Understanding Enrollment Status and Financial Aid Eligibility
Your enrollment status, or the number of units you take, significantly determines your eligibility for financial aid. Starting in the 2024-2025 award year, the calculation of Pell Grant eligibility is changing. Instead of using enrollment level categories like "full-time," "three-quarter time," "half-time," and "less-than-half-time," your Pell Grant award will now be determined based on your enrollment intensity, which refers to the percentage of units you are taking. This change will play a significant role in determining your Pell eligibility for financial aid.
What is Enrollment Intensity?
Enrollment intensity is a percentage that represents how many units you are taking compared to a full-time course load. Enrollment intensity is now used to calculate your Pell Grant award, providing a more accurate calculation. The chart below applies to the Federal Pell Grant, while other aids like SEOG will continue to use the Enrollment Level system.
| Units Enrolled | Enrollment Level | Enrollment Intensity New % of Pell |
|---|---|---|
| 12 or more | Full-time | 100% |
| 11 | 3/4-time | 92% |
| 10 | 3/4-time | 83% |
| 9 | 3/4-time | 75% |
| 8 | 1/2-time | 67% |
| 7 | 1/2-time | 58% |
| 6 | 1/2-time | 50% |
| 5 | Less than 1/2-time | 42% |
| 4 | Less than 1/2-time | 33% |
| 3 | Less than 1/2-time | 25% |
| 2 | Less than 1/2-time | 17% |
| 1 | Less than 1/2-time | 8% |
Is There a Lifetime Limit for Receiving the Federal Pell Grant?
Students can receive a Pell Grant for a maximum of six years, which is equal to 12 full-time semesters, including semesters used at other colleges and summer terms. The amount of a scheduled Pell Grant award you can receive each award year is 100% for full-time enrollment, so the six-year equivalent is 600%.