Pell Grants: Frequently Asked Questions
These federal grants are awarded to needy students and do not require repayment.
(Article courtesy of Susannah Snider)
- What are Pell Grants?
- How do I get a Pell Grant?
- Does everyone get a Pell Grant?
- What’s the maximum amount that I can receive in Pell Grant funding?
- How do I know whether I’ll qualify for the maximum Pell amount?
- How much will a Pell Grant help me pay for tuition at my school?
- Does money from the Pell program need to be repaid?
- Are there other federal grants in addition to the Pell Grant?
- How does attending college part-time affect my Pell eligibility?
- How do I become ineligible for Pell Grants?
1. What are Pell Grants?
Pell Grants are federal aid awarded to qualified undergraduate students who demonstrate financial need. Although these grants are typically reserved for undergraduates, some students enrolled in teacher certification programs may also be eligible for Pell Grants.
2. How do I get a Pell Grant?
Students must file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid to be considered for a Pell Grant. Schools participating in the federal Pell Grant program receive federal funds to disburse to their Pell recipients each year.
3. Does everyone get a Pell Grant?
No. Pell Grant recipients must demonstrate financial need and be enrolled in a qualifying program. Graduate students are not typically eligible for Pell Grant aid.
4. What’s the maximum amount that I can receive in Pell Grant funding?
The limit adjusts annually, changing on July 1 of each year. Recent Pell maximums have hovered around the high $5,000s. While there’s no lifetime dollar limit for Pells, students can receive these grants for no longer than 12 full-time semesters – about six academic years – before eligibility expires.
5. How do I know whether I’ll qualify for the maximum Pell amount?
How much a student receives depends on a federal calculation, which factors in a student’s expected family contribution and enrollment status, among other considerations. Students can head to the federal FAFSA4caster to input their family’s information and get a estimate of how much they’ll receive.
6. How much will a Pell Grant help me pay for tuition at my school?
How far a Pell Grant goes depends on the cost of the institution that the student attends. At a higher-cost private institution, a Pell may not go far. But at a community college, a grant may cover tuition, fees, books and supplies. In fact, a U.S. News analysis found that the maximum 2013-2014 Pell Grant covered tuition, fees, books and supplies at 69 percent of the 936 community colleges for which U.S. News had college cost data.
7. Does money from the Pell program need to be repaid?
Unlike federal loans, Pell Grants do not require repayment. That makes them one of the most generous types of federal aid available.
8. Are there other federal grants in addition to the Pell Grant?
There are other federal programs that offer grants to qualifying students, including the Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant, for needy students at participating schools, and the Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education Grant, called TEACH, for aspiring teachers.
9. How does attending college part-time affect my Pell eligibility?
Students who attend college part-time may receive less Pell aid than they would as a full-time student that year. For example, a full-time student who qualifies for $5,000 in Pell aid could receive $2,500 when attending half time. A student attending on a quarter schedule may receive one-fourth their total eligibility, or $1,250.
10. How do I become ineligible for Pell Grants?
One way to become ineligible is to use up the 12 semesters of academic eligibility. Students who are incarcerated in a federal or state institution or convicted of certain crimes are currently not eligible for Pell.