Pell Grant Calculator

The Pell Grant Calculator helps users estimate their potential Pell Grant award based on their annual family income, family size, dependency and enrollment status, and total cost of attendance.

Use Our Pell Grant Calculator

How to Use the Pell Grant Calculator

The Pell Grant Calculator is a useful tool for estimating your eligibility and potential award from the Pell Grant program. To effectively use the calculator, follow the instructions below.

Input Fields

Begin by entering the required information in the input fields provided:

  • Annual Family Income ($): Enter your family’s total annual income. Ensure it’s a number between 0 and 999,999, as this will influence the Expected Family Contribution (EFC) calculation. This field is mandatory.
  • Family Size: Indicate the number of family members. The family size should be a number between 1 and 20, with a step value of 1. This information is crucial for accurate calculations and is required.
  • Dependency Status: Choose between “Dependent Student” and “Independent Student.” Your dependency status can affect the grant evaluation process. Selecting an option from this list is mandatory.
  • Enrollment Status: Select your enrollment status from the options: Full-time, Three-quarter time, Half-time, or Less than half-time. This selection helps to adjust the total Pell Grant award according to your enrollment intensity. This input is required.
  • Cost of Attendance ($): Enter the total cost of attendance. Make sure this amount is between 0 and 100,000. This value will determine the maximum possible award you can receive.

Result Fields

After providing the necessary information, the calculator will display the following results:

  • Expected Family Contribution (EFC): This is a key factor in determining your Pell Grant eligibility. The calculation considers your family income and size. If the income is less than $20,000, the result is $0. If it is between $20,000 and $30,000, it is calculated as 5% of the income, with further increments in percentage as income increases. The EFC is then adjusted by the square root of the family size.
  • Base Pell Grant Award: This represents the initial potential grant amount, calculated by subtracting the EFC from the maximum Pell Grant ($7,395) and ensuring the result does not exceed this cap.
  • Adjusted Pell Grant Award: The base award may be further adjusted based on your cost of attendance and enrollment status. It ensures you do not receive more than expected based on your school expenses and study load.
  • Per Semester Award: This figure divides your adjusted award in half, giving you an estimate of how much you could receive each semester.