Pell Grants for foreign students-Truth!

Foreign Students Receiving Pell Grants for School-Truth!

Summary of the eRumor:
The originator complains that foreign adult students are receiving federal financial aid for schooling, including outright grants from the Pell Grant program. The writer also refers to two other programs "WAIT" and "Caribe" that provide assistance to students.

The Truth:
According to the U.S. Department of Education, Pell Grants are available to "low-income undergraduate and certain postbaccalaureate students to promote access to postsecondary education." It is a needs-based grant that takes factors into account such as the student's financial status, whether independent or dependent on family, the size of family, the cost of the schooling, and whether the student is full or part time. There is no requirement that the student be a U.S. citizen.

We are not sure what the "WAIT" program is that the writer is referring to. We found some colleges with programs of that name that were degree completion courses for working adults.

"CARIBE" probably refers to the Caribe Refugee Program, a project in Florida that provides classes like English and vocational training to foreigners with refugee or asylum status such as Cubans and Haitians.

A real example of the eRumor as it has appeared on the Internet:

Do you know that we have adult students at the school where I teach who
are not US citizens and who get the PELL grant, which is a federal grant
(no pay back required) plus other federal grants to go to school?

One student from the Dominican Republic told me tha t she didn't want me to
find a job for her after she finished my program, because she was getting
housing from our housing
department and she was getting PELL grant which paid for her total tuition
and books, plus money left over.

She was looking into WAIT which gives students a CREDIT CARD for gas to
come to school, and into CARIBE which is a special program for immigrants
and it pays for child care and all sorts of needs while they go to school
or training.

The one student I just mentioned told me she was not going to be a US
citizen because she plans to return to the Dominican Re public someday and
that she "loves HER country. " I asked her if she felt guilty taking what
the US is giving her and then not even bothering to become a citizen and
she told me that it doesn't bother her, because that is what the money is
there for!

I asked the CARIBE administration about their program and if you ARE a
US citize n, you don't qualify for their program. And all the while, I am
working a full day, my son-in-law works more than 60 hours a week, and
everyone in my family works and pays for our education.

Something is wrong here. Right?

SPEAK UP -- I--

Get a sponsor; have a place to lay your head; have a job; pay your taxes,
live by the rules AND LEARN THE LANGUAGE as all other immigrants use to do
in the past --and

GOD BLESS AMERICA !