Pell grant qualifications is an important knowledge for undergraduate students. Every university student I know is aware of the Pell grant. This is basically the most widespread grant coming from our government. Much like many other federal grants, the Pell grant is based on the current financial condition of the student. In this post, we will dig deeper into this matter and see the real Pell grant qualifications.
The grant started by the name of Basic Educational Opportunity Grant Program in 1978. From the start until today, the program stays true to its original intention which to provide help for financially needy students across the United States. The current Pell grant program has received the largest share of fund from the government, and this year about $3 billion is distributed to millions of students in this country.
This $3 billion fund is distributed based on the financial need. This means that not all students receive the same amount of award from the grant. The current academic year’s grant maximum award is set at $5,730, with minimum award of $587. As we have mentioned earlier, the amount received by each student varies because of several factors. These include the cost of attendance, the enrollment status of the student, full academic attendance status, and most importantly, the Expected Family Contribution (EFC) of the student.
Pell Grant Qualifications Requirements
Pell Grant Qualifications
To qualify as Pell grant awardees, you should be an undergraduate student in an accredited college or university. Another qualification requirement is that you are not under incarceration in any penal institution. Last but not least, you need to confirm that you need financial assistance to complete your college education.
Note that in some cases there are Federal Pell Grant awarded to students from higher graduate (baccalaureate), but this is a rare case. You have to enroll in an eligible post-baccalaureate teaching credentials program.
The confirmation of financial need is based on the Expected Family Contribution score. This is a standard formula used to determine your eligibility and also the amount of grant you will receive. The EFC score is determined by various factors, including your family circumstances (like single parent family, etc), your parent’s assets, number of children, your family’s income, etc. All of the information required to calculate the EFC score is retrieved from the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
From the latest information we got, the Federal Pell grant cutoff threshold is 4,617. If you get your EFC score higher than that number, you are NOT eligible for the Pell grant. Respectively, getting an EFC score lower than that number means that you will get the Pell grant. One important thing to note is that you should complete all of the required information truthfully, because cheating will only give you debt. The government will ask you to return the money you got.
Completing your FAFSA is, in general, all you have to do. After that the federal government through its Department of Education will do the rest. After you complete the FAFSA, you will get information about your Pell grant eligibility and also Student Aid Report.
To get the Pell Grant, you need to meet certain requirements because it’s a federal aid program. There are two steps you need to check off before applying. You need to complete everything in Step#1 and at least one item from Step#2.
Step#1 – Basic Requirements
To be eligible for federal aid, including the Pell Grant, you must:
- Have a high school diploma, GED, or approved homeschool education.
- Be enrolled or accepted to enroll in an eligible degree/certificate program. Check with your school’s financial aid office to confirm eligibility.
- Register with Selective Service if you are male and 18-25 years old. You can register on the Selective Service website if needed.
- Have a valid Social Security Number, unless you’re from the Republic of the Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, or Republic of Palau.
- Sign statements on the FAFSA: You’re not in default and don’t owe refund money on a federal student loan; You’ll use federal aid money only to help pay for your education.
- Maintain “satisfactory” progress in school. If you’re worried about your grades, talk to your dean or a school administrator to understand what is the meaning of “satisfactory.”
Once you’ve checked off everything on Step#1, move on to Step#2.
Additional Requirements (Step #2)
You must also meet one of the following criteria:
- Be a US citizen or US national.
- Have a green card.
- Have an Arrival-Departure Record (I-94).
- Have battered immigrant status.
- Have a T-Visa.
If you can check off everything in Step #1 and at least one item in Step #2, you’re on the right track to applying for the Pell Grant.
Pell Grant Requirements
The Pell Grant has its own requirements that you must meet, in addition to the federal rules we talked about earlier. First, let’s answer this question: what are the Pell Grant income limits? The Pell Grant is mainly for students from low-income families who haven’t earned a college degree yet. There are a few rare exceptions to this rule. For now, we’ll focus on students who are planning to go to college or are already in college.
To qualify for the Pell Grant, you need to show that you have enough financial need (we’ll talk about what this means soon). Also, you cannot already have a bachelor’s or professional degree. It’s pretty straightforward, isn’t it? Next, I’ll explain what “enough financial need” actually means.
Financial Requirements of the Pell Grant
Understanding the financial need for the Pell Grant can be a bit tricky. It involves looking at various financial factors to see how much help you might need. The Department of Education, which handles federal financial aid, considers many things to decide who gets the Pell Grant. Basically, the more your family needs help paying for college, the more likely you are to receive this grant.
Determining financial need for the Pell Grant involves more than just how much your parents earn. It also considers your family’s expenses. Lower income combined with higher expenses means greater financial need.
Let’s break down what counts as income and expenses:
Income:
- Your own earnings (if any)
- Your parents’ income
- Assets like savings or property they own
Expenses:
- Number of people in your household (more people mean higher expenses)
- Number of family members (not including parents) attending college
- Your school’s Cost of Attendance (CoA), which includes tuition, room, board, and other costs for one year
All these factors help calculate something called the Expected Family Contribution (EFC). If your EFC is $6,206 or less for the 2022-23 school year, you can get the Pell Grant.
Every family is different, so there’s no set income limit for eligibility. However, here are some key points:
- Most Pell Grants go to families earning less than $30,000 per year.
- Some grants go to families earning between $30,000 and $60,000 annually.
- It’s rare, but possible, for grants to be given to families earning more than $60,000 yearly.
Requirements After Receiving Pell Grant
In the school year 2022-2023, the most money you can receive from a Pell Grant is $6,895. The amount you get depends on two main things. First, how much your family can contribute towards your education (this means Expected Family Contribution). Second, whether you are studying full-time or part-time.
Once you receive your Pell Grant and meet all the requirements, staying eligible is simple—you just need to stay in school.
However, if you drop out of school or switch from full-time to part-time status while receiving the Pell Grant, you might have to repay some or all of the grant for that year or semester.
If your school decides you need to repay, they’ll send you a notice explaining how much you owe and when it’s due. Usually, you’ll have about 45 days to pay the full amount or arrange a payment plan.
There you go. The Pell grant qualifications is pretty straightforward and simple, right?
References :
- Federal Pell Grants – http://www.pellgrantqualifications.com/
- Image: info.legalzoom.com
- (https://blog.prepscholar.com/pell-grant-eligibility-and-requirements-do-you-qualify)
