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 the Federal Pell Grant.
Pell Grant awards are calculated based on the number of credit hours as determined on the Pell Recalculation Date. The Pell Recalcuation Date (PRD), effective Spring Semester 2021, is the date in which the enrollment status of the student is locked for purposes of determining Pell Grant for the term. West Georgia Technical College establishes the Pell Recalculation Date (PRD) as the day after the official drop/add period ends (4th day of the semester). In addition, 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 up to 20 hours per week as determined by job description and demonstrated unmet need. All FWS employment opportunities are listed in the WGTC Employment Opportunities section of the website. All FWS participants must submit to a criminal background check before employment. FATV: What is a federal work-study job?