Pell Grant is a federal aid that is intended to help students from low-income families. The school establishes the criteria for satisfactory academic advancement for this grants. So if you fail any class, you may have to repay your grant or lose it.
Have in mind that the reason you failed can affect your chance of accessing future grants. For instance, if you have poor attendance or drop a class after your school’s add/drop date, you may lose your Pell Grant. So to continue to be eligible for a Pell Grant, you must meet the academic requirements.
The standards for academic progress are established by your school. This has to do with maintaining at least a half-time enrollment status and a cumulative grade point average (GPA). Note that failing a class can lower your GPA and affect your eligibility for the grants.
If a failing grade or loss of credit disqualifies you from accessing federal financial help, you can explore some steps that can help reclaim your eligibility and restore your Pell Grant. You can visit the financial aid office of your school to learn what academic standards must be met to remain eligible, and what to do if you don’t meet them.
The Possible Occurrences if You Fail a Class While on a Pell Grant Financial Aid
The U.S. Department of Education does not require repayment of a federal Pell Grant because it is considered gift aid. However, certain situations may result in you losing your eligibility for Pell Grants or making you repay the fund. Here are some factors to consider;
Your Overall GPA
In order to keep your GPA in the passing grade range, you can make up an “F” in one class with an “A” in another. For the Pell Grant program, you need a “C” average overall.
Dropped Classes
If you withdraw from a course before the add/drop deadline, it will not affect your grants. The Pell Grant money won’t start to flow until beyond this time, and it might possibly change.
Your Attendance
You run the danger of losing your Pell Grant money and having to pay for the classes you didn’t attend. For instance, if you only attend 60% of your scheduled sessions. This is why the reason you failed a class is important.
Your Effort
A failing grade may come from withdrawing or dropping from classes after the add/drop date. This shows lack of commitment to making sufficient academic progress, which may affect the grants and financial help you receive.
Here are some things to do if you failed a class while on Pell Grant Financial Aid
Contact Your Professor
If you are on the verge of failing, talk to your professor as soon as possible. They might let you repeat exams or do extra work that could improve your grade. If they are aware that you regularly attend their office hours or make use of the tutoring services offered by your school, they might be considerate of your grade.
Contact the Dean
Contacting the dean of students at your institution can be helpful. In some cases, where you failed because of family issues or health emergencies and your professor is not being considerate, the dean might assist you. By doing this, you might escape failing the class, or if your school determines that you didn’t satisfy SAP criteria, it can assist you in obtaining the necessary evidence to appeal your grade.
Contact Your Financial Aid Provider
If you fail a class, you should let your financial aid provider know as soon as possible. Have in mind that any class you failed could affect your eligibility for financial aid, including grants, loans, or even scholarships.
Take Out a Student Loan
If you fail a class and lose a merit-based grant or scholarship as a result, you can still be eligible for student loans as a form of financial aid.
Your eligibility for a certain loan may depend on how distant you are from the SAP requirements of your institution. You may need to take out a private student loan since they don’t have academic standards if your GPA is low as a result of a failed class.
Although there are academic criteria for federal loans, you should still complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to find out if you qualify.
Re-sit the Class
You can retake a course once to increase your GPA if you failed, and still be eligible for financial help. After that, federal financial aid for the course is no longer available. Rules for grants and loans from external parties may vary.
Reapply for Financial Aid
You can apply each year because the federal government gives out financial aid annually. If you previously failed a course and your GPA has since increased in accordance with SAP requirements, you may be eligible to receive financial aid again.
File an SAP Appeal
If your school believes that you fall below its SAP standards, a failed class may disqualify you from other financial aid programs.
You can submit an SAP appeal if you disagree with this decision or if you fell short of SAP requirements owing to hardship, such as a medical emergency or other related issues. Note that the sooner you obtain proof of a medical problem from a doctor, the higher your chances of winning an SAP appeal may be.