You may receive a check for your Pell Grant, or it may be applied to your school account.
Pell Grants help all types of students attend school, and since they are grants, not loans, they don't need to be repaid. If you're wondering if summer sessions qualify for Pell Grants, they do -- you might qualify to receive one during this shortened semester. However, several factors influence your eligibility, including how many grants you have received during the grant award year and your student status.
Financial Eligibility
To be eligible for a Pell Grant, you must be considered low-income by the federal government. The formula for determining whether you are low-income is complex and takes multiple criteria into consideration. If you are a dependent student, it considers your parents' contribution and whether you have other family members in school. If you are independent, it considers your income. Also, it considers the cost of tuition at your school and whether you are enrolled full-time or part-time.
Other Requirements
Aside from being deemed low-income, you must meet other requirements to receive a Pell Grant. You must be an undergraduate student working toward your first bachelor's or professional degree -- the exception to this rule is graduate students pursuing teacher certification. You must be enrolled at least half-time in school. If your summer school program will drop you less than half-time, you may not be able to receive a Pell Grant for the summer session.
The Pell Grant and Summer School
The 2011-12 Pell Grant award year covers July 1, 2011 to June 30, 2012: so if you already have used two Pell Grants before July 1, you won't be able to receive another one until the fall. However, if you received a single Pell Grant before July 1, 2011, you might qualify for one to help pay for summer school. Note that beginning with the 2011-2012 award year, the rule will change: at that time students will receive only one Pell Grant during a single award year.
How Much You Can Receive
Each Pell Grant pays up to $5,550 to help cover tuition, books and other expenses. However, you may not receive the maximum amount if your summer school session is less expensive than a full semester at your school. You also might not receive the maximum if your status drops from full to part-time. The amount you receive may change if you plan to attend school for less than a full academic year.
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