percent timeframe reduces the award to the percentage that the student attends. Attending 20 percent of the semester will reduce the Pell award to 20 percent of the original award. This reduction may cause students to owe a refund to WGTC should they totally withdraw from WGTC before the end of the semester. Pell refund checks representing any left-over federal funds not needed for college charges are traditionally paid within the first four weeks of the semester. FATV: What is a Pell Grant?
The Federal Supplemental Opportunity Grant (FSEOG) is a federal grant available to Pell eligible students. Funds are limited and are awarded to students with the greatest financial need (those having a zero EFC number). FATV: What is an FSEOG?
The Federal Work Study program (FWS) is a federal work program that allows eligible students with demonstrated financial need to earn money for educational expenses. Funds are limited and awarded on a first come, first-served basis. Students are allowed to work 150 hours per semester. All FWS employment opportunities are listed at the West Georgia Technical College website Job Center. All FWS participants must submit to a criminal background check before employment. FATV: What is a federal work-study job?