Pell Grants for Graduate Students – We have discussed the Federal Pell grant in many occasions, but there seems to be something that is missed; which is the information whether or not the Pell grant is available for graduate students. If you followed our previous posts about this grant, you will learn that the Pell Grant is mostly available to undergraduate students. However, is there a way for graduate students to be eligible for the grant?
The good news is that some graduate students may be eligible for the Pell grant. The bad news is that this is a limited exception cases, and there are several additional requirements and conditions that must be met for Pell grants for graduate students.
Pell Grants for Graduate Students Requirements
Under normal circumstances, the Pell Grant is only available for students who haven’t received their Bachelor’s degree. However, students who already have a bachelor’s degree and is now currently enrolled in a post baccalaureate teacher licensure or certification program may be eligible under these requirements:
- The program is a post baccalaureate program
- The post baccalaureate program doesn’t lead to a graduate degree
- The student is currently looking for teacher licensure or certification
- The post baccalaureate program has courses that are needed for students to be certified or licensed as a teacher in elementary or secondary school in that state.
- The school which the student is enrolled to doesn’t offer a bachelor’s degree in education
- The student should be enrolled at least half-time
So as you can see, Pell grants for graduate students has very specific definition and condition. Most of the graduate school in United States may not be eligible under these conditions and requirements. It is a common knowledge that most graduate programs allow undergraduate students to enroll routinely, which means that these graduate programs can’t be categorized as a special case.
It is also important to note that the only graduate school program that may be eligible for the grant is teaching certification program. So if you are interested to enroll in other graduate program, you should forget about the Pell grant.
To apply for Pell Grant, you should complete your Free Application for Student Aid (FAFSA). The student aid agency will then examine your application and determine based on the data whether you are eligible for the Pell grant or not.
Pell Grants for Graduate Students Alternatives
Don’t frown yet. There are other Federal grants available for graduate students. One of them is the TEACH (Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education) grant. Just as any other federal grants, the TEACH grant is only available for students with financial need. The TEACH is available for both undergraduate and graduate programs, as long as the student agrees to teach at least four years in a school.
References:
- Student Aid : studentaid.ed.gov/sites/default/files/graduate-professional-funding-info.pdf
- Student Loan : studentloans.gov/myDirectLoan/index.action
- National Student Loan Data Syatem : www.nslds.ed.gov/nslds_SA
- Image: stepuputah.com
