The Federal Pell Grant is awarded by the U.S. Department of Education and is based on the Student Aid Index (SAI). The SAI is determined by information entered on the FAFSA. Pell Grants are awarded to both full and part-time undergraduate students who have not earned a bachelor’s or professional degree. In certain situations, an eligible student can receive up to 150% of his or her scheduled Pell Grant for an award year.
Please note that any changes to the FAFSA data may result in an adjustment to your Pell Grant, including but not limited to:
- Review of your FAFSA due to Verification.
- Corrections made by staff due to conflicting university data.
You will receive an electronic notification each time your award package has been adjusted.
How Federal Pell Grant Awards Are Determined
- SAI as determined by the FAFSA
- Enrollment- award amounts are proportional to semester enrollment
- Enrollment is projected at full time (12+ credits) unless students are already enrolled for that semester.
- Our office recalculates Pell Grant eligibility periodically to adjust for changes to enrollment.
- Final Pell grant eligibility is based on enrollment as of the add/drop date for the semester.
- Yearly/Lifetime Pell Grant limits
Federal Pell Grant Limit
The amount of Federal Pell Grant funds you may receive over the course of your lifetime is limited by federal law. You may receive the Pell Grant for the equivalent of six years of full-time study. Each year of full-time study that you complete is equal to 100%. In certain situations, an eligible student can receive up to 150% of his or her scheduled Pell Grant for an award year. Because six years is the limit by federal law, students may receive 600% of their Pell Grant eligibility.
If you are approaching your lifetime limit for the Pell Grant, the financial aid office will calculate for you your remaining eligibility for each academic year. You will be notified via email if your Pell Grant will be less than what you received in prior years due to the lifetime limit.
You are able to check your lifetime eligibility used (LEU) as well through “My Aid” on studentaid.gov. Additional information regarding the lifetime Pell Limit can be found on the Federal Student Aid website.
Children of Fallen Heroes Scholarship & Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grant
The FAFSA Simplification Act changed eligibility for what were formerly called “Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grants (IASG)” and “Children of Fallen Heroes (CFH) Scholarships.” Beginning with the 2024-25 award year, students who meet the eligibility requirements for Pell Grants under the Special Rule in HEA Section 401(c) will receive a maximum Pell Grant award, regardless of their calculated SAI. For more information and to submit an application, please click here.