*Enrollment as end of day is used to evaluate and adjust aid

Yes, students can receive the Federal Pell Grant for a total of six equivalent years. A student who receives the Federal Pell Grant in both the fall and spring semesters of an academic year will have used 100% of 1 year of eligibility. 

Students awarded above their lifetime limit will have their Federal Pell Grant either reduced or canceled to prevent an overpayment. 

Depending on when we are notified of an overpayment, our office will be obligated to cancel the Federal Pell Grant that has already been credited to your account or even refunded to you. Unfortunately, this will create a balance on your student Bursar Account that you will need to resolve. When this occurs, you will be notified by our office via your student Catmail account.  

Any reduction or cancellation of the Federal Pell Grant will vary based on the amount and when the student is awarded. 

It is not uncommon for the Federal Pell Grant to have disbursed prior to our office reviewing a student’s remaining eligibility. However, students should review their To-Do items on their UAccess Student Service Center for any notifications.

Students can see their entire Federal Pell Grant history when logging into their StudentAid.gov account. 

Your Student Aid Report (SAR) or FAFSA Submission Summary, that is provided to you once you have submitted your FAFSA, will also inform you if you are at or near your lifetime eligibility. Our office will also send communications to students who have been identified as nearing their lifetime limit via their CatMail and To-Do items.

If you have already received the maximum eligibility for the Federal Pell Grant, you may still have the option to utilize Federal or Private Student Loans to supplement your educational costs. 

For scholarship options, check out Scholarship Universe, our scholarship-matching tool for admitted University of Arizona students.

At the end of every semester, students who received one or more E grades are reviewed. If a student has stopped attending and participating in a course (academic related activity), they are no longer eligible to receive the Federal Pell Grant funds associated with that course. This will result in a re-evaluation of the student's Federal Pell Grant eligibility and the student’s enrollment load will be adjusted to only reflect courses the student completed. 

Examples of University of Arizona academic-related activities include but are not limited to physically attending a class where there is an opportunity for direct interaction between the instructor and students.

Acceptable:

• Exams, quizzes, or tutorials
• Computer-assisted instruction
• Completion of an academic assignment, paper, or project
• Participating in an online discussion about academic matters
• Initiating contact with a faculty member to ask a question about the academic subject studied in the course
• University of Arizona required study group where attendance is taken

Not Acceptable:

• Student's self-certification of attendance that is not supported by school documentation
• Verification of Enrollment form issued by the Registrar's Office
• Living in University of Arizona housing
• Participating in the school’s meal plan
• Participating in academic counseling or advising

Earned E grades do not negatively affect a student's Federal Pell Grant. As long as a student has completed the duration of their course, and there is substantial activity (recorded by the instructor only) of the student’s participation in the class, the Federal Pell Grant will not be canceled or reduced for that earned E grade. 

Examples of University of Arizona academic-related activities include but are not limited to physically attending a class where there is an opportunity for direct interaction between the instructor and students.

Acceptable:

• Exams, quizzes, or tutorials
• Computer-assisted instruction
• Completion of an academic assignment, paper or project
• Participating in an online discussion about academic matters
• Initiating contact with a faculty member to ask a question about the academic subject studied in the course
• University of Arizona required study group where attendance is taken

Not Acceptable:

• Student's self-certification of attendance that is not supported by school documentation
• Verification of Enrollment form issued by the Registrar's Office
• Living in University of Arizona housing
• Participating in the school’s meal plan
• Participating in academic counseling or advising

OSFA is obligated to follow the regulations surrounding Federal Pell Grant eligibility. When it has been determined by our office that a student is not eligible for the Federal Pell Grant, there is no appeal process to regain eligibility. 

It depends on the grade earned in the previous attempt:

• If a student is repeating a course that was previously failed, the student is eligible to receive financial aid for that course.
• If a student is repeating a course that was previously passed with a D or better (or “Pass” grade), the student can receive financial aid for the repeated course one additional time. This applies even if the student did not receive financial aid when they passed the course previously.
• Once a student has completed any course twice and earned a passing grade (with a D or better, including “Pass” grade) both times, they are no longer eligible to receive federal financial aid for that course.

If a student retakes a course that is no longer eligible for financial aid, the units are excluded from the total enrollment and the student’s financial aid will be adjusted to exclude these units.

If a student is required to retake a course to meet major/program GPA requirements, or if the student has a personal desire to receive an improved grade, the course still cannot be counted within a student’s enrollment for financial aid purposes. There is no appeal process for situations like this as federal regulations require OSFA to follow these policies. Please note that OSFA does not determine if a student may repeat a class. OSFA can only determine if the student is eligible for federal financial aid for the repeated class(es).

OSFA will review students who are taking a repeated course and will recalculate their financial aid based on their enrollment load without the repeated course. A student could have their Federal Pell Grant reduced or even canceled depending on the new enrollment load calculated.

OSFA encourages students to speak with their academic advisor about their graduation and enrollment plans. Remember, students may receive financial aid when repeating a course that was previously failed and when repeating a passed course one additional time. Take this into account when enrolling in classes and discuss it with your advisor prior to enrolling in a course. 

Repeat coursework can also have consequences on a student’s Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) calculation. For more information on how repeat courses are counted for SAP, please see the Financial Aid Policy for Satisfactory Academic Progress.

No, students who have completed/received their 1st bachelor's degree are not eligible for the Federal Pell Grant. This includes bachelor's degrees obtained from any institution in the United States or internationally. 

The Federal Pell Grant can only be awarded to students who are working on a 1st bachelor's degree. Students who are close to completing their 1st bachelor's degree will only be awarded the Federal Pell Grant for courses taken to complete this degree. If the student completes all courses needed for their 1st bachelor's degree before their graduation date but still has courses they need to take for their sequential degree the student will not receive the Federal Pell Grant for those courses taken for their sequential degree.

Our office identifies students who may have a discrepancy in the information provided on their FAFSA. Students who are identified will have communications sent from our office informing them on how to make the necessary changes to correct their FAFSA. If you notice that you made a mistake prior to our office contacting you, please contact our office to discuss more. 

Enrollment for the Federal Pell Grant will be recalculated based on confirmed attendance.