The amount of your Federal Pell Grant is pro-rated based on your enrollment status each semester. You may qualify for PELL even if you are enrolled part-time. Determine your eligible enrollment status by counting the number of credits or equated credits for which you have been charged tuition.
Pell Grant eligibility will be determined in three steps:
- Maximum Pell Grant – Applicants may qualify for a Maximum Pell Grant based on adjusted gross income (AGI), poverty guidelines, and family size. Students qualifying for a Maximum Pell Grant will have an SAI between negative $1500 and $0.
- Calculated Pell Grant– Applicants who do not qualify for a Maximum Pell Grant may still qualify if their calculated SAI is less than the maximum Pell Grant award for the award year. The annual Pell Grant amount is determined by subtracting the student’s SAI from the award year’s Max Pell amount, and round to result to the nearest $5. The Pell Grant will be adjusted (prorated) if an applicant enrolls in less than full time.
- Minimum Pell Grant – Applicants whose SAI is greater than the maximum Pell Grant award for the award year may still qualify for a Pell Grant, based on adjusted gross income (AGI), poverty guidelines, and family size.
Once the annual Federal Pell Grant is determined, half of the award will be awarded in each semester and will be prorated by Enrollment Intensity instead of Enrollment Level.
| Enrolled Credit Hours | Enrollment Category (Old) | Enrollment Intensity (New) |
| 12 (or more) | Full-Time | 100% |
| 11 | Three-Quarter Time | 92% |
| 10 | Three-Quarter Time | 83% |
| 9 | Three-Quarter Time | 75% |
| 8 | Half-Time | 67% |
| 7 | Half-Time | 58% |
| 6 | Half-Time | 50% |
| 5 | Less-Than-Half-Time | 42% |
| 4 | Less-Than-Half-Time | 33% |
| 3 | Less-Than-Half-Time | 25% |
| 2 | Less-Than-Half-Time | 17% |
| 1 | Less-Than-Half-Time | 8% |
Note: there is a 30 hour limit on payment for remedial non-ESL courses. If you have exceeded the 30 credit hour limit on payment for remedial courses, these courses will be excluded from your semester enrollment for calculating your PELL award amount. Learn more.
To qualify for a Federal Pell Grant award payment, you must begin attendance in your classes. The Office of Financial Aid uses attendance information reported by your instructors to determine whether or not you have actually begun attendance. If your instructor reports you never attended a class for which you have received a payment, you will be asked to return those funds.
What if I need money at the beginning of the semester for books and transportation?
