Federal Pell Grants

The Federal Pell Grant Program provides need-based grant aid to undergraduate students from low and moderate income households. Unlike federal student loans, Pell Grants do not have to be repaid as long as the student meets the program's requirements through to the end of the award year.

Current award amounts

For the 2025–26 and 2026–27 award years, the maximum Pell Grant is $7,395. The minimum award is $740. Most recipients fall somewhere between those figures. Your actual award depends on your Student Aid Index (SAI), your school's cost of attendance, and whether you are enrolled full-time, three-quarter-time, half-time, or less than half-time.

A student enrolled less than full-time receives a prorated share of the full-time award. Students enrolled in summer terms may also qualify for additional Pell funds through the Year-Round Pell provision, which allows up to 150% of an annual award.

Who qualifies

To be eligible for a Pell Grant, you must:

• Be a U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen
• Have a high school diploma, GED, or equivalent
• Be enrolled or accepted at an eligible undergraduate program
• Not have already earned a bachelor's degree (with narrow exceptions for certain post-baccalaureate teacher certification programs)
• Demonstrate financial need based on your Student Aid Index

For the 2026–27 award year, applicants with an SAI of $14,790 or higher are generally not eligible, subject to narrow exceptions defined by federal law. Pell eligibility is also limited to the equivalent of 12 semesters of full-time enrollment over a student's lifetime.

How the money reaches the student

Pell funds are paid directly to the school you attend. Most schools credit the funds to your student account to cover tuition and fees, then refund any remainder to you for other education costs such as books, housing, and transportation. Schools must disburse Pell funds at least once per term.

You may receive Pell Grant funds from only one school at a time, and only one Pell Grant per award year.

Where to apply

File the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) at studentaid.gov. The FAFSA is the application for the Pell Grant — there is no separate form.

The FAFSA is always free. For more on the program, see our Pell Grants pillar page. GovernmentGrants.com is not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Education.