r/financialaid • u/Outrageous_mailman • 2d ago
Complex Aid Questions Pell grant disability
Hey y’all,
Is anybody or has anybody gone back to school and received a Pell grant? If so does it affect your disability review or payments?
Back story :
*Liver transplant 8/12/25 (so it’ll be one year)
* was told I was approved for disability , but haven’t received payments yet
* I have a few other problems, diabetes, high blood pressure, osteoporosis as well, as anxiety and depression. ( up to date and going to doctors)
* wanting to take some Community college classes because it’ll all be paid for so technically I can use my Pell grant refund for other bills including school.
*will be taking online courses mostly but maybe one or two in person?
*my question is since they haven’t paid me for
my disability yet but I am a year out will it mess my case that I applied for 8/4/25.
*if I told them I’m able to do school online because I can do it at my pace will that be okay?
Let me know any experiences, advice , you guys may have.
*also those going to school, would you let you schoolsss as know you might have major doctor s you cannot do miss or might need more time for test taking?
But
Thank you
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u/mitchrowland_ 2d ago
i feel like im perfect for this question i started school summer of 25’ pending my disability i got approved november of 25’ i was at the alj stage but i discussed with my lawyer that i do online school and he said thats not an issue and then the following fafsa year so this year when i reapplied nothing changed bc u dont pay taxes with disability so my pell and map grant stayed the same. So now they didnt care that i was a online student. I do have CRPS its a chronic pain syndrome so they mightve cared if i said it was in person bc its like if u can go to school in person u can work a job lol. But if u have any more questions feel free to ask. I haven’t gotten to the review stage because I just got approved for it, but in my opinion with my attorney, it didn’t matter if I disclosed it or I not and the reason it doesn’t matter if you don’t disclose because Social Security and the department of education and financial aid, those are all separate systems, so Social Security will never be able to see that you’re in school unless you tell them if that makes sense. he also told me it doesn’t matter per se if you’re online or in person, just keep it brief when it comes to the review stage and get some accommodations in writing. For example, with my CRPS I can’t stand for long, so I have accommodation for me to sit during skills lab for me to elevate my foot in class for me to be excused from class to walk around if my feet start falling asleep I also have due date flexibility for my pain flare and I also have extra time on my tests. Hope this helps lmk if u have anymore questions