Federal Pell Grant

The Pell Grant is the largest federal grant for undergraduates and is aimed at students with exceptional financial need. For the 2026-27 award year the maximum is $7,395. The amount a student actually receives depends on the Student Aid Index from the FAFSA, the school's cost of attendance, full-time or part-time status, whether the student attends a full academic year, and how much lifetime eligibility remains. Students are generally eligible only until they earn a first bachelor's degree, and total Pell use is capped at the equivalent of 12 full-time terms, roughly six years. In some cases a student enrolled for an additional term can receive up to 150 percent of the scheduled award in one year. Every participating school receives enough funding to pay all eligible students, so Pell is not first-come, first-served. A student whose parent died on active duty in the armed forces or as a public safety officer may qualify for the maximum amount. Pell cannot be received from two schools at once, and the FAFSA must be filed again each year to keep receiving it.