Eligibility

• To receive a Pell Grant, you must not have a bachelor's or professional degree yet. You also must be planning to enroll in a school at least half-time, working toward an associate or bachelor's degree or a certificate. You do not have to be accepted by a college yet when you apply, but you should be planning to attend in the fall. As with all other types of federal student aid, you also must have a high school diploma or the equivalent and be a U.S. citizen or an eligible non-citizen, such as a U.S. national or permanent resident.
  
  

Applying

• Apply for the Pell Grant by filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). You can submit the application as early as Jan. 1 of the year in which you plan to enter school. For example, if you will start college in fall of 2012, submit the FAFSA sometime after Jan. 1, 2012. Fill in the names of all of the schools to which you are applying so the government will send a copy of your FAFSA results to the financial aid office at each school. The financial aid package you receive from the school will indicate whether you have received a Pell Grant.
  
  

Award Amount

• The maximum Pell Grant you can receive, as of 2011, is $5,500 per year. This award amount varies depending on a few factors. The first is the family's expected financial contribution. The government calculates, based on the information on the FAFSA, how much the family should be able to afford to spend per year on school. The second major factor is the cost of attendance at each particular school. The government calculates the difference between a family's ability to pay and the cost of the school, then awards Pell Grants to help meet the need. Students with a greater need are likely to receive higher Pell Grant amounts.
  
  

Receiving the Award

• If you are selected to receive a Pell Grant, your school will get the award money from the federal government. The school will let you know whether it will apply the money directly to your tuition account or give you the money with a check. The school applies the money to your account or writes you a check once per academic term. If your school does not have academic terms, it will disburse the money in at least two installments during the year. If you are unsure of how and when you will receive the Pell Grant money, ask your financial aid office.