Federal Pell Grant

The federal government provides grants for students who are attending college. The Pell Grant is a source of financial aid that generally does not have to be repaid.

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  • Eligibility


    • Students who display exceptional financial need.
    • Have not earned a bachelor’s, graduate, or professional degree.
    • Not currently incarcerated in a Federal or State prison.
    • Cannot receive a Pell Grant at two schools during the same semester.

  • Award Amount

    The amount you will get will depend on:

    • Your Expected Family Contribution (EFC) from the FAFSA,
    • The cost of attendance (determined by the school),
    • Your status as a full-time or part-time student, and
    • Your plans to attend school for a full academic year or less.

  • Pell Grant Recalculation

    The Pell Grant is adjusted to enrollment up until the Pell Recalculation Date (which we call Financial Aid Census Date [FAD]. See calendar. )

    Enrollment is locked on this date, and if a class is added after this date, students will not receive an additional Pell Grant to pay for the class.

  • Award Amount Example

    The following is an example of the adjustable Pell Grant amounts according to your enrollment.

    • $1,000 for 12+ credits
    • $750 for 9-11 credits
    • $500 for 6-8 credits
    • $250 for 1-5 credits

  • Disbursement

    The Pell Grant is disbursed three days before the first day of the semester and will automatically cover tuition and other authorized charges. After that date, disbursements are processed weekly.

    After the balance is paid, excess financial aid will be refunded to students by check.

    The Cashier’s Office will notify students when the check is available to be picked up or mailed.

  • Continued Eligibility


    • Complete a FAFSA each award year.
    • Meet Satisfactory Academic Progress each semester.
    • Meet all other eligibility requirements.
    • If a student has received the Pell Grant for the equivalent of 12 full-time semesters, they will no longer be eligible for the Pell Grant.
    • Students may receive a Pell Grant for up to three full-time semesters in one year.
    • For the third semester, students must be enrolled in at least six credit hours – unless there is a remaining Pell Grant from attending less than full-time in previous terms.
    View Your Pell Grant and Loan History

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Students who drop or withdraw from classes may need to repay a portion (or all) if they do not begin attending a course or complete the term with a 0.00 GPA. To read more about this requirement, please visit https://www.ensign.edu/return-title-iv-funds-withdrawals.

  • The federal Pell grant amount shown after students complete a FAFSA is the total amount for two terms–assuming full-time enrollment. The Pell grant adjusts according to the student’s enrollment. These adjustments are not automatic when a student adjusts their schedule; it happens each time a financial aid disbursement is run (which happens once a week).


    · Full-time (12+ credits)

    · 3/4-time (9-11 credits)

    · 1/2-time (6-8 credits)

    · Less than 1/2-time (1-5 credits)