Tarrant County College District Office

I was awarded $945 pell grant for Spring 2020. I received 3 offer letters with this notice and have them for proof of documentation. Only $473 was disbursed. I called in January asking why the whole amount wasn't dispersed and they stated that the other half would be disbursed after the instructor gives attendance. I waited until May and now my balance is over due and I'm at risk for late fees. I called again and was told a new story that the other half was awarded for summer. I am in the Fire Academy and won't be enrolled in summer classes and was told the full amount was for Spring 2020. There was no communication that this changed until after I called May 6 to ask when the funds would be disbursed and then they sent an email on May 6 stating the other half is for Summer 2020. The was never an official financial aid update and I don't believe this is accurate. I called again May 12, and they told me that the email May 6, served as notice of this change. That is not legal because an email does not serve as proof of a financial aid change especially considering all 3 letters sent on 1/6, 1/13, and 4/1 show in writing that the pell grant of $945 is for Spring 2020 clearly written out.

On another note, this is my second major problem with Tarrant County College. When I enrolled in Fire Academy, the price was supposed to be around $1000 I have a TX driver's license and moved here June 21, 2019 for my wife's job. After enrolling for Spring 2020, I saw the price went up to $5400 after I enrolled and I called asking why there was such a major change. This is when they decided to tell me that they considered me an out of state student. This should have been clearly communicated to me from the beginning because I would have waited till the next semester to enroll had I known the price was 5x more if you haven't been a resident for 1 full yea