In this article, you will be getting answers to questions like what is Federal Pell Grants? and who is eligible for this Grants?
Federal Pell Grants is the largest source of federally funded grants and it is awarded solely based on the financial need (academic grades and extra-curricular activities aren’t a factor) of university students.
What is Federal Pell Grants?
According to Wikipedia, the Federal Pell Grants are limited to students with exceptional financial need, who have not earned their first bachelor’s degree, or who are enrolled in certain post-baccalaureate programs, through participating institutions. It is a subsidy the U.S. federal government provides for students who need it to pay for college.
A Pell Grant is generally considered the foundation of a student’s financial aid package, to which other forms of aid are added. The Federal Pell Grant program is administered by the United States Department of Education, which determines the student’s financial need and through it, the student’s Pell eligibility.
The U.S. Department of Education uses a standard formula to evaluate financial information reported on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for determining the student’s Expected Family Contribution (EFC).
Pell Grants Eligibility Standard
General eligibility for federal aid programs includes that you have financial need, are a U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen, are enrolled in an eligible degree or certificate program at your college or career school, and more.
You’re an undergraduate student who’s enrolled full-time or part-time. Part-time students might not receive as much funding as full-time students, but your school can’t refuse your Federal Pell Grant funds because you’re enrolled less than half-time.
You might be eligible to receive a Pell Grant if you’re enrolled in a post baccalaureate teacher certification program.
As a notable response to the question of who is eligible for this Grants, here are few standard information you must have before you are qualified to take the aid:
- Brilliant and Hardworking Student
- Indigent University Student
- American Citizen
- Qualified Non-American Citizen
- Applied
Applying as an Eligible Student
To be eligible for a Pell Grant, students and their parents must fill out the government’s Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
The application, which can be completed online, asks a series of questions about the student’s and parents’ finances, in addition to other relevant information, such as whether any of the student’s siblings will be in college at the same time. Schools that the student applies to will receive an electronic copy of the application.
Financial aid officers at those schools use the FAFSA to determine how much federal aid to offer the student. The school’s calculations consider the difference between the expected family contribution (EFC), as calculated by the FAFSA, and that school’s cost of attendance (COA).
Benefit
Students coming from low-income families already face increased challenges that hinder their ability to receive a higher education. The Pell Grant addresses one of the issues by making college accessible to students that may need the financial assistance.
It has been shown to increase the college enrollment of students coming from lower and moderate-income families. It can also reduce the chances of them dropping out.
The maximum Federal Pell Grant award for the 2023-24 academic year is $7,395.
Different Types of Federal Grants for Education in the US
There are other kinds of grants that are pulled by the US government. These grants are only working under the umbrella of the Federal Pell Grants, these are:
Teacher Education Access for College and Higher Education (TEACH) Grants
These grants are for students planning to teach high-need subjects, such as math, science, foreign languages, and special education in low-income areas. They are worth up to $4,000 per year.
TEACH grants recipients are required to fulfill service requirements, including at least four years of full-time teaching. If they fail to do so, the grant is converted into a direct federal unsubsidized loan that must be repaid.
Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grants
These grants are available to students who lost a parent or guardian as a member of the U.S. armed forces serving in Iraq or Afghanistan after 9/11 and who don’t qualify for a Pell Grant. The student must have been under 24 years old or enrolled in college at least part-time at the time of the parent or guardian’s death.
The maximum Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grant is based on the maximum Pell Grant for that year, but reduced by 5.7% as a result of the Budget Control Act of 2011.
Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants (FSEOG)
Like Pell Grants, these grants are for students with “extreme financial need” as determined through the FAFSA. The awards range from as little as $100 to as much as $4,000 a year. FSEOGs are not available at every school, and the schools that do offer them may have a limited amount of money to allocate.
