Negative SAI (-1,500) with community college - can my daughter still get the full $5,500 Pell Grant?

yes she still gets the full amount!! my son has a -2300 SAI and goes to community college with minimal tuition and he gets the full pell grant deposited to his account after tuition is paid. he uses it for books, gas, food etc

Yes, your daughter will still receive the full Pell Grant amount she's eligible for based on her SAI, even at a tuition-free community college. For the 2025-2026 aid year, with an SAI of -1,500, she should qualify for the maximum Pell Grant (approximately $7,395 for the full academic year, not $5,500 which was the amount from several years ago). The school will apply the Pell Grant to any charges first (fees, etc.), and then the remaining balance will be refunded to your daughter to use for other educational expenses like books, transportation, housing, food, etc. This is often called a "refund" or "disbursement." Your daughter will need to set up direct deposit with the financial aid office to receive these funds efficiently. Each school has a slightly different disbursement schedule, but typically funds are released at the beginning of each semester.

I was in a similar situation last year with my son. BE CAREFUL - some community colleges will reduce your child's aid package if they have "free tuition" programs! They might say "oh you already have free tuition through our program so you don't need the Pell Grant" which is COMPLETELY WRONG and possibly illegal. Make sure you talk directly with financial aid and get EVERYTHING in writing!!!!

congrats on the negative SAI! thats really good. my daughter got a positive number and barely gets any aid lol wish we could have gotten negative too

Just to add some clarity here - the Pell Grant is designed to help with the total cost of attendance, not just tuition. The cost of attendance includes tuition, fees, books, supplies, transportation, and living expenses. Even with free tuition, your daughter still has these other costs, which is why she'll receive the full Pell Grant she's eligible for. One thing to note: she needs to maintain at least half-time enrollment (usually 6 credit hours per semester) to receive the Pell Grant. If she drops below half-time, the amount will be prorated or possibly eliminated. Also, make sure she completes any verification requests promptly if selected. The financial aid office might request additional documentation to verify the information on her FAFSA.

when I was in college we called the pell grant "free money" lol. seriously though its great because unlike loans you never have to pay it back. your daughter should definitely take the full amount shes eligible for. books alone can cost like $500 a semester its crazy

I spent HOURS trying to reach someone at Federal Student Aid last month because my daughter's community college was saying they would reduce her Pell Grant due to a state tuition program. Kept getting disconnected or waiting for hours. Finally used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to an actual FSA agent in about 10 minutes. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ The FSA agent confirmed that colleges cannot reduce Pell eligibility due to other tuition-free programs and helped me file a complaint. The school corrected the issue within days. Worth checking out if you run into any problems with your daughter's aid package.

also make sure ur daughter checks if she qualifies for any other grants!! my son got some extra state grant on top of his pell and it was another $1200 per semester!

To answer your verification question - verification is random for some students, but negative SAIs sometimes do trigger verification because they indicate high need. Don't worry though, it's just part of the process. If selected, you'll need to submit documentation like tax returns, W-2s, or proof of non-filing. The school's financial aid office will guide you through it. As for disbursement, most schools first apply aid to any charges on the student's account, then refund the remaining balance, usually within the first few weeks of the semester. Some schools do this more quickly than others.

Thank you all for the helpful responses! We're going to contact the financial aid office at her community college next week to discuss how they handle Pell Grant disbursements specifically. I feel much more confident now knowing that she should receive the full amount she's eligible for, even with free tuition. I'll make sure to ask about state grants and other aid opportunities too!

Congratulations on the negative SAI! That's fantastic news for your daughter's financial aid eligibility. Just wanted to add one more tip - have your daughter check if her community college has any emergency aid funds or completion grants available. Many schools have additional small grants (sometimes $200-500) that students don't even know about. Also, if she's planning to transfer to a 4-year school later, maintaining good grades at community college can help her qualify for transfer scholarships. The combination of Pell Grant plus free tuition is going to give her such a great head start financially!