The Pell Grant is a federally funded type of gift aid that does not have to be repaid. Pell Grants are offered to students with a low Expected Family Contribution (EFC) as determined by submitting the Free Application for Federal Student Aid each year of enrollment. It is only available to undergraduate students who have not earned a baccalaureate degree. The maximum Pell Grant for the 2020-2021 academic year is $6,345. Award amounts and eligibility are subject to change each academic year.
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Eligibility
- Students with an EFC of $5,711 or below are eligible to receive a Pell Grant. Students must be enrolled full-time each semester (12 or more hours) to receive their full Pell Grant offer.
- Students are eligible to receive 100% of their available Pell Grant each academic year. An additional 50% is available for the summer term for students who have used their original 100% and have not met their lifetime limit. See additional information about Summer Pell below.
- Students are limited to 600% of Pell lifetime usage. 600% equates to 6 years of full time fall and spring enrollment or 12 semesters.
- Students must be pursuing their first baccalaureate degree to be eligible for the Pell Grant.
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Disbursement
- The Pell Grant is prorated based on enrollment each semester.
- Enrollment in 12 or more credit hours = 100% Pell eligibility
- Enrollment in 9-11 credit hours = 75% Pell eligibility
- Enrollment in 6-8 credit hours = 50% Pell eligibility
- Enrollment is 1-5 credit hours = 25% Pell eligibility
- The Pell Grant disburses according to when classes begin. If a student has courses with varying start dates, the first portion of a student’s Pell Grant will disburse at the beginning of the semester and the remainder will disburse on the first day of their later course(s) (based on eligibility).
- Pell Grants disburse based on the number of hours a student is enrolled in as of the drop and add deadline date each semester.
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Summer Pell
- Summer Pell Grants are automatically added to eligible students’ accounts within 5-7 business days of registering.
- Students enrolled full time for the fall and spring semesters may be eligible to receive an additional amount of Pell Grant for the summer semester if they are enrolled at least half-time (6 or more hours).
- Students who were enrolled less than full time in the fall and spring semesters may be eligible to receive a portion of a Pell Grant for less than half-time enrollment.
- Summer Pell amounts are prorated based on enrollment just as in fall and spring. Students must be enrolled full-time (12 or more hours) to receive their full offer.
- Summer Pell Grants count toward a student’s 600% lifetime eligibility limit.
- Students who enroll at least half-time for the summer and prefer not to receive their Summer Pell Grant allotment should notify the Financial Aid Office as soon as possible at
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