Pell Grant

The Federal Pell Grant is a form of gift aid that, typically, does not have to be repaid.

Pell eligibility is determined by the FAFSA for each award year. The Pell Grant is available to eligible, undergraduate students who demonstrate financial need and have not already earned a bachelor’s or professional degree.

The amount you get will depend on

• your Expected Family Contribution or EFC (2023-24 FAFSA form) or your Student Aid Index or SAI (2024-25 FAFSA form),
• the cost of attendance (determined by the school for your specific program),
• your enrollment as a full-time or part-time student, and
• your plans to attend school for a full academic year or less.

For the 2023-2024 Award Year, the amount packaged and disbursed depends on your EFC, Cost of Attendance (COA), and enrollment status at census as a full-time or part-time student, each semester.

Beginning with the 2024–25 award year, a student may qualify for a Pell Grant under one of three sets of eligibility criteria:

1. Maximum Pell Grant eligibility (Max Pell)
2. Calculated Pell Grant eligibility, based on SAI
3. Minimum Pell Grant eligibility (Min Pell)

The amount packaged and disbursed depends on your SAI, COA, and enrollment intensity.

Pell Grants must be spread out in disbursements over the course of a program of study to help meet the student’s cost in each payment period (semester).

Once the annual Federal Pell Grant is determined, half of the award will be offered in each semester of the award year and will be based on Enrollment Status (for 2023-2024) or prorated for Enrollment Intensity (for 2024-2025).

The Pell Grant funds are applied directly towards semester charges. Disbursements made for each semester are based on the applicable enrollment status/intensity at “census” (the Monday after start).

Please be aware that: 

• Any change in enrollment or failure to successfully complete a semester, could result in the loss of some or all Pell Grant funds, in accordance with general Pell and Federal Student Aid provisions. 
• Any changes to the FAFSA data as the result of verification or required corrections made by Financial Aid Services may result in an adjustment to your Pell Grant. 

The published Maximum Pell Grant for the 2024-2025 Award Year is $7,395.

Applicants may qualify for a Maximum Pell Grant based on family size, adjusted gross income (AGI), and poverty guidelines. Students qualifying for a Maximum Pell Grant will have a SAI between negative $1,500 and $0 and a “Max Pell Indicator” on their calculated FAFSA results.

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 applicant’s Pell Grant award for full-time enrollment will be equal to the maximum Pell Grant for the award year minus SAI. 

The Pell Grant will be adjusted (prorated) if an applicant enrolls in less than full time, or if the applicant’s Cost of Attendance (COA) is less than the calculated Pell Grant award.

Example 1: Eligible for calculated Pell Grant

A student’s calculated SAI is 1,004 and the Pell COA is $14,000. For demonstration purposes, assume the published Max Pell for the award year is $7,395. The school subtracts the student’s calculated SAI from the published Max Pell and rounds the result to the nearest $5.
Max Pell ($7,395) - SAI (1,004) = $6,391 (rounded to $6,390)
Since the calculated Scheduled Award is less than the Pell COA, the school determines the student is eligible for a Scheduled Award of $6,390.


Example 2: Eligible for calculated Pell Grant, capped at COA

A student’s calculated SAI is 1,004 and the Pell COA is $5,000. For demonstration purposes, assume the published Max Pell for the award year is $7,395. The school subtracts the student’s calculated SAI from the published Max Pell and rounds the result to the nearest $5.
Max Pell ($7,395) - SAI (1,004) = $6,391 (rounded to $6,390)
Since the calculated Scheduled Award is greater than the Pell COA, the school determines the student’s Scheduled Award must be capped at the COA. The student is eligible for a Scheduled Award of $5,000.


Example 3: Ineligible for calculated Pell Grant

A student’s calculated SAI is 7,001 and the Pell COA is $9,000. For demonstration purposes, assume the published Max Pell for the award year is $7,395. The school subtracts the student’s calculated SAI from the published Max Pell and rounds the result to the nearest $5.
Max Pell ($7,395) - SAI (7,001) = $394 (rounded to $395)
The published Min Pell for the award year is 10% of the Max Pell, or $740. 
Since this student’s calculated Pell Grant is less than the published Min Pell, the student is not eligible for a calculated Pell Grant. However, the student may still meet eligibility requirements for a Min Pell Grant.

If the student’s calculated Pell Grant is less than the published Min Pell amount for the award year, the student is not eligible for a calculated Pell Grant. However, the student may still meet eligibility requirements for Min Pell based on AGI, family size, state of residence, and poverty guidelines, described previously.

The published Minimum Pell Grant award for the 2024-2025 Award Year is $740.

The minimum Pell Grant is set at 10% of the maximum award determined for each year, rounded to the nearest $5.

Applicants whose SAI is greater than the maximum Pell Grant award for the award year may still qualify for a Pell Grant, based on family size, AGI, and poverty guidelines. Students qualifying for a Minimum Pell Grant will have a “Min Pell Indicator” on their calculated FAFSA results.

Enrollment intensity is the percentage of full-time enrollment at which an undergraduate student is enrolled, rounded to the nearest whole percent.  

For example, if full-time enrollment is 12 credit hours and a student is enrolled in 7 credit hours, the enrollment intensity would be 7 ÷ 12 × 100% = 58.3% (round to 58%).  Refer to the chart below for determining enrollment intensity, per semester. 

Pell Recalculation refers to the process in which Pell Grant students with enrollment changes during the semester may have their Pell Grant adjusted. Enrollment changes as the result of dropping courses may prompt a Pell Recalculation.

APU uses a Census date to determine Pell Grant eligibility. The Census date refers to the point at which your enrolled credit hours are locked for Pell Grant purposes. The Census falls on the first day of week two in each semester.

• Courses (credit hours) added after the census date will not be used to increase Pell Grant eligibility. 
• Courses (credit hours) dropped after Census, and for which Pell was received will require a Pell Recalculation and may result in a loss of Pell Grant funding. 

In accordance with 34 CFR 690.64, which allows schools to determine which award year to assign crossover payment periods, crossover students will be packaged with Pell Grant funding as follows:

2023-2024 and 2024-2025 Award Years

• Semester start dates of April, May, and June 2024: In general, students will be packaged with any remaining 2023-2024 eligible funding. If no eligibility exists for 2023-2024 packaging will include any eligible 2024-2025 funding.
• Students for whom the April, May, or June 2024 semester is the last term of their Pell-eligible program may benefit and be packaged from the award year for which they have greater funding eligibility. Exceptions may be made on a case-by-case basis

Students must submit, in writing, any request to waive any Pell Grant funds and must be counseled on any potential implications for doing so. 

The Department of Education’s Federal Pell Grant Program will allow an eligible student to receive up to 150 percent (the equivalent of one- and one-half school years or three disbursements) of their Federal Pell Grant Scheduled Award. To meet general requirements for Year-Round (150%) Pell, a student must be:

• Eligible for Pell Grant as determined by the Department of Education
• Enrolled in an eligible undergraduate program
• Enrolled at least half-time for the semester during which any additional Pell is disbursed (for the 2023-2024 Award Year)

It is important to understand that if enrollment drops to less than half-time (less than 6 credit hours) for the semester, students will lose eligibility for the additional Pell Grant.

Lifetime eligibility for the Pell Grant is 600%. The maximum timeframe that eligible students may receive Pell Grant is for the equivalent of twelve full-time semesters. Students must submit, in writing, any request to waive any Pell Grant funds and must be counseled on any potential implications for doing so.

The amount of Federal Pell Grant funds you may receive over your lifetime is limited by federal law to be the equivalent of six years of Pell Grant funding. Since the amount of a scheduled Pell Grant you can receive each award year is equal to 100%, the six-year equivalent is 600%.

The maximum amount of Federal Pell Grant funding you can receive is calculated for an award year. An award year is a period from July 1 of one calendar year to June 30 of the next calendar year.

Your scheduled award

• is partially determined by using your Expected Family Contribution (EFC for 2023-2024) or Student Aid Index (SAI for 2024-2025) that is calculated from the information provided when you filed your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA); 
• is the maximum amount you would be able to receive for the award year if you were enrolled full-time for the full school year; and
  
• represents 100% of your Pell Grant eligibility for that award year.

Percent used: To determine how much of the maximum six years (600%) of Pell Grant you have used each year, the U.S. Department of Education (ED) compares the actual amount you received for the award year with your scheduled award amount for that award year.  

Under this scholarship, and through the 2023-2024 Award Year, a Pell-eligible student whose parent or guardian died in the line of duty while performing as a public safety officer is eligible to receive a maximum Pell Grant for the award year for which the determination of eligibility is made. To qualify for this scholarship, a student must be:

1. Pell-eligible and have a Pell-eligible EFC greater than zero,
2. Less than 24 years of age or enrolled at an institution of higher education at the time of his or her parent’s or guardian’s death.

For purposes of the Children of Fallen Heroes Scholarship, a public safety officer is:

• As defined in section 1204 of title I of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 3796b);
• A fire police officer, defined as an individual who is serving in accordance with State or local law as an officially recognized or designated member of a legally organized public safety agency and provides scene security or directs traffic in response to any fire drill, fire call, or other fire, rescue, or police emergency, or at a planned special event.

In subsequent award years, the student continues to be eligible for the scholarship, as long as the student has a Pell-eligible EFC and continues to be an eligible student. Learn more about the Children of Fallen Heroes Scholarship.

If you believe you are eligible for the scholarship, please contact Financial Aid Services at [email protected] or call 855-731-9218 for more information. 

The [FAFSA Simplification] Act changed eligibility for what were formerly called Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grants (IASG) and Children of Fallen Heroes (CFH) Awards as well as the resulting award amount. 

Beginning with the 2024-25 award year, students who meet the eligibility requirements for Pell Grants under the Special Rule in HEA Section 401(c) will receive a Maximum Pell Grant, regardless of their calculated SAI. To receive a Pell Grant based on eligibility under the Special Rule, a student must be--

• The child of a parent or guardian who died in the line of duty while (a) serving on active duty as a member of the Armed Forces on or after September 11, 2001; or (b) actively serving as and performing the duties of a public safety officer; and
  
• Less than 33 years old as of the January 1 prior to the award year for which the applicant is applying (e.g., for the 2024-25 award year, a student must be less than 33 years old as of January 1, 2024, to be eligible).
  

If you believe you are eligible for the Pell Grant under the Special Rule, please contact Financial Aid Services at [email protected] or call 855-731-9218 for more information.

Determinations of eligibility/ineligibility will be communicated by email. If a student is determined to be eligible and continues to meet all eligibility criteria, the Pell Grant will carry forward into future academic years. 

‘Public safety officer’’ means—

• (A) an individual serving a public agency in an official capacity, with or without compensation, as a law enforcement officer, as a firefighter, or as a chaplain;
• (B) an employee of the Federal Emergency Management Agency who is performing official duties of the Agency in an area, if those official duties—
  • (i) are related to a major disaster or emergency that has been, or is later, declared to exist with respect to the area under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5121 et seq.); and
  • (ii) are determined by the Director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency to be hazardous duties;
• (C) an employee of a State, local, or tribal emergency management or civil defense agency who is performing official duties in cooperation with the Federal Emergency Management Agency in an area, if those official duties—
  • (i) are related to a major disaster or emergency that has been, or is later, declared to exist with respect to the area under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5121 et seq.); and
  • (ii) are determined by the head of the agency to be hazardous duties; or
• (D) a member of a rescue squad or ambulance crew who, as authorized or licensed by law and by the applicable agency or entity, is engaging in rescue activity or in the provision of emergency medical services.

Student Aid Index (SAI) – An eligibility index number that the financial aid office uses to determine how much federal student aid you may be eligible to receive, if you attend. The SAI is a result that is calculated based on information provided on your FAFSA.

Cost of Attendance  (COA) – COA is established for use in determining financial need and Federal Student Aid eligibility. It is the estimate of a student’s educational expenses that can include direct costs (those charged directly by the school) and indirect costs (those beyond what you will pay directly to the school) for one academic year (two terms), based on enrollment status, program of study, and housing status.

Scheduled Award - The maximum grant amount you are eligible to receive for the award year if you are enrolled full time for the full school year.

Annual Award - The annual award is the maximum amount a student would receive during a full academic year for a given enrollment status or enrollment intensity, EFC/SAI, and COA. For a full-time student, the annual award will be the same as the Scheduled Award. A part-time student’s annual award will be less than the Scheduled Award.

Enrollment Status – Defined by the number of credit hours for which a student is enrolled per semester.

Enrollment Intensity - The percentage of full-time enrollment at which a student is enrolled, rounded to the nearest whole percent. Enrollment intensity only applies to Pell Grant eligibility.