Volume 7

The Federal Pell Grant Program & Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grants

Introduction

This volume of the Federal Student Aid Handbook provides information to assist schools in determining student eligibility for and calculating Federal Pell Grants, Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grants, and Children of Fallen Heroes Awards.

Content and organization of new Volume 7

This volume is new to the Federal Student Aid Handbook for 2023-24. It consolidates into a single volume most of previous Volume 3, Chapter 3 (“Calculating Pell and Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grant Awards”), guidance on Pell Grant cost of attendance issues from Volume 3, Chapter 2, the information on Pell-specific eligibility requirements in Volume 1, Chapter 5, and guidance on Pell Grant overawards from Volume 4, Chapter 3. Volume 7 is divided into eight chapters and one appendix:

  • Chapter 1: Pell Grant, Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grant, and Children of Fallen Heroes Award Eligibility

  • Chapter 2: Calculating Pell Grants

  • Chapter 3: Pell Grant Enrollment Status and Cost of Attendance

  • Chapter 4: Calculating Annual Awards using Pell Grant Formulas

  • Chapter 5: Summer Terms, Crossover Payment Periods, and Year-Round Pell

  • Chapter 6: Transfer Students and Remaining Eligibility

  • Chapter 7: Initial Calculations, Recalculations, and Overawards

  • Chapter 8: Pell Grant and Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grant Lifetime Eligibility Used (LEU)

  • Appendix A: Pell Formula Summaries

Some sections were moved or retitled to better align topics and assist with narrative flow. Use the search feature to find sections that may have been relocated or renamed. Some Pell Grant, Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grant, and Children of Fallen Heroes Award content was partially or fully duplicated in more than one section of the FSA Handbook. We have attempted to eliminate duplicative content, while ensuring that all relevant information previously in other volumes has been included in the new Volume 7. The following sections were removed from Volume 7:

  • Pell Grant Administrative Cost Allowance – this section was previously part of Volume 3, Chapter 3. It is fully discussed in Volume 4, Chapter 1.

  • Pell eligibility for religious orders – this section was previously in Volume 1, Chapter 5. This guidance is now in Volume 1, Chapter 1.

Significant changes for 2023-24

Throughout Volume 7, all dates, award years, and dollar values have been updated to reflect the 2023-2024 processing year. Also, where appropriate, links and publications associated with FSA’s Partner Connect and Knowledge Center have been properly updated. We have simplified the examples by eliminating the use of fictitious school and student names. Chapter 1 includes information on general eligibility for Pell Grants, Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grants, and Children of Fall Heroes Awards. The “Pell for incarcerated students” section was updated to reflect changes established by the FAFSA Simplification Act. Chapter 3, which discusses enrollment status and cost of attendance requirements for Pell Grants, was updated to reflect changes to cost of attendance elements established in the FAFSA Simplification Act. Chapter 4 consolidates into a single chapter the guidance on Pell Formulas 1-5 that was previously divided between the body of Volume 3, Chapter 3, Appendix A, and Appendix B. References to “minisessions” in Chapter 5 were updated to “modules” to align with terminology used in Volume 3, Chapter 1 in the discussion of academic calendars. Chapter 8 includes an update to Pell LEU restoration eligibility established in the FAFSA Simplification Act. Appendix A (previously Appendix C) now contains summaries of Pell Formulas 1-5.

Published: 08/25/2023