The U.S. Department of Education (ED) calculates an eligibility index, which is primarily determined by answers to the FAFSA questions below. Each year ED determines Pell Grant eligibility.
- Student’s federal (IRS) financial income and IRS tax
- Student's untaxed income
- Parent’s federal (IRS) financial income and IRS tax
- Parent's untaxed income
- Number of family members in what FAFSA defines as student’s or parent’s ‘family size’
- Student’s and parent’s assets (if assets need to be reported) as of the day the FAFSA was first completed
- State of residency
- Age of parents
Note that parental data impacts eligibility for dependent students, but not for independent students.