Federal Pell Grant

Many Penn College students are awarded Federal Pell Grants to help cover college expenses. The expected maximum 2026-27 annual award is $7,395 or $3,698 a semester, for full-time enrollment.

To be eligible, you must:

• Be enrolled as a degree- or certificate-seeking student in any of our majors
• Have not completed the requirements for a baccalaureate or graduate degree
• Not be in default of a federal loan
• Not have reached the Pell Grant lifetime eligibility limit
• Maintain satisfactory academic progress toward the completion of your degree or certificate
• Not awarded a Pell Grant from another college during a concurrent term

Students who have a parent who died in the line of duty as defined by Federal Student Aid and are eligible for a Federal Pell Grant will be awarded the maximum Pell Grant amount. The Financial Aid team may require documentation.

You’ll need to complete the FAFSA  to be considered for Pell Grants. You might also have to provide Federal Verification.

 Once awarded, Pell-eligible students with a completed FAFSA will see their award amount (initially based on full-time enrollment) on the Student Portal.

Pell Grants are prorated for part-time students after they are scheduled, based on the number of enrolled credits. Full-time enrollment is 12 or more credits per semester. 

• The percentage of a part-time semester award is determined by the number of credits divided by 12 credits. As examples: 
  • If you are enrolled in 9 credits, your Pell Grant will be approximately 9/12 or 75% of a full-time semester award. 
  • If you are enrolled in 6 credits, your Pell Grant award will be approximately 6/12 or 50% of a full-time semester award.

Penn College has a Pell Grant recalculation date, which occurs at the end of the drop-add period. Pell awards are adjusted, as needed, based on your changes in enrollment intensity (12 or more credits, 11, credits, 10 credits, etc.) during the drop-add period.

• For full-semester courses during fall and spring semesters, the drop-add period extends through the first three weeks of the semester.
• For summer semester courses and short-term courses (modules) the drop-add period extends through the 20% period of each course, measured in days. Pell awards are adjusted, if needed, based on your enrollment intensity changes before the end of the drop-add period.

Jordan begins a semester with 13 credits and a full-time Pell Grant award of $1,000. If Jordan drops a 4-credit, full-semester fall semester course in the first three weeks of the semester, Jordan's enrollment intensity changes to 9 credits and the Pell Grant award is reduced to $750. The College will also reduce the cost of the dropped course by 70%. If Jordan withdraws from the course after attending through the third week, there will be no reduction in either the Pell Grant or the cost of the course.

All of your Federal Pell Grant may be used to reduce your student bill charges rather than be refunded to you. If you're sponsored for educational costs by an agency or program, your Pell Grant may be used first to reduce that program’s cost to sponsor you.

If the total of your Federal Pell Grant and other aid is greater than your student charges on your bill, the excess amount will be refunded to you by way of a 'stipend' and can be used for other educational expenses like off-campus housing and food, books, and transportation. Stipends for grant awards (Pell, PA State, FSEOG, etc.) are not issued until a month or more after the semester begins. You'll need to cover these other educational costs until that time.

Students with a negative balance on their bill can use that amount to purchase required textbooks and supplies approximately ten days before the start of a semester by showing their Penn College ID at the College Store.

Pell-eligible students enrolled for Summer 2026 are awarded a Pell Grant based on their number of eligible summer credits. Feel free to contact the Financial Aid Office for more information.