Pell Grant 2026–27: Who Qualifies and How Much

How much is the Pell Grant in 2026–27?

A Pell Grant is a grant, so you do not pay it back. The amount depends on your financial need, your school’s cost and how many classes you take.

All amounts on this page are for 2026–27. They were announced on January 30, 2026. The 2027–28 amounts and SAI cutoff have not been announced yet. We will update this page when they come out.

Who qualifies for a Pell Grant?

Use this checklist. You need a “yes” on every line.

• You are an undergraduate. Graduate students cannot get Pell Grants.
• You do not have a bachelor’s degree or a graduate or professional degree. One exception: some students in a teacher certification program after college can still qualify.
• You have financial need. The FAFSA measures this with your SAI (see below).
• Your SAI is below $14,790 for 2026–27.
• You meet the basic federal aid rules, such as being a U.S. citizen or eligible noncitizen.
• Your school and program take federal aid. Ask the financial aid office if you are not sure.
• You have not used up your lifetime limit.

What is the SAI?

SAI stands for Student Aid Index. It is a number the FAFSA works out from your family’s income, savings and family size. It can be as low as −1,500. A lower SAI means more need, so it usually means more aid. For a full explanation, see How to Apply for Financial Aid.

Two new Pell rules since July 2026

A 2025 law, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, added two limits. They started with the 2026–27 award year.

1. The SAI cutoff. If your SAI is twice the maximum Pell Grant or higher, you cannot get a Pell Grant. For 2026–27, that is $14,790. The cutoff does not apply to children of certain servicemembers and public safety officers who died. They can get the maximum Pell Grant no matter what their SAI is, if they were under 33 on January 1 before the award year. The parent must have died in the line of duty.
2. The full-cost rule. If non-federal grants and scholarships already cover your full cost of attendance, you cannot also get a Pell Grant. Cost of attendance (COA) is your school’s estimate of a full year of school, including tuition, housing, food, books and travel.

How your Pell Grant is figured

For most students, the school starts with a simple formula: the maximum Pell Grant minus your SAI. Then it rounds to the nearest $5.

These are full-time, full-year amounts. Your real award can be lower for three reasons.

• Part-time study. Part-time students get a smaller Pell Grant. The school adjusts it to how many credits you take.
• Low school cost. Your Pell Grant can’t be more than your school’s cost of attendance.
• Other grants. The full-cost rule above can cancel your Pell Grant.

Who gets the maximum or minimum automatically?

Some students qualify through an income test. It compares adjusted gross income (AGI) to the federal poverty guideline for the family’s size and state. AGI is the income figure from a federal tax return.

A dependent student whose parents did not file a federal tax return gets an SAI of −1,500. That means the maximum Pell Grant. Foreign earned income that is left out of AGI is now added back for these tests. For the 2027–28 FAFSA, the tests use the 2025 poverty guidelines. To get the minimum Pell this way, your SAI must still be below twice the maximum ($14,790 for 2026–27).

How long can you get a Pell Grant?

The lifetime limit is 600%. Each full-time year of Pell uses 100%, so the limit equals six full-time years. Part-time years use less. Once you reach 600%, you can’t get more Pell Grants. Your aid office can tell you how much you have used.

Pell for short job-training programs

Since July 1, 2026, Pell Grants can also pay for approved job-training programs of 8 to under 15 weeks. This is called Workforce Pell. Students who already have a bachelor’s degree can qualify for these programs. Only some programs are approved so far. See Types of Financial Aid and ask your school.

Pell for students in prison

Incarcerated students can get a Pell Grant if they enroll in an approved Prison Education Program. Ask the program about its federal aid approval.

How to apply for a Pell Grant

1. Fill out the FAFSA. It is free at studentaid.gov. There is no separate Pell application.
2. Pick the right year. For classes from July 1, 2027 to June 30, 2028, use the 2027–28 FAFSA. It opened on September 23, 2026. For this school year, the 2026–27 FAFSA is open until June 30, 2027.
3. List every school you might attend. Each one uses your FAFSA to build its aid offer.
4. Read your FAFSA Submission Summary. It shows your SAI and an estimate of your Pell eligibility. For 2027–28, your school’s final award will use the 2027–28 amounts, which are not set yet.
5. Apply again every year. Pell is not automatic for later years.

File early. Some aid you apply for with the FAFSA, such as some state grants, can run out.

What to do if Pell does not cover your costs

Use free money first: Pell, state grants, school grants and scholarships. Then use work-study and federal student loans. Use private loans last, and only for the gap that is left. Start with How to Find Scholarships. If your family’s income dropped after the tax year the FAFSA uses, ask your school’s aid office to review your aid.