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Pell Grant

The Federal Pell Grant is a federal entitlement program. It provides free money if you are enrolled in an eligible program of study at approved postsecondary institutions in the United States and abroad. This is gift aid which usually does not have to be repaid. You may not receive a Federal Pell grant if you already have a bachelor’s degree.

Eligibility

Your eligibility for a Federal Pell Grant is determined by a formula called FEDERAL METHODOLOGY. You must also meet all other Federal eligibility requirements.

Students are eligible to receive a Federal Pell Grant for the equivalent of 12 semesters. Your Pell Lifetime Eligibility Used (LEU) percentage is calculated by adding together the percentage of your maximum Pell award that you receive each academic year. Once you reach 600 percent, you can no longer receive a Pell Grant.

For example, if your maximum Pell Grant award for the academic year is $5,500, but you receive only $2,750 because you were enrolled for only one semester, you would have used 50 percent of your maximum award for that academic year. If in the following school year, you were enrolled only three-quarter time each semester, you would have used 75 percent of your maximum award for that year. Together, you would have received 125 percent out of the total 600 percent lifetime limit.

Changes Effective July 1st, 2026

  • Students with an SAI greater than twice the maximum Pell Grant amount will be ineligible for any Pell Grant
  • Example: If the maximum Pell Grant is $7,395, students with an SAI over $14,790 will no longer qualify for the Pell Grant

Award Amount

The amount of your Federal Pell Grant is based on your Student Aid Index (SAI) and the number of hours in which you are enrolled each semester.

  • A full-time student enrolls for twelve or more hours.
  • A three-quarter-time student enrolls for nine to eleven hours.
  • A half-time student enrolls for six to eight hours.
  • A less than half-time student enrolls for less than six hours.

The Pell Recalculation Date is the date in the semester when Big E Central at Eastern Kentucky University is required to evaluate your Federal Pell Grant eligibility based on your current enrollment status. If the Pell Grant you were awarded does not match your current enrollment status, your award must be adjusted. Pell Recalculation Dates coincide with the drop/add deadline each fall and spring semester.

Any course(s) added after the Pell Recalculation Date will not count towards your Federal Pell Grant eligibility, regardless of the start date for those course(s). If you drop, withdraw from, or do not attend classes you were enrolled in, your Pell Grant may be adjusted.

Changes Effective July 1st, 2026

  • Students whose Cost of Attendance (COA) is fully covered by non-federal aid will no longer be eligible for a Federal Pell Grant
  • Ends the previous allowance for Pell Grants to exceed the COA when combined with other non-federal aid
  • Example: A Pell-eligible student with a scholarship covering the full COA will no longer receive both the scholarship and the Pell Grant

Application

You must complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). This application is available on the at the Federal Student Aid website.

Notification

You will receive an award notification from Big E Central indicating the award amount.

Federal Pell Grants are usually disbursed during fees payment if your file is complete by August 1st for the fall semester and December 1st for the spring unless you have been selected for verification. The verification process can delay your assistance in any program. If your award is not ready during Fees Payment, it will be processed once your file is complete. Awards are processed on a weekly cycle throughout the semester.