While there isn't a strict maximum family income limit for Pell Grant eligibility, the grant is typically awarded to students with financial need, particularly those with an annual family income of $60,000 or below.
Your eligibility for a Pell Grant is based on more than just your (or your family's) income. The federal government will also consider your family size, tax filing status, and the federal poverty guidelines to determine your eligibility for a Pell Grant .
There are no income limits to apply, and many state and private colleges use the FAFSA to determine your financial aid eligibility.
Be a U.S. citizen, U.S. national, or eligible noncitizen. Have a valid Social Security Number. Have a high school diploma or General Education Development (GED) certificate OR demonstrate “ability to benefit” by passing an approved test. Meet satisfactory academic progress.
Pell Grants are need-based awards. Although students with family incomes up to $45,000 may be eligible, most awards go to students with family incomes below $20,000.
Once you have earned a baccalaureate degree or your first professional degree or have used up all 12 terms of your eligibility, you are no longer eligible to receive a Federal Pell Grant. Learn more about staying eligible for federal student aid while you're in school.
There is no income that is too high to file a FAFSA. No matter how much you make, you can always submit a FAFSA. Eligibility for need-based financial aid increases as the cost of attendance increases, so even a wealthy student might qualify for financial aid at a higher-cost college.
Technically, no income is too high for the FAFSA. The U.S. Department of Education recommends filling out the FAFSA yearly, regardless of income. However because FAFSA is needs-based aid, those from lower-income families with a greater financial need get access to more financial aid.
For example, if your citizenship status changed because your visa expired or it was revoked, then you would be ineligible. Other reasons for financial aid disqualification include: Not maintaining satisfactory progress at your college or degree program. Not filling out the FAFSA each year you are enrolled in school.
The IRS treats a Pell grant as a scholarship, which means it's possible that you'll have to report the grant money on your tax return and maybe even pay income tax on the money.
If your parents are not married to each other and live together, both of your parents are contributors. If your parents are divorced, separated, or never married, and don't live together, the parent who provided more financial support during the last 12 months is the contributor.
A Federal Pell Grant, unlike a loan, does not have to be repaid, except under certain circumstances. To qualify for a Pell Grant, a student must demonstrate financial need through the Free Application for Federal Student Financial Aid (FAFSA®) form.
These factors include: a student's dependency status, state of legal residence, a student and/or parent's adjusted gross income (AGI), and family size. The Look-Up Tables use the 2022 poverty lines to determine eligibility for a maximum (Max Pell) or minimum (Min Pell) award.
The maximum amount of money you can get from a Pell Grant is: $7,395 (2024–25). The amount granted depends on your Student Aid Index (SAI), cost of attendance, your status as a full-time or part-time student, and your plans to attend school for a full academic year or less.
If your LEU equals or exceeds 600%, you may no longer receive Pell Grant funding. Similarly, if your LEU is greater than 500% but less than 600%, while you will be eligible for a Pell Grant for the next award year, you will not be able to receive a full scheduled award.
The Department of Education doesn't have an official income cutoff to qualify for federal financial aid. So, even if you think your parents' income is too high, it's still worth applying (it's also free to do so).
If your parents have an adjusted gross income of more than $350,000 a year, have more than $1 million in reportable net assets, have only one child in college and that child is enrolled at a public college, and they have no issue paying out of pocket, then you may not need to file the FAFSA.
The FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) asks for a lot of financial information from parents (i.e., parent, guardian, adult at home), including details about your income. This may have you wondering if there are ways to reduce your income to help increase your child's financial aid eligibility.
There is no set income limit for eligibility to qualify for financial aid through. You'll need to fill out the FAFSA every year to see what you qualify for at your college. It's important to make sure you fill out the FAFSA as quickly as possible once it opens for the following school year.
Minimum Pell Grant: A student shall be eligible for a minimum Pell Grant when the student is enrolled in an eligible program full-time and their adjusted gross income is either equal to or less than (1) 325% or 275% of the poverty line for a dependent student subject family type or (2) 400%, 350%, or 275% of the ...
There is no income cut-off to qualify for federal student aid. Many factors—such as the size of your family and your year in school—are considered.
Despite common misconceptions, there are no income limits for eligibility through Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). From 2017-2018 to 2021-2022, the number of applicants for federal student aid in the United States decreased from 18.97 million to 17.53 million.
You can view your Pell Grant LEU by using your federal student aid ID and password and logging into https://studentaid.gov. The U.S. Department of Education (ED) also sends email notifications to students who have used 450% or more of their LEU.