Grants
A grant is considered gift aid. In most cases it does not have to be repaid and is based on financial need. Grants are awarded to undergraduate students who have not obtained a bachelors or professional degree. There are several types of grants awarded to students depending upon financial need and school choice.
Federal Pell Grants are primarily awarded to undergraduate students who have not earned a bachelor's or a professional degree. This is gift aid which usually does not have to be repaid. Your eligibility is determined by completing the FAFSA. Pell Grant recipients must maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress.
The amount of your Federal Pell Grant is based on your Expected Family Contribution (EFC) and the number of hours for which you are enrolled. Pell Grant amounts will be adjusted based on enrollment level until the end of the drop/add period for each term.
- A full-time student enrolls for twelve or more hours.
- A three-quarter-time student enrolls for nine to eleven hours.
- A half-time student enrolls for six to eight hours.
- A less than half-time student enrolls for less than six hours.
New Federal regulations require that beginning Fall 2012, students are now limited to 12 semesters (or 600%) of Federal Pell Grant eligibility during their lifetime. This change affects all students regardless of when or where they received their first Federal Pell Grant.
Whether you have used all of your Pell Grant eligibility or not, please be conscious about the lifetime limit of the Pell Grant when changing majors and/or scheduling classes.
How is the Percentage Used Calculated?
The percentages are based off the annual award at full-time enrollment status. For students with an annual award for 2017-2018 academic year, attending 12 or more credits in each semester (Fall and Spring for example), the percentage used for the 2017-2018 academic year is 100%. If you only attended 9 credits for two semesters, your percentage used for the academic year would be 75%.
| Academic Year | Pell Annual Percentage | Enrollment |
|---|---|---|
| 2017-2018 | 125% | Full-time Fall Full-time Spring Part-time Summer* |
| 2018-2019 | 125% | Full-time Fall Full-time Spring Part-time Summer |
| 2019-2020 | 150% | Full-time Fall Full-time Spring Full-time Summer |
| 2021-2022 | 50% | Full-time Fall** |
| Total | 600% |
| Academic Year | Pell Annual Percentage | Enrollment |
|---|---|---|
| 2017-2018 | 150% | Full-time Fall Full-time Spring Full-time Summer |
| 2018-2019 | 150% | Full-time Fall Full-time Spring Full-time Summer |
| 2019-2020 | 150% | Full-time Fall Full-time Spring Full-time Summer |
| 2021-2022 | 0% | No Eligibility Left** |
| Total | 600% |
* Example calculates 6 credit hours as part-time
** PELL Lifetime Eligibility Usage is exhausted once 600% is reached. Student may
continue taking courses but will not receive a PELL Grant
How can I check?
You may view your percentage of Pell Grant used by logging into NSLDS. You will need your Federal Student Aid FSA ID to log in. Your 'Lifetime Eligibility Used' percentage will be displayed in the 'Grants' section.
The FSEOG is awarded to undergraduate students with exceptional financial need - those with the lowest Expected Family Contribution (EFC) as determined by the FAFSA. The award is administered directly by the financial aid office. Federal Pell Grant recipients receive priority for FSEOG awards. FSEOG recipients must maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress.
You may hear about submitting your FAFSA early to potentially be awarded the state CAP grant. CAP Grants help Kentucky's financially needy undergraduate students attend eligible public and private colleges and universities, proprietary schools, and technical colleges.
The College Access Program Grant is awarded to students that are:
- A Kentucky resident
- Enrolled at an eligible college at least half-time in a program that is at least two years (48 credit hours) in length.
- Be PELL eligible and meeting Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)
Students that are awarded the CAP grant will receive notification from the Kentucky Higher Education Assistance Authority (KHEAA). The funds are distributed first come, first serve to early FAFSA applicants. For a regular fall/spring term CAP Grant amounts will be adjusted based on enrollment at the end of the drop/add period for each term. You may create a login to your MyKHEAA to view all potential state awards, including KEES at www.kheaa.com.
