The Federal Pell Grant Program allows an eligible student to receive up to 150 percent of the student’s Federal Pell Grant scheduled award. This is known as “Year-Round Pell”. Year-Round Pell benefits a student that was enrolled full time in the Fall and Spring terms and allows them to receive up to an additional full Federal Pell Grant for the Summer. Students may take advantage of this program to earn their degree faster.
Eligibility Requirements:
- Students must be eligible to receive Federal Pell Grant for the payment period.
- Students must be enrolled at least half-time.
- Students must maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)
- Students must have utilized 100% of the Federal Pell Grant prior to receiving additional funds.
Things to keep in mind:
- Summer terms are shorter – Take a manageable caseload.
- Failure to complete courses and/or failure of courses can affect a student’s eligibility (SAP)
- Only take courses that are required toward program of study.
- Summer Federal Pell counts toward a student’s Lifetime Eligibility Used
- Award amount cannot exceed the maximum award for one payment period.
Calculating Lifetime Eligibility Used
Lifetime Eligibility Used (LEU) refers to the total amount of Pell Grant funds a student can receive over their lifetime. If Boomer is disbursed Pell for full-time enrollment for the fall and spring semesters, their Pell Grant usage for that year equals 100%. Everyone’s lifetime limit is set at 600% by federal law, which means students have 6 years of eligibility before reaching that 600% lifetime maximum.
Here’s an example to demonstrate how LEU is calculated (assuming full-time enrollment):
| Year in School | Fall Pell Usage | Spring Pell Usage | Single Year Pell Usage | Lifetime Pell Usage |
| Year 1 | 50% | 50% | 100% | 100% |
| Year 2 | 50% | 50% | 100% | 200% |
| Year 3 | 50% | 50% | 100% | 300% |
| Year 4 | 50% | 50% | 100% | 400% |
| Year 5 | 50% | 50% | 100% | 500% |
| Year 6 | 50% | 50% | 100% | 600% |
If a student were to take advantage of Year-Round-Pell, they would receive additional Pell grant funds each year. They are still limited to a lifetime limit of 600%, so they simply reach their lifetime limit more quickly.
Here’s an example to demonstrate how LEU affects lifetime eligibility (assuming full-time enrollment):
| Year in School | Fall Pell Usage | Spring Pell Usage | Summer Pell Usage | Single Year Pell Usage | Lifetime Pell Usage |
| Year 1 | 50% | 50% | 50% | 150% | 150% |
| Year 2 | 50% | 50% | 50% | 150% | 300% |
| Year 3 | 50% | 50% | 50% | 150% | 450% |
| Year 4 | 50% | 50% | 50% | 150% | 600% |
As you can see, utilizing Year-Round-Pell results in a student reaching their lifetime limit more quickly, but they are still eligible for Pell Grant funds for at least 4 years.
Student can check their LEU percentage at any time by logging into Federal Student Aid.
Summary
- Year-Round-Pell can help students complete their program and earn a degree more quickly.
- It’s not too late to register for summer courses – most classes begin June 13, 2022.
- Contact the Office of Student Financial Aid with questions.
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