Understanding the Award Letter

In general, John Wood Community College computes your award based on the information you provided on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The federal government determines how much a typical family is expected to pay toward a college education. The Federal Methodology considers money that students and parents earned in the prior year and family assets at the time the student applies for aid.

Some specific factors that colleges consider when awarding financial aid include:

• Cost of attendance
• Family income
• Family size
• Number of family members in college at the same time
• Family assets
• Scholarships or grants not received through the school.

After the John Wood Financial Aid Office receives your processed record from the Department of Education, we will send you an award letter.  This letter will indicate any Federal Pell Grant eligibility you have and will provide the amount if you attend full-time. 

If you take less than 12 credit hours in one semester, your award will be prorated to match your enrollment status.  In most cases you can determine your new Pell amount by multiplying the annual amount by 75 percent for 9 to 11 credit hours and 50 percent for 6-8 credit hours.  An example follows to illustrate this calculation.

• If your annual amount for Pell is $4,310 as a full-time student, then your anticipated award for half-time would be $2,155 (50% of $4,310) for the year or $1077.50 per semester.
   
• If your annual award for Pell is $4,310 as a full-time student, then your anticipated award for three-quarter-time would be $3,232.50 ( 75% of $4,310) or $1,616.25 per semester.

You should be aware that the Financial Aid Office sends award letters to students prior to having a completed file. If you are selected for verification, corrections made to your student record may change the award amount that you ultimately qualify to receive.

Enclosures with your award letter will provide supplementary information regarding when you may expect your Pell disbursement, as well as how to obtain additional sources of assistance. We are glad to answer any questions not addressed in the enclosures provided with your award letter.