Pell Recalculation Policy
I. Policy Statement
The Federal Pell Grant is awarded to eligible students based on the Estimated Family Contribution (EFC) as calculated in the Free Application for Federal Student Aid FAFSA. The Pell Grant is initially calculated for students based on full-time enrollment. Students who do not attend full-time will receive a pro-rated amount based upon the following:
II. Add/Drop Period
At the beginning of each semester, an add/drop period occurs. During this time, students may add or drop classes without penalty. No recalculation of Pell Grant occurs during this period.
Immediately following the last day of the add/drop period, also known as the Pell Recalculation Date (PRD), the Office of Financial Aid will recalculate all students’ Pell Grants based upon their enrollment. (See the Academic Calendar for the official PRD dates). Pell Grant amounts will be locked and no further recalculation will occur with the exception of the following:
- A student’s complete withdrawal from all classes; or,
- A change in the Estimated Family Contribution (EFC) as indicated in an updated FAFSA submitted by a student.
III. Initial FAFSA Received after the PRD
If a student submits a FAFSA after the PRD date or enrolls for the first time in a semester, the initial calculation will be based upon the number of credits the student is enrolled in at that time.
IV. Winter Session
Recalculation of Pell Grant will not occur for students enrolling in the Winter Session. However, students who enroll for winter but are not enrolled in Fall classes may be eligible for a Pell Grant.
IV. Examples of Pell Recalculation
Example 1: Student attends full-time during the first week of class. On the last day of add/drop, the student drops 2 classes.
In this example, the student’s Pell Grant will be recalculated to a half-time amount (50% of full-time scheduled amount).
Example 2: Student completes a FAFSA in the sixth week of a semester. At the end of the add/drop period they were enrolled full-time, but later withdrew from one class.
In this example, the student’s Pell Grant would be initially calculated in the sixth week of the semester at three-quarter time amount (75% of the scheduled full-time amount).
Example 3: Student is enrolled half-time at the end of the add/drop period. Later in the semester, they register for 2 more classes for the Winter Session.
In this example, the student’s Pell Grant would be calculated at the end of the add/drop period at a half-time amount. No recalculation would be allowed for the 2 additional Winter Session classes.
Example 4: Student is not enrolled in any classes at the end of the add/drop period for the fall semester. They complete their FAFSA in the eighth week of the fall semester. They register for 6 credits for the winter term.
In this example, the student’s Pell Grant would not be calculated at the end of the add/drop period because they are not enrolled in any classes at that time. The initial calculation of the Pell Grant would occur based upon 6 credits of registration for the winter term and the student would be eligible for a pro-rated amount of Pell Grant.