Lifetime Pell Grant Eligibility

In December 2011, President Obama signed into law the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2012 (Public Law 112-74). This law has significantly impacted the Pell Grant Program. Students are now limited to 12 semesters (or 600%) of Pell Grant eligibility during their lifetime. This change affects all students regardless of when or where they received their first Pell Grant. 

Whether you have used all of your Pell Grant eligibility or only half, please be conscious about the lifetime limit of the Pell Grant when changing majors and/or scheduling classes.

Can I See My Lifetime Pell Grant Used?

You may view your percentage of Pell Grant used by logging into studentaid.gov. Your ‘Lifetime Eligibility Used’ percentage will be displayed in the ‘Grants’ section.

How Is The Percentage Used Calculated?

The percentages are based off the annual award at fulltime enrollment status. For students with an annual award attending 12 or more credits in each semesters (Fall and Spring for example), the percentage used  is 100%. If you only attended 9 credits for two semesters, your percentage used for the academic year would be 75%.