Federal Grants and Work Programs
The Pell Grant is a federal need-based grant. Pell is awarded depending on information reported on the FAFSA 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. Each term, the financial aid office will set the Pell Recalculation Date to coincide with the end of the official drop/add period. Any changes to enrollment after this date will not change a student's calculated Pell award. Exceptions to this policy include when a student adds a class for the first time in the semester as their initial enrollment, fails to begin attendance in a class, or when the college receives an initial FAFSA for the student. In these cases, Pell must be recalculated.
In addition, students must attend classes for 60 percent of the semester before they are eligible for the full Pell award. Withdrawing from all classes classes before completing 60 percent of the term will result in calculations being performed to reduce 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 Education 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. FATV: What is 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-serve 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 Financial Aid section of the website. All FWS participants must submit to a criminal background check before employment. FATV: What is a federal work-study job?