The Federal Pell Grant is available to undergraduate students who have not earned a bachelor’s degree or its equivalent and who demonstrate financial need.
Application process: Eligibility is determined upon Adelphi’s receipt of your processed FAFSA. Students should complete and file the FAFSA as soon as possible after October 1.
Range of awards: For the 2024-2025 academic year the Federal Pell Grant ranges from a minimum of $740 per year to a maximum of $7,395 per year.
Eligibility: Beginning with the 2024-2025 award year, a student’s Scheduled Award or the maximum amount they can receive during the award year if they attend full-time for a full academic year will be one of the following:
- An automatic Maximum Pell Grant
- SAI-calculated Pell Grant
- A Minimum Pell Grant
If a student enrolls for less than 12 credits, the Scheduled Award will be adjusted based on the student’s Enrollment Intensity i.e. the percentage of full-time credits hours for which the student is enrolled (See table below).
Credit Hours |
Enrollment Category (Old) |
Enrollment Intensity (New) |
12 (or more) |
Full-Time |
100% |
11 |
Three-Quarter Time |
92% |
10 |
83% |
9 |
75% |
8 |
Half-Time |
67% |
7 |
58% |
6 |
50% |
5 |
Less-Than-Half-time |
42% |
4 |
33% |
3 |
25% |
2 |
17% |
1 |
8% |
Eligibility for the Maximum and Minimum Pell Grant is determined by tax filing status; family size and structure (i.e., single parent or non-single parent); poverty guidelines; and state of residency. If a student is eligible for a Maximum Pell Grant, the SAI will not be used to determine the grant amount. An SAI-calculated Pell Grant is the annual published Maximum Pell minus the SAI, rounded to the nearest $5. The student is ineligible for an SAI-calculated Pell Grant if the SAI-calculated Pell Grant is less than the published Minimum Pell. The student may still be eligible, however, for a Minimum Pell Grant if they meet the eligibility requirements.
The Higher Education Act (HEA) limits the lifetime eligibility to receive a Federal Pell Grant to 12 full-time semesters or the equivalent of 600 percent. This information is available on your FAFSA Submission Summary.
Transfer students who have received Federal Pell Grant from another institution during the same award year will have their award calculated based upon the percentage of Pell that was used at the prior institution. Federal regulations require that we request, through the National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS), updated information about any current year disbursements, so that your award is accurate and does not exceed any federally mandated maximums.
Pell Recalculation
Understanding the Pell Recalculation Date
Why Your Pell Grant May Change
Your Pell grant may be adjusted or recalculated if there are changes to your Student Aid Index (SAI) . This can occur at any time during the year if you make updates to FAFSA on studentaid.gov.
Additionally, your Pell grant may be recalculated if the number of credits you are enrolled for changes. Should your enrollment status change during the semester, we will only adjust your Pell grant based on your enrollment the day after the last day to add or drop classes.
Pell Recalculation Guidelines
- If you drop all courses, your Pell grant will be recalculated regardless of the date.
- If your SAI changes at any time during the year, your Pell Grant will be recalculated.
- If you add credits after the Pell Recalculation Date, your Pell grant will not be adjusted. Please make all changes prior to the Pell Recalculation Date to receive your maximum eligibility.
- We will only consider courses that you have begun, meaning the classes you attended. If you never attend any portion of a course, then the credits from this course will not be considered towards your Pell grant eligibility.
- Recalculation dates are set based on the last day to add or drop for each term. Your eligibility will be reviewed each term.
- If the original review for your Pell grant occurred after the Pell Recalculation Date, you will be reviewed based on your enrollment at the time of the original review.