Students are provided with a maximum of 12 full-time equivalent semesters Pell Grant eligibility that they may use to complete their first undergraduate baccalaureate degree. If a student enrolled full-time in the fall and spring semester each year, the lifetime eligibility rule would allow for 6 years to complete their degree. The federal government measures this in the following manner:
If a Pell Grant is disbursed in a semester:
| Units Attempted | Lifetime Eligibility Used |
|---|---|
| Full-time enrollment (12 units or more | 50.0% |
Three Quarter time enrollment (9-11 units) | 37.5% |
Half time enrollment (6-8 units) | 25.0% |
Quarter time enrollment (3-5 units) | 12.5% |
The sum of the Lifetime Eligibility Used for any term in which a Pell Grant was disbursed regardless of the institution where the grant was received may not exceed 600%.
Under Federal Pell Grant rules, students can use some of their lifetime eligibility early by enrolling in summer courses. Remember you must enroll in at least 6 units during summer. The Federal government did not allow the option for a Quarter time enrollment in the summer. Students should review their overall academic plan to ensure they will graduate in a timely manner as Pell Grant eligibility is capped at 600% including summer awards. The Federal Government allows for no exceptions to this cap.
Students must have exhausted their full-time Pell Grant award during the fall and spring semesters in order to be eligible for the summer Pell Grant. For example: If Mary was full-time (12 units) in the fall and only three-quarter time (9 units) in the Spring, she has 3 units of Pell Grant eligibility which she must be used during the summer, before she can utilize the summer Pell Grant award. Because she has remaining eligibility from the fall and spring terms, she is not required to enroll in 6 units. However, if she wishes to add another 3 units to summer, bringing her to 6 units, she will qualify for 3 units of additional summer Pell Grant because she is taking a total of 6 summer units.
To determine how much Pell Grant has already been used and whether you may have remaining annual Pell Grant eligibility, students may visit NSLDS for updated information.
