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Federal Pell Grant Amounts for 2012-2013



Federal Pell grant payment schedules for 2012-2013 have minimal changes from the year before.

While there are no changes to the minimum and maximum amounts, students in the middle may see smaller variations.

Recapping recent changes to Pell grant amounts:

The final version of the health care bill of 2010 froze the top award at $5,550 until the 2013-2014 school year. However, it also increased the maximum FAFSA EFC allowed to receive an award- from 4617 to 5273.
So, the U.S. Department of Education had to revise the Pell grant payment schedules to allow more students to get awards, while using the same amount of funding that had already been allocated.

The result?

  1. No change for students with a FAFSA EFC of 0-4617, and a cost of attendance more than $5,550.

  2. Students with an EFC of 4618-5273, and a cost of attendance of $5,550+ now meet Pell grant qualifications and will get an award.

  3. Some students with EFC's of 4618-5273, and a cost of attendance of $4,900-5,549, will get awards.

  4. Students who already qualified for awards with an EFC of less than 4618, and whose cost of attendance is less than $5,550 will receive lower awards than planned before this law passed.

Number 4 mostly affects students who attend community colleges (many of whom supported SAFRA) and who apply for Pell grant awards. The only way that these schools can have their students receive the highest award possible, is by including living expenses (which some schools did not do in the past) in their cost of attendance.

A student with the highest allowable EFC and cost of attendance for an award, will get $550. As one reader told me, "Now, all I have to do is come up with the other $29,500." (He was obviously looking at going to a private school.)

Now we come to federal Pell grant changes for 2012-2013 (and beyond) mandated by the federal omnibus spending bill of Dec. 2011:

  • No change in the maximum of $5550

  • An automatic "0" EFC (which also automatically qualifies you for the maximum award) now requires an income of less than $23,000. This has been cut from $30,000 regularly, and actually $32,000 last year.

  • The number of years that a student can receive Pell grants has been cut from 9 down to 6.

So, was this the right way of dividing up the available funds? Is the government spreading the money around too thinly for it to effectively help anyone?

How do You Feel about Federal Pell Grant Changes?

What's your opinion? Do they help, do they hurt, or are they going to make no difference at all?

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Other Opinions

Click to see how other visitors feel about these changes.

Summer Pell taken away by financial advisor  starstarstarstarstar
I was awarded the Pell Grant for my summer classes this year only to have my financial aid adviser delete my Pell from the system because she said I was ...

Disbursement issue  Not rated yet
I'm still being told by my community college that they will only disburse money for tuition and a book allowance until after the first four weeks of class-...

Hurt  Not rated yet
I was not planning on attending this spring/summer, then my school awards me a loan when school starts in spring. I say ok but no refund and it doesn'...

Federal Pell Grant Useless  Not rated yet
Just put college out of reach for my children. I am the only income earner in the house hold and have two children that wanted to go to college. But ...

Federal Pell Grants: Government- Should be called Joke  Not rated yet
The government is encouraging, "stay in school, go to college and get a good education," but then when you need help and apply for it, then it gets FROZEN,...

SAD About Federal Pell Grant Changes  Not rated yet
Once again the United States is messed up on what is best for the United States. Before long kids will be moving out of the country to get an affordable ...

Pell Grants are Jokes  Not rated yet
People who work full time, and still go to school full time get absolutely no help from anywhere. We have to actually front the money ourselves and WORK ...

Federal Pell Grant Changes, Yes I Think They Help.  Not rated yet
I strongly believe that the Federal Pell Grant poses many opportunities for students. It gives them an opportunity to get a carrier to better their lives....

This Bill (Federal Pell Grant Changes) Hurts Everyone  Not rated yet
Honestly the law should never have passed, This will make it harder on families to come up with the spare money for fees books and other necessary expenses ...

Federal Pell Grant Changes...They put school out of reach  Not rated yet
I'm an independent first time school goer who waited till he was 5 years out of his parents home to qualify for aid to finally get a degree. This change ...

I Was Denied a Pell Grant   Not rated yet
I was denied a Pell grant due to my student loan being in default. However, I have made scheduled regular payments toward my student loan and can prove ...

Federal Pell Grant Changes...Horrible  Not rated yet
They are hurting me. I cannot afford to go to school without this grant, and it appears that the grant is not going to pay my full cost of attendance....

Federal Pell Grant Changes...This Works For Me  Not rated yet
I recently discovered that the changes in the Pell Grant will allow me to receive Pell money for the summer session as well. This is great news for me,...

Federal Pell Grant Changes Do Not Matter  Not rated yet
Federal Pell grant changes in the numbers are not going to hurt community college students because the schools can adjust your cost of attendance. They ...

Federal Pell Grant...New Qualifications  Not rated yet
The new federal Pell grant qualifications have helped me. Before, I just missed getting an award. Now, I'm going to get the minimum, but the better news ...

Pell Changes  Not rated yet
This is awful. They should have just left this alone.


Reply: I agree that changing the federal Pell grant qualifications should have waited until ...

Qualifying for a Federal Pell Grant  Not rated yet
I don't think it should be based solely on what you see that the individual makes. I think you should take other things into consideration; car payments,...

Federal Pell Grant Awards  Not rated yet
As the parent of a 25 year old who wishes to go back to college and get her degree, I feel as though these federal Pell grant award changes are going to ...



Find out basic information about what a Pell grant is, or find out general information about the application or more specific information about the 2010-2011 form.

Learn about your overall eligibility for the program (and don't forget about the new federal eligibility for summer sessions.

To check your award amounts for different colleges or enrollment status, use the Pell grant calculator.

Finally, when you get your award, make sure that you continue to meet the requirements for future Pell money.


college loan consultant plan for paying off student loans Federal Pell grant changes this year forced most schools to delay their award letters until the new numbers were up. As the Pell is the first level of financial aid, other types needed to be adjusted as well.


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