Federal Pell Grant
Pell is a federal grant for high-need undergraduate students who have not earned a bachelor's degree. Eligibility is determined by the student’s SAI that is produced from the FAFSA and is based on Dependency, Marital Status, Adjusted Gross Income (AGI), Poverty Level, and Enrollment Status. A Federal Pell Grant, unlike a loan, does not have to be repaid. You may not receive Federal Pell Grant funds from more than one school at a time.
Award amounts can change yearly. The maximum Federal Pell Grant award is $7,395 for the 2026–27 award year (July 1, 2026, to June 30, 2027). In certain situations, an eligible student can receive up to 150% of his or her scheduled Pell Grant award for an award year (to attend Summer Sessions for example).
Please note that you can receive the Federal Pell Grant for no more than 12 terms full-time terms or the equivalent (roughly six years, or 600%). You’ll receive a notice if you’re getting close to your limit.
Census Reductions
Students who are enrolled less than full-time (12 units) on census date (one day after the last day to add classes on GOLD) will have their Pell Grants for that quarter reduced to a level that reflects their enrollment intensity. Enrollment intensity is the percentage of full-time enrollment at which a student is enrolled, rounded to the nearest whole percent. For example, full-time enrollment is 12 units and if the student is enrolled in 7 units, the enrollment intensity would be 7 units ÷ 12 units × 100% = 58.3% (round to 58%). In this case, the student would be eligible to keep 58% of their Pell grant, and would be subject to a 42% reduction (or "bill back") of Pell.
| Units | Enrollment Intensity Formula | Pell Eligibility |
|---|---|---|
| 12 (or more) | 12 ÷ 12 = 1.0 | 100% |
| 11 | 11 ÷ 12 = 0.917 | 92% (8% Reduction) |
| 10 | 10 ÷ 12 = 0.833 | 83% (17% Reduction) |
| 9 | 9 ÷ 12 = 0.75 | 75% (25% Reduction) |
| 8 | 8 ÷ 12 = 0.667 | 67% (33% Reduction) |
| 7 | 7 ÷ 12 = 0.583 | 58% (42% Reduction) |
| 6 | 6 ÷ 12 = 0.50 | 50% (50% Reduction) |
| 5 | 5 ÷ 12 = 0.417 | 42% (58% Reduction) |
| 4 | 4 ÷ 12 = 0.333 | 33% (67% Reduction) |
| 3 | 3 ÷ 12 = 0.25 | 25% (75% Reduction) |
| 2 | 2 ÷ 12 = 0.0167 | 17% (83% Reduction) |
| 1 | 1 ÷ 12 = 0.083 | 8% (92% Reduction) |
| 0 | 0 ÷ 12 = 0 | 0% (100% Reduction) |
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) was signed into law on July 4, 2025. This legislation contains provisions that reshape student financial aid, including changes to Pell Grant eligibility.
Pell Grant Eligibility Changes Effective with the 2026-27 Academic Year:
- No more “Pellionaires” - Closes the so-called “Pellionaire loophole” that allowed students and families with low incomes, but significant assets, to receive Pell Grants. Students with an SAI equal to or greater than 14,790 (twice the maximum Pell Grant) are ineligible to receive a Pell Grant. Some current students who received Pell Grants for the past two years through this loophole will lose eligibility in 2026-27.
- No Pell Grant for students fully covered by non-federal grants and scholarships - Students who receive grants or scholarships from non-federal sources (institutional, state, or private) that cover their entire cost of attendance (COA) are ineligible to receive a Pell Grant, even if otherwise eligible for the program. Previously, a Pell-eligible student whose full COA was covered by non-federal sources could still receive a Pell Grant in addition to the non-federal aid. This change will affect student-athletes on full-ride scholarships, as well as other students whose institutional, state, and/or private aid meet or exceed full COA. Institutions can reduce non-federal aid to below the COA to preserve Pell Grant eligibility.
- Inclusion of foreign income in Pell determinations - Foreign income is now included in the adjusted gross income (AGI) used to calculate Pell Grant eligibility on the FAFSA. Families already listed foreign income on the FAFSA, but financial aid administrators previously had to manually review and determine if adding the foreign income to the AGI would make the student ineligible to receive the maximum Pell Grant. This change to the FAFSA makes this an automated process. Some students and families with foreign income who received a Pell Grant for the past two years will lose eligibility in 2026-27.
Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (SEOG)
SEOG is federal grant aid that must be awarded to students with the highest need. It is awarded to undergraduate students who are considered on-time FAFSA applicants and who are determined to have sufficient financial need. Here at UCSB we typically award $1,500 per year (or $500 per quarter).