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Pell Grant
The Federal Pell Grant is a federally funded, need-based grant awarded to undergraduate students. If determined eligible, a student can receive Pell Grant for a maximum of 12 full-time semesters or an equivalent. (Note: You do not have to be full-time to receive these funds). Amounts vary among students depending on their EFC and the number of eligible credit hours they are taking.
The amount of classes (hours) you decide to take affects your Pell Grant amount, and the specific classes do too! Make sure you regularly review your My FA Status account on eSantaFe for updates to your account based on the classes you are taking. Read the section below for details.
Check Your Financial Aid Status based on your enrollment on eSantaFe.
Learn more about the Pell Grant at Studentaid.gov.
Your Classes Affect Your Pell Grant Amount
See below for details about how your classes (enrollment) can affect the amount of Pell Grant you receive:
- All incoming Pell Grant students will be shown estimated awards based on full time enrollment before registering for classes.
- You don't usually have to be enrolled in 12 credit hours to receive the Pell Grant!
- However, if you enroll in less than 12 credit hours, your Pell Grant will decrease from what is initially estimated/previewed for you, but you may still be eligible for aid if less than full time.
- Some students may have their award completely cancel if they are less than full time, because of their Expected Family Contribution (EFC).
- Awards adjust up and down based on your enrollment up until the Last Day to Drop w/ a Refund for the parent term (the major semester).
- No grant increases can be made after this date, though if you drop classes after this date, the financial aid office may have to decrease your award, per federal rules.
- See the Enrollment Status and Financial Aid Section of the Financial Aid Handbook for details about how this works.
- In addition to the note above: If you add classes in mini-terms/flex-terms (i.e. B terms) and you are enrolled in the parent term, you will not get additional Pell Grant for that mini-term!
- Classes have to count toward your program of study or your Pell Grant will be reduced.
- If you have red messages on your schedule, then the Pell Grant can't cover those classes.
- Those classes are outside of your program, or you have 0 hours remaining in that subject area of your degree audit.
- You may also only receive the Pell Grant for a limited time. Learn more about the Lifetime Eligibility Usage (LEU) at Financial Aid TV.
Summer Pell Grants
Qualifying for Summer Pell Grant
Students who are otherwise eligible for the Pell Grant may qualify for the Summer Pell Grant. There are two situations where the Summer Pell Grant is available:
- You may not have attended full-time (12 credit hours) in either the fall semester or in the spring semester, so you have some of your annual Pell Grant amount available for you to use over the summer.
- You did attend full-time (12 credit hours) in the fall semester and spring semester, so you are using the additional 50% Summer Pell Grant that students may now access due to recently updated federal rules.
- For the additional 50% Summer Pell Grant, you must be enrolled at least half-time (6 credit hours) to get Pell Grant in the summer.
Depending on which Summer Pell Grant you are using, the rules are slightly different. If any portion of your Summer Pell Grant is coming from the second situation (if you were full-time in both the fall and spring semesters):
- The additional 50% Summer Pell Grant will not pay out (disburse) until you have attended at least 6 credit hours in the Summer.
- It is recommended that you do not split enrollment between mini-terms/mini-semesters for Summer Pell Grant!
- You may receive a bill from the Cashier's Office if you have split enrollment for the Summer, since your Pell Grant does not pay out until after B term begins.
- If at any point, you are enrolled in less than half-time (6 credit hours), the full amount of the Summer Pell Grant will be forfeit, so it will be cancelled.
- This means the Pell Grant may have to be paid back or it will never be paid out/disbursed, and you will owe for any classes that were held/deferred using the estimated amount.
Basically, for Summer Pell Grant you are encouraged to plan your classes thoroughly with your Academic Advisor, enroll as early as possible in the major/parent semester (as opposed to a mini-term), and not adjust your enrollment once you have enrolled.
Summer Pell Grant Process
- The Summer Pell Grant is automatically awarded to students who are enrolled in their summer classes.
- Check the status of your Summer Pell Grant on My FA Status on eSantaFe.
- The process runs every Tuesday beginning when regular registration opens for summer classes.
- If you need to hold classes and it is near the last day to add or the last day to drop, please notify the Financial Aid Office.
- This process may create a deferment and may hold classes, so be sure to actively drop any classes that you do not want to take.
- Summer funding will cancel for students who are not meeting Satisfactory Academic Progress when grades post at the end of the spring semester, however.
Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG)
The Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG) award is a need-based grant program for undergraduate Pell Grant recipients demonstrating exceptional need. Because funding is limited (there are more students than there is funding), this grant is distributed on a first-come-first-served basis based on early FAFSA application date to students with a low Expected Family Contribution (EFC).
After completing the FAFSA and the financial aid process, qualifying students are automatically awarded the FSEOG award based on available funding. There is no need to contact the financial aid office. Doing so does not make a student more likely to be awarded, since there are set criteria to receive this grant. After the fall semester begins, students not enrolled will be identified and their award will be cancelled and then additional students are awarded from a waiting list based on their date of FAFSA completion, though priority may be given to students who received the grant in prior years. Students who previously received the award may or may not receive this FSEOG award the next year; it depends on FAFSA completion date / if funds are available.
Fees may be deferred and books may be charged to accepted awards. A minimum of half-time enrollment status (6-8 hours) per parent term is required in order to be eligible and receive funds. The award will cancel if a student is enrolled less than halftime when enrollment is calculated for that semester. FSEOG awards are subject to change if any corrections or changes are made to your file, including receipt of other aid that decreases or eliminates your eligibility.
Florida Student Assistance Grant (FSAG)
The Florida Student Assistance Grant (FSAG) Program is a grant program available to degree-seeking, resident, undergraduate students who demonstrate substantial financial need (according to the FAFSA-based Expected Family Contribution, or EFC) and are enrolled in at least 6 credit hours. The award will cancel if a student is enrolled less than halftime when enrollment is calculated for that semester. You must be meeting Satisfactory Academic Progress, not in default on a federal student loans, or owe a grant repayment.
Since there are a number of students who qualify for a 0 EFC at SF, awards may also be distributed by FAFSA completion date for equity. FSAG awards are subject to change if any corrections or changes are made to your file, including receipt of other aid that decreases or eliminates your eligibility for the FSAG.
First Generation Matching Grant (FGMG)
The First Generation Matching Grant (FGMG) program is a need-based grant program available to degree-seeking, resident, undergraduate students who demonstrate substantial financial need, and whose parent(s) have not earned a baccalaureate or higher degree.
Each year, the State of Florida and schools must determine if there is enough funding to participate in this program. The Financial Aid Office is informed of the amount of money available to award students for the FGMG after the fall term begins each year, usually in late October.
If funds are available for the subject year, qualifying students are automatically awarded FGMG after completing the FAFSA and the financial aid process. There is no need to contact the financial aid office. Doing so does not make a student more likely to be awarded, since there are set criteria to receive this grant. Students are awarded from a waiting list based on documented criteria. Because funding is limited (there are more students than there is funding), this grant is distributed on a first-come-first-served basis based on early FAFSA application date to students, though priority may be given to students who received the grant in prior years. FGMG awards are subject to change if any corrections or changes are made to your file, including receipt of other aid that decreases or eliminates your eligibility for the FGMG.