Pell Grants

Pell Grants are need-based monetary grants awarded to US citizen and "eligible noncitizen" undergraduate students.http://studentaid.ed.gov/PORTALSWebApp/students/english/PellGrants.jsphttp://studentaid.ed.gov/PORTALSWebApp/students/english/aideligibility.jsp Pell Grants are not loans and, therefore, do not need to be repaid. In limited cases, students enrolled in post-baccalaureate teacher licensure programs can receive a Pell Grant. Because Pell Grants can be supplemented with aid from different federal and non-federal sources.http://studentaid.ed.gov/PORTALSWebApp/students/english/PellGrants.jsp Pell Grants are named after Senator Claiborne Pell of Rhode Island.http://www.chessconsulting.org/financialaid/pell.htm

To be eligible to apply for a Pell Grant, a student has to meet the eligibility requirements for Federal Student Aid or FSA.www.ifap.ed.gov/sfahandbooks/attachments/0304Vol3Ch1.pdf Financial aid officers at educational institutions can help students determine their eligibility for FSA. To qualify for FSA, students should:

• Be a US citizen or eligible noncitizen with a valid social security number
• Demonstrate monetary need
• Have a high school diploma or GED certificate, pass a Department of Education-approved ability-to-benefit (ATB) test, meet Department approved-state standards, complete a state-approved high school home school education, or complete six credits or equivalent course work toward a certificate or degree
• Certify that they are not in federal student loan default and that they do not have a federal student debt
• Certify that they will use federal student aid only for education
• Be admitted or enrolled as a regular student of an eligible certificate or degree program
• Maintain satisfactory grades in schoolhttp://studentaid.ed.gov/PORTALSWebApp/students/english/aideligibility.jsp

Students with intellectual disabilities can receive a Pell Grant, provided that they:

• Are enrolled or admitted into a comprehensive transition and post-secondary program for students with intellectual disabilities at a higher education institution
• Maintain satisfactory progress
• Meet the rest of the student eligibility criteriahttp://studentaid.ed.gov/PORTALSWebApp/students/english/aideligibility.jsp

In addition to the general Federal Student Aid eligibility requirements, there are two specific requirements for Pell Grant applications. The student should:

• Be an undergraduate or enrolled in an eligible postbaccalaureate teaching credential program
• Not be incarcerated in a federal or state jailwww.ifap.ed.gov/sfahandbooks/attachments/0304Vol3Ch1.pdf

The content in this page is not a substitute for professional financial advice. Please contact a finance professional before using the information presented here.