Can taking classes at two different schools count as full-time for summer Pell Grant?

Yes, you can combine credits from two schools, but you NEED a consortium agreement. Without it, each school will only count their own credits. Your "home school" (the one giving you the Pell Grant) must have this agreement with the other institution to count those credits toward your enrollment status. Contact the financial aid office at University B immediately and ask specifically about their consortium agreement process for summer terms. The form usually needs signatures from both schools' financial aid offices.

had the same prblm last summer. the skools need a agreement thing. both fin aid offices have to talk to eachother. my community college didnt even know what i was talking abt at first lol

To correctly answer your question: For summer terms specifically, most schools set 6 credits as full-time for financial aid purposes, but this varies by institution. Some use 6 credits while others require 12 credits even in summer. What matters is what your "home institution" (University B) considers full-time for summer AND whether they'll accept the other school's credits through a consortium agreement. Without that agreement, they will only count the 3 credits at their school, which is likely part-time status. The process typically involves: 1. Getting a consortium form from your home school (University B) 2. Having the secondary school (Community College A) complete their portion 3. Returning it to University B for processing 4. Confirming your enrollment status has been updated to include all credits Start this process IMMEDIATELY as summer processing can take 1-3 weeks.

Everyone's telling you about consortium agreements which is right, but nobody's mentioning that in some cases you can't even GET one! My university refused to do one with the community college I wanted to take a class at because they weren't on their "approved" list. Make sure both schools actually have an established relationship for these agreements!!! I found out the hard way and wasted a whole semester of aid.

Your situation reminds me of my summer from hell last year lol. Was taking classes at two schools and my Pell Grant got all messed up. I think summer is considered its own period for financial aid? Someone told me you should talk to your main school's SAP (Satisfactory Academic Progress) person specifically.

Getting through to financial aid offices during summer term is IMPOSSIBLE. I was on hold for 2+ hours trying to sort out a similar issue last summer. After weeks of frustration, I used Claimyr.com to get through to a live human at the financial aid office. They have this service where they wait on hold for you and call when a person answers - saved me hours of wait time. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ that shows how it works. For something time-sensitive like your consortium agreement, it might be worth checking out so you're not stuck in phone tree hell.

For summer Pell specifically, make sure you understand how your Pell Lifetime Eligibility Used (LEU) works. Summer terms can consume your Pell eligibility quickly if you're not careful. If you're close to your 600% lifetime limit, you might want to save your Pell for fall/spring and pay for summer another way. Just something to consider!

One more crucial point: make sure you verify which school will disburse your financial aid. Typically, only your home institution (where you're seeking your degree) can disburse your Pell Grant. The consortium agreement allows your home school to count the credits from both institutions, but you'll likely still need to pay the community college directly, then use your refund from your home school to cover those costs. This timing can be tricky!

That's awesome news! Glad both schools have the consortium agreement process in place. Ten business days should work out fine for your timeline. Just a heads up - once everything's processed, double-check your enrollment status shows as full-time (6+ credits for summer) in your student portal at University B. Sometimes there's a delay in the system updating even after the consortium agreement is approved. Also keep all your paperwork and confirmation emails - you might need them if there are any hiccups with your aid disbursement later. Good luck with your summer classes!

Congrats on getting it sorted out! Just wanted to add something that might help others reading this thread - if you run into issues with consortium agreements in the future, many schools also have "visiting student" or "transient student" options where you can officially enroll at your home school but take classes at another institution. It's basically another way to make sure all your credits count toward your enrollment status. The paperwork is sometimes easier than consortium agreements, though it depends on the schools involved. Worth asking about if you ever face this situation again!

Just wanted to chime in as someone who went through this exact situation two summers ago! It's great that you got the consortium agreement started - that's definitely the right path. One thing I learned the hard way is to also confirm with Community College A that they understand their role in the consortium process. Sometimes the community college side gets confused about reporting enrollment to your home school. I had to call my CC three times to make sure they were properly communicating my enrollment status to my university. Also, since you mentioned textbook costs - check if either school has rental programs or if you can find used copies online early. Summer textbook buyback is usually terrible, so planning ahead can save you money. You're doing everything right by getting this sorted now rather than waiting until the last minute like I did!