Federal Pell Grant Eligibility
Who can apply for free college grants?

Pell grant eligibility means that if you meet the Pell grant qualifications you could be offered grants for college tuition.

You will probably also qualify for a federal Perkins loan, the best student loan with the lowest student loan rate.

These free grant applications could lower your student loan debt.

Don't automatically assume that you are not eligible (particularly if you are a nontraditional student).

In general, if you are eligible to receive any federal college financial aid, you will probably be eligible for the Pell.

Basic eligibility is established by the student demographics section of the Pell grant form. There are just a couple of specific policies that apply only to Pells.

Citizenship

Applicants must be one of these:

• U.S. citizens or nationals
• U.S. permanent residents
• Citizens of the Freely Associated States- the Federated States of Micronesia and the Republics of Palau and the Marshall Islands
• Other eligible noncitizens (These are people who are in the U.S. for non-temporary reasons and who can document that they intend to become citizens.)

Citizenship eligibility is cross-checked with the Social Security Administration (SSA) database, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) records, and the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).

Social Security Number

Students must provide a correct social security number- one that matches their name and birth date in the Social Security Administration's database. Your federal Pell grant application will not be processed without one.

Students from the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, and the Republic of Palau do not have to provide a SS#. If you are from one of these areas, you can still apply for a Pell grant online. The site will supply you with an ID# to enter as a social security number.

Selective Service

Males between the ages of 18 and 25 are required to register with the Selective Service System. (You can register through the federal aid application.)

Exceptions are:

• those already in the armed services and on active duty
• citizens of the Republic of Palau, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, or the Federated States of Micronesia
• those unable to register because they are hospitalized, incarcerated, or institutionalized
• those enrolled in some specific officer procurement programs
• those who are either commissioned Public Health Service officers on active duty, or members of the Reserve of the Public Health Service on specified active duty

Financial History

• You must not be in default on any federal loan, unless you can certify that you have made satisfactory arrangements for repayment.
• You must not owe an overpayment on any federal grant or loan, unless you can certify that you have made satisfactory arrangements for repayment.
• You are also ineligible if the U.S. government has placed a judgment lien on your property. (for instance, if the IRS placed a lien on your property for back taxes)

Your Pell grant application will be checked against the National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS) for the financial aid history, only.

Academic Eligibility

• must be enrolled as a regular student in a degree program
• may not also be enrolled in a secondary or elementary school for the aid year
• must have a high school diploma or an equivalent or state-approved homeschooling

These are the academic prerequisites for the grant; once you are approved, there are additional Pell grant requirements for maintaining eligibility.

Your Pell grant eligibility is also conditional upon resolving any drug conviction (if it occurred during a period when you had accepted federal financial aid). A conviction does not count if:

• it was reversed
• it was set aside
• it was removed from the student’s record
• the student was tried as a juvenile

This is the timetable for eligibility after being convicted of a drug offense:

If your eligibility is denied for an "indefinite period", you can regain it by completing a drug rehabilitation program.

The education bill currently in Congress would drop this requirement.

Federal Pell Grant Eligibility Only

1. The student must be an undergraduate or enrolled in a postbaccalaureate teaching program which does not lead to a graduate degree.
2. The student may not be incarcerated in a federal or state prison.

The reason these rules are not applied to other federal financial aid is because of what a Pell grant is:

A baseline award to help equalize the playing field

So if you meet these conditions, check out the Pell grant calculator and find out what your award should be. The federal Pell grant awards schedule has recently been changed to meet new standards set by SAFRA legislation.

Also, your federal Pell grant eligibility may qualify you for an additional award (within the same school year) for summer classes.

(Pell grant amounts vary depending on EFC, cost of attendance and enrollment status.)