Federal Pell Grant

The Federal Pell Grant is a federally funded, need-based grant awarded by the U.S. Department of Education.

  • Undergraduates who have not earned a bachelor’s or professional degree (and, in some cases, to those who are attending a post-baccalaureate teacher certificate program) are eligible.
  • This grant is awarded to those with an expected family contribution of less than 6,657 for the 2023-2024 academic year.
  • 2023-2024 awards vary from $767 to $7,395.
  • Students may receive up to three full-time semesters of Pell per year, however, they must be registered at least half-time (6 hours) to receive a Pell Grant during the summer if they have exhausted their fall and spring eligibility.
  • If you do not receive the full award during the fall and spring terms, you may be eligible for the remaining amount during the summer semester depending on enrollment.
  • You can receive up to the equivalent of 12 full-time semesters of funding, per federal law.
  • In the 2021 – 2022 academic year, 24.02% of full-time undergraduate students at the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign received a Pell grant to assist with their educational expenses.