Unlock More Grants: Your Year-Round College Money Strategy

No, and this is a common and costly mistake. Accepting the grant is just step one. Now you have to maintain your eligibility. Most grants have strings attached, like a minimum GPA or a required number of credit hours per semester. The Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (SEOG), for example, requires you to remain Pell Grant-eligible to receive it. Think of it less like a gift and more like a performance-based contract you have with the provider. Regularly checking your requirements is non-negotiable.

It means you have to meet specific academic and financial conditions to keep the money. These rules vary by grant, but they usually fall into a few key categories:

• Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP): This is the big one. Schools typically require a minimum GPA (often 2.0) and that you complete a certain percentage of your classes each semester (e.g., 67%).
• Enrollment Status: Many grants, like the Federal Pell Grant, adjust your award based on whether you're a full-time or part-time student. Dropping a class could reduce your grant amount.
• Financial Need: For need-based aid, you must continue to demonstrate financial need by filing the FAFSA each year.

You should check your portal at least once a month, and more often at the beginning and end of each semester. Most people don't realize schools use these portals for critical updates, like requests for verification documents or notifications about changes to your award. A 2024 Department of Education report showed that 18% of students had their aid delayed because they missed a portal notification. Don't let that be you.

Yes, it absolutely can. Your grant award can be adjusted for several reasons. If you drop from full-time to part-time, your aid will likely be reduced. Another common reason is FAFSA verification, where the school asks for documents to confirm your info. Failing to respond to these requests on time can result in your aid being suspended or canceled.

FAFSA verification is a quality control process used by the U.S. Department of Education to check the accuracy of information on the FAFSA. About 22% of FAFSA filers are selected each year. Selection can be random, or it can be triggered by incomplete information or seeming inconsistencies. If you're selected, your school will ask for documents like tax transcripts or proof of income. It's not an accusation of wrongdoing. Just comply with their requests quickly to avoid any delays in your aid disbursement.

Possibly. This is one of the most underutilized strategies in financial aid. If your family has experienced a significant income drop, job loss, or high medical expenses since you filed the FAFSA, you can file a "Professional Judgment" or "Special Circumstance" appeal with your school's financial aid office. You will need to provide documentation, but a successful appeal can lead to a revised aid package with more grant funding. Don't wait until the end of the year; file the appeal as soon as the change happens.

Yes, but you need to act fast. It's December 20th, so your focus should be on internal opportunities at your college. While most major scholarship deadlines have passed for the spring semester, many departmental and institutional grants have later deadlines. Check with your academic department head and your school's scholarship office. Many have smaller, niche grants with deadlines in January or February for funds to be used in the current academic year or the upcoming one.

Yes, for almost all of them. Most people think their grant is guaranteed for four years, but that's not how the system works. Federal grants (like Pell and SEOG) and most state and institutional need-based grants require you to submit a new FAFSA every year to prove you still have financial need. Some merit scholarships might renew automatically if you meet the academic criteria, but you must confirm this policy. Never assume your funding will just roll over.

As soon as it opens. The 2026-2027 FAFSA is expected to open in the coming weeks (traditionally October 1st, but there have been delays in recent years). Many states and institutions award aid on a first-come, first-served basis. Here's what the data shows: students who file the FAFSA in the first three months it's available receive, on average, more than double the grant money of those who wait until spring. Don't leave money on the table.

Definitely. This is a huge missed opportunity for most students. There are thousands of grants and scholarships specifically for current college students. Look for "upperclassman" scholarships. Your GPA and major now make you eligible for departmental awards you couldn't get as a freshman. For example, some schools offer specific departmental funds, like the CSU RAM Grant for its students. Check with your department, career services office, and student organizations. The pool of applicants is often much smaller.

First, find out why by contacting your financial aid office immediately. Was it because your FAFSA showed your family's income increased? Or did you fail to meet the Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) requirements, like your GPA or credit hour completion rate? If you failed to meet SAP due to extenuating circumstances (like an illness or family emergency), you can file an appeal. If the issue is financial, check if you made any errors on your FAFSA and file a correction if needed. Be proactive.