Pell Grant Basics: Who Qualifies and How Much You Get

A Federal Pell Grant is money for college that, in general, you do not have to repay. It goes to undergraduate students with financial need, and for the 2026–27 award year the maximum award is $7,395. The only way to apply is the FAFSA. How much you receive depends on your Student Aid Index, the cost of attending your school and how much you are enrolled. This guide explains the basics in plain language.

Key takeaways

• The maximum Pell Grant for the 2026–27 award year (July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027) is $7,395, and the minimum award is $740, according to figures published by the Department of Education. Maximums are set for each award year, so always check the year you are applying for.
• Pell Grants generally go to undergraduates who have not yet earned a bachelor’s, graduate or professional degree and who show financial need.
• Your eligibility comes from the Student Aid Index (SAI) calculated from your FAFSA.
• Pell eligibility is limited to the equivalent of 12 full-time semesters over your lifetime.
• Grants differ from loans: a Pell Grant is generally not repaid, though you can lose it, or have to return part of it, in certain situations such as withdrawing early.

What the Pell Grant is

The Pell Grant is the federal government’s largest need-based grant program for undergraduates. The money is paid through your college, which applies it to tuition, fees and, when there is a balance, may refund the remainder to you for other education costs such as housing and books.

Because it is a grant, it reduces your net price. That is why Pell shows up so strongly in the lowest family-income bands on the College Scorecard; see net price by family income.

The 2026–27 award amounts

For the 2026–27 award year, the maximum Federal Pell Grant is $7,395 and the minimum is $740, according to the Department of Education’s published award amounts. Congress sets the maximum in the budget process, so the figure can change from one year to the next. The figure above is for 2026–27 only. If you are applying for another year, look for that year’s number on StudentAid.gov.

These are full-time, full-year amounts. Your own award can be lower for reasons covered below.

Who is eligible

A student may qualify for a Pell Grant if all of these are true. This is a summary, and the federal rules are more detailed.

1. You are an undergraduate. In general, Pell goes to students who have not earned a bachelor’s, graduate or professional degree. There are limited exceptions for some teacher-certification programs.
2. You have financial need, as measured by your FAFSA.
3. You meet the general federal aid requirements: for example, you are a U.S. citizen or an eligible noncitizen, you are enrolled or accepted for enrollment in an eligible program at a school that participates in federal aid, and you are making satisfactory academic progress.
4. You have not used up your lifetime eligibility (see below).

Age does not matter. Adults returning to school are eligible on the same terms as students coming straight from high school.

How your award is determined

The FAFSA calculates a Student Aid Index (SAI). The SAI is an index number used to determine eligibility for need-based aid, and it is not a bill and not a prediction of what you will pay. In the Department’s handbook, a student can receive Pell in one of three ways:

• Maximum Pell: the full amount for students whose circumstances produce a low enough SAI, including some students whose families meet certain federal need-based criteria.
• Minimum Pell: a small award for students whose SAI leaves only a little need.
• Calculated Pell: for everyone in between. In general, the amount is the maximum Pell Grant minus your SAI.

Your final award then depends on:

• Enrollment intensity. Part-time students receive a smaller, prorated amount. Full-time students receive more.
• Cost of attendance. A Pell Grant cannot exceed the school’s cost of attendance.
• Year-round enrollment. Students who attend summer terms may be able to receive additional Pell funds in an award year, within the lifetime limit.

An illustrative example

These numbers are illustrative only. Suppose the maximum Pell Grant is $7,395 and a student’s SAI is $2,000. The calculated Pell Grant for full-time, full-year enrollment would be about $5,395 ($7,395 minus $2,000). If the student’s SAI were $0 or less, the student would receive the full $7,395. As the SAI rises, the calculated award shrinks, and at some point it reaches the minimum or disappears. The exact cut-offs are published by the Department each year, so rely on your FAFSA Submission Summary and your school’s financial aid office rather than this arithmetic.

Use our net price calculator to see how grants might reduce the costs at a particular school, then confirm with the school’s calculator.

The lifetime limit

You can receive Pell Grants for up to the equivalent of 12 full-time semesters (sometimes expressed as 600% of one year’s scheduled award). Each term you receive Pell counts toward the limit in proportion to the amount you receive. Part-time use costs you less of the limit than full-time use.

This is a good reason to plan your program: changing majors, repeating courses and transferring without credits can each use up semesters you may need later. See our guide on transfer pathways.

How Pell fits with other aid

Pell is typically the first layer of aid, with state grants, institutional grants and scholarships on top. After grants, loans are the next layer; read federal student loans explained. In an award letter, add up Pell and other grants separately from loans so you can compare schools fairly. How to compare financial aid offers shows how.

Pell can be especially valuable at low-cost schools. At a community college, for example, a Pell Grant may cover a large share of tuition and fees. The community college vs. four-year guide compares the pathways.

Common mistakes

• Assuming you will not qualify. Eligibility depends on a formula, not on a single income number. Families are often surprised.
• Not filing the FAFSA every year. Your Pell eligibility is recalculated annually.
• Counting on the maximum. The $7,395 figure is the ceiling for full-time students in 2026–27. Many awards are lower.
• Ignoring enrollment status. Dropping below full time can reduce the award during the term.
• Withdrawing without checking the rules. If you stop attending, you may have to repay part of the grant. Talk to the financial aid office before withdrawing.
• Using up semesters carelessly. Remember the 12-semester limit when changing programs.

What to do next

1. File the FAFSA for the year you will attend; see FAFSA step by step.
2. After you file, look at your SAI on the FAFSA Submission Summary.
3. Look up each school’s net price for your income range on its college page, or sort schools using the rankings.
4. When award letters arrive, make sure Pell appears and is counted as a grant.
5. For methodology, see how we present aid data in our methodology page.

This guide is general education. Pell Grant amounts and rules are set by Congress and the Department of Education and can change; confirm the current figures at StudentAid.gov.