What Is the Eligibility for Federal Pell Grants?
Qualifications Pell Grants are mostly restricted to students who have not earned a baccalaureate or first professional degree.There are exceptions–notably graduate students enrolled in accredited teaching programs may be able to receive Pell Grants–but the exceptions are rare. If a student is enrolled in a five-year program, he only is eligible to receive a Pell Grant during his first four years. Students enrolled in two-year colleges are eligible to receive Pell Grants. Even after earning an associate degree, a student can enroll in a four-year university and receive a Pell Grant for up to two more years. Financial Need A student must exhibit financial need in order to receive a Pell Grant. Financial need is based on the student’s expected family contribution. The EFC is usually a number generated based on the income of the student’s parents. If the parents collectively earn less than a certain amount set by the federal government, the student will be eligible to receive the maximum
