Publication Date: February 20, 2009
| DCL ID: | P-09-01 |
Subject: 2009-2010 Federal Pell Grant Payment and Disbursement Schedules
Summary: The attachments to this letter contain the 2009-2010 Award Year Federal Pell Grant Program Payment and Disbursement Schedules.
Dear Colleague:
Attached are both PDF and Excel versions of Payment and Disbursement Schedules for determining Federal Pell Grant awards for the 2009-2010 award year--July 1, 2009 through June 30, 2010--for full-time, three-quarter-time, half-time, and less-than-half-time students. All 2009-2010 Federal Pell Grant awards must be based on the attached schedules.
Note that because of the additional cells needed to display the extended eligible Expected Family Contributions (EFCs), we are presenting each of the schedules (full-time, three-quarter-time, half-time, and less-than-half-time) on two pages.
The maximum Federal Pell Grant award for the 2009-2010 award year will be $5,350, which is an increase of $619 from the 2008-2009 award year. This maximum award amount and the maximum eligible EFC of 4617 were established in the manner described in the paragraphs below.
On February 17, 2009, President Obama signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (P.L. 111-5) that included an appropriated amount for the Federal Pell Grant Program to establish the maximum Federal Pell Grant award for the 2009-2010 award year at $4,860. Recall that the College Cost Reduction and Access Act (CCRAA) (P.L. 110-84) provides for an automatic increase to the appropriated Federal Pell Grant maximum award for the 2009-2010 award year of $490 for students enrolled full-time. For students enrolled less-than-full-time, the increase is ratably reduced according to the student’s enrollment status. The CCRAA does not extend the maximum Federal Pell Grant eligible EFC beyond the EFC that was determined by the relevant appropriations - 4617 for the 2009-2010 award year. As noted, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 provides for a $4,860 Federal Pell Grant maximum award for the 2009-2010 award year, which is increased by $490 under the provisions of the CCRAA, resulting in a 2009-2010 maximum Federal Pell Grant of $5,350.
The Higher Education Opportunity Act (P.L. 110-315) modified the determination of the minimum Federal Pell Grant award. For 2009-2010, the minimum award is ten percent of the appropriated maximum, or $486. However, students whose EFC equals at least five percent of the appropriated maximum (243) are eligible for the minimum award of $486. Therefore, as stated earlier the maximum EFC that a student may have to be eligible to receive a Federal Pell Grant is 4617.
In developing the 2009-2010 Federal Pell Grant Payment and Disbursement Schedules, we used $4,860, the appropriated maximum 2009-2010 Federal Pell Grant award, to establish the EFC and Cost of Attendance (COA) parameters. We calculated individual grant amounts based on this maximum, the $486 minimum, and the various combinations of EFC and COA. We then added $490 (or a lesser amount for less-than-full-time recipients) to each cell in the schedules.
We appreciate your continued support in making Federal Pell Grant assistance available to students. If you have any questions regarding the enclosed 2009-2010 Federal Pell Grant Payment and Disbursement Schedules, please contact our Research and Customer Care Center staff. Staff is available Monday through Friday between the hours of 9:00 AM and 5:00 PM (Eastern Time) at 1-800-433-7327. After hours calls will be accepted by an automated voice response system. Callers leaving their names and phone numbers will receive a return call the next business day. Alternatively, you may FAX an inquiry to the Research and Customer Care Center at (202) 275-5532, or e-mail the Care Center at fsa.customer.support@ed.gov.
Sincerely,
James F. Manning
Acting Chief Operating Officer