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You may have recently read about college grants, and therefore got an overview of education grant options for college. The Pell Grant is one of those options, and falls under federal financial aid. Let's have a more in-depth talk about this grant, and what the Pell Grant Eligibility requirements are.The Pell Grant is the biggest federal grant available. The number one consideration in determining an individual's eligibility for this grant is financial need. That is to say, how much help a student requires in paying for his/her education. This should help lay things out for you: Cost of Attendance (CoA--Total amount to attend university) – Expected Family Contribution (EFC--what your family contributes to costs)=Financial Need.The larger that final amount is, the greater your financial need, and the big-wigs at the Department of Education recognize this.
Financial need is the biggie regarding this grant. Now that that's out of the way, let's get a breakdown of any other requirements for Pell Grant eligibility. The first two requirements below specifically apply to the Pell Grant, with the rest applying to the majority of financial aid options as well.
- Bachelor's Degree program enrollment. Sorry Grad kids; the Pell Grant is only for undergraduate college students. If you're going for teacher certification, though, you may be in luck. It's best to do some checking on that.
- Freedom. Okay, that's a little broad. Basically, jailbirds don't qualify for the Pell Grant, though the pursuit of higher education is admirable in any circumstance.
- High School Diploma or GED has been earned.
- US citizenship is required.
- Male applicants are registered for Selective Service (military draft, applied for via FAFSA).
- “Satisfactory academic progress” maintained in school (keep up with schoolwork--grant may be revoked).
- Indicate, via personal signature, that you will use financial aid only for your education, and that you don't currently owe money on previous education loans.
