Financial Aid

Federal Pell Grant

Eligibility

The Pell Grant is one of Western's major sources of funds for undergraduate students who have exceptional financial need and are in a degree program. The Pell Grant will not pay for graduate and some retake, audit, or deleted courses.

NOTE: The amount of Federal Pell Grant funds a student may receive over his or her lifetime is limited by a new federal law to be the equivalent of six years of Pell Grant funding. For additional information, please visit Calculating Pell Grant Lifetime Eligibility Used or contact our office.  

Benefits

If eligible, the Pell Grant award will be listed on a student’s financial aid award notification. Annual award amounts are subject to Congressional appropriations.

Award amounts will be adjusted based on eligibility and enrollment. Federal regulations allow maximum eligibility for full-time (12 or more enrolled hours), 75% eligibility for three-quarter-time (9-11 enrolled hours), 50% eligibility for half-time (6-8 enrolled hours) and partial awards for some eligible students enrolled less-than-half-time (1-5 enrolled hours).

Application

To be considered for the Pell Grant, students must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

For more information see Section 10A in the Financial Aid Handbook.

Additional Requirements

The Pell Grant will not pay for courses dropped before or added after the certification date. The certification date is either 1) the 10th day of the semester, or 2) the date of the processed FAFSA application used for initial Pell payment, whichever is later.

Students who withdraw from or do not earn credit for a course for which they have received a Pell Grant award may be required to return Pell funds if they did not begin coursework or did not attend class. If at any time you anticipate your withdrawal from a course, please contact the Financial Aid Office to discuss how your aid may be affected.