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Emergency Notification

Summer Pell Grant

Year ‘Round Pell Grant – A Grant Opportunity to Support Summer Enrollment and Timely Graduation!

Students who qualify for Pell Grant may now utilize part of their overall Pell Grant eligibility in summer if they enroll in at least 6 units.  The grant can be directly used to offset part of summer tuition.  We encourage all undergraduates who have been awarded a Pell Grant for the current academic year to review the information below. 

General Eligibility Requirements

  • Must have been awarded a Pell Grant for the current academic year
  • Must have used the full-time annual award amount for Fall and Spring.  Students who did not utilize their full-time annual award amount must exhaust their remaining annual limit before being eligible for the additional Pell Grant Program. 
  • Must have remaining Lifetime Pell Grant eligibility 
  • Must meet Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) requirements
  • Must be enrolled and attend a minimum of six units of summer courses.  Any combination of units from any summer session counts for summer Pell Grant unless they have remaining annual Pell Grant eligibility. 

How does it work and what is Pell Grant Lifetime Eligibility?

Students are provided with a maximum of 12 full-time equivalent semesters Pell Grant eligibility that they may use to complete their first undergraduate baccalaureate degree.  If a student enrolled full-time in the fall and spring semester each year, the lifetime eligibility rule would allow for 6 years to complete their degree.  The federal government measures this in the following manner:

  If a Pell Grant is disbursed in a semester:

Units Attempted Lifetime Eligibility Used
Full-time enrollment (12 units or more 50.0%

Three Quarter time enrollment (9-11 units)

 37.5%

Half time enrollment (6-8 units)

25.0%

Quarter time enrollment (3-5 units)

12.5%

             
The sum of the Lifetime Eligibility Used for any term in which a Pell Grant was disbursed regardless of the institution where the grant was received may not exceed 600%.

Under Federal Pell Grant rules, students can use some of their lifetime eligibility early by enrolling in summer courses.  Remember you must enroll in at least 6 units during summer.  The Federal government did not allow the option for a Quarter time enrollment in the summer.  Students should review their overall academic plan to ensure they will graduate in a timely manner as Pell Grant eligibility is capped at 600% including summer awards.  The Federal Government allows for no exceptions to this cap.   

Students must have exhausted their full-time Pell Grant award during the fall and spring semesters in order to be eligible for the summer Pell Grant.  For example:  If Mary was full-time (12 units) in the fall and only three-quarter time (9 units) in the Spring, she has 3 units of Pell Grant eligibility which she must be used during the summer, before she can utilize the summer Pell Grant award.  Because she has remaining eligibility from the fall and spring terms, she is not required to enroll in 6 units.  However, if she wishes to add another 3 units to summer, bringing her to 6 units, she will qualify for 3 units of additional summer Pell Grant because she is taking a total of 6 summer units. 

To find out how much Pell Grant has already been used and whether you may have remaining annual Pell Grant eligibility, students may visit NSLDS for updated information  The Financial Aid Office will also post a Summer Pell Grant award for all eligible undergraduates and send a communication that includes their lifetime eligibility used at that time.    

Example A:  Jim is a first year freshman in 2022-23.  His six years of full-time Pell Grant eligibility ends in the Spring of 2028.  He takes 6 units in the Summer of 2023 and another 6 units in the Summer of 2025.  He has used 1 of the 12 terms between the 2 summers. If he remains full-time, his lifetime Pell Grant eligibility will now end after the Fall 2027 semester.

Example B:  Carol is a third year junior in 2022-23.  Her six years of full-time Pell Grant eligibility will end in Spring of 2026.  She was full-time during her freshman and sophomore years at Cal State LA.  She has already used 4 terms or 2 years of Pell Grant eligibility.  She decides to take 12 units in the summer of 2023 and 6 units in the summer of 2024.  She has used 1 ½ terms between the 2 summers. If she remains full-time, her lifetime Pell Grant eligibility will now end after the Fall 2025 term but she will only be able to get half-time Pell Grant during that term. 

Example C:  Arturo is a transfer student and enrolls full-time in 2022-223  He has already used 4 years of full-time Pell Grant eligibility at his previous institution.  His six year of full-time Pell Grant eligibility ends in Spring of 2024.  He decides to take 9 units in the summer of 2023.  He has used ¾ of a term for the summer. If he remains fulltime, his lifetime Pell Grant eligibility will now end after the Fall 2023 term but he will only be eligible to get less than half-time Pell Grant during that term. 

How much eligibility do I have remaining for summer?

Students may verify how much Pell Grant they have already used by visiting studentaid.gov .  The Financial Aid Office will also post a Summer Pell Grant award for all eligible undergraduates and send a communication that includes their lifetime eligibility used.

Application Process

Students who have remaining Pell Grant eligibility based on LEU (Lifetime Eligibility Used), will be automatically awarded a Summer Pell Grant.  The award posted will be based on full-time enrollment and will be prorated to reflect the number of actual enrollment.  The award will allow them to register for summer by only pre-paying the remaining amount due.  

Students will only use part of their lifetime eligibility if they enroll in summer courses and a Pell Grant is actually disbursed.  Student who do not wish to attend during the summer need to take no action as the award will be canceled and no eligibility will be used. 

Consider the Benefits and Things to Think About:

Benefits Things to Consider

 

  • Accelerate graduation:  Expedite graduation so that you can begin your career or start your graduate program sooner.
  • Schedule flexibility:  Summer courses can allow you complete required courses giving you more room to maneuver around a hectic schedule during the Fall and Spring semesters.
  • Pell Grant receipt in the summer can reduce your summer tuition “out of pocket” cost.
  • Summer classes are designed to meet degree requirements, are taught by our faculty, and allow you stay in our supportive environment. 

 

  • Must register and enroll in a minimum of 6 summer units:  This is a federal requirement to receive Pell Grant during the summer term.
  • Using your Pell Grant during the summer will count toward your 12 full—time equivalent terms of eligibility
  • Ensure you have an overall plan to graduate in a timely manner.  It would not be wise to take summer classes while receiving Pell Grant that are not required for your degree. 
  • There will still likely be a tuition balance or “out of pocket” expense.  


 

When can I expect the summer Pell Grant disbursement and what happens if I drop below half-time?

The disbursement of a Summer Pell Grant cannot occur until the student has enrolled in and attended 6 units of summer courses. Students who are unable to enroll in a minimum of 6 units will not be eligible to receive the federal Pell Grant award disbursement. 

Students who enroll in 6 units and receive their Pell Grant disbursement but withdraw from all 6 units are subject to the federal R2T4 calculation, which may reduce the award amount that they received.