In general, a student must be enrolled in an undergraduate course of study at a non-foreign institution to receive a Pell Grant. For the Pell Grant program, a student is an undergraduate only if the student has not earned or completed the requirements for a bachelor’s or professional degree. A student who has earned a baccalaureate degree or a first professional degree cannot receive a Pell Grant. However, students enrolled in an eligible post baccalaureate program as described below are still considered undergraduates for purposes of Pell Grant eligibility.
Definition of an undergraduate studentA student who completes a master’s program has earned a degree beyond the baccalaureate level, making the student ineligible for a Pell Grant even if they do not have a bachelor’s degree and enroll in an undergraduate program. Most professional degrees are also considered beyond the baccalaureate level; the same restrictions apply to students who have earned professional degrees considered beyond the baccalaureate level.
A student who has received an associate degree—or any certificate or diploma below the baccalaureate level—and who enrolls in another undergraduate program continues to be considered an undergraduate student until the student has completed the curriculum requirements for a first bachelor’s degree.
A student with a baccalaureate or professional degree is ineligible even if the degree is from an unaccredited school or is not recognized by your school. Similarly, a student with a baccalaureate or professional degree from a foreign school usually isn’t eligible for a Pell Grant. But because a foreign degree often won’t translate neatly into the American classification, the school must judge whether it equates to a U.S. bachelor’s degree. If the student provides written documentation that the foreign degree is not equivalent to a bachelor’s degree awarded in the United States, you may determine that the student does not have a bachelor’s degree. Documents supporting such a conclusion may include information about the type of school the student attended and total years of education leading to the degree.
A student enrolled in a program that lasts longer than five years, typically first professional degree programs such as a six-year pharmacy program, can be considered an undergraduate for only the first three or four years. Students enrolled in dual-degree programs that confer a bachelor’s degree and either a graduate or first professional degree are undergraduates for at least the first three years of the program. The school determines at what point after three years the student ceases to be an undergraduate student. The student must be considered a graduate student after the fourth year of such programs (see Volume 1, Chapter 1 for further discussion).
Occasionally a student will complete all the requirements for a bachelor’s degree but will continue taking undergraduate courses without accepting the degree. Your school must decide whether and at what point the student completed the baccalaureate course of study. If your school determines that the student did complete a bachelor’s program (regardless of whether the student accepted the degree), then the student is no longer eligible to receive a Pell Grant.
When an undergraduate student incorrectly reports on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA ® ) form that the student will be a graduate student or has a bachelor’s degree, the student must correct that information. Because the application shows that the student isn’t an undergraduate, the Department’s records will show that the student is ineligible for Pell. If the application isn’t corrected, the school won’t be able to pay the student a Pell Grant.
A student who is enrolled at least half time in a postbaccalaureate teacher certification or licensure program is eligible to receive a Pell Grant for the period necessary to complete the program if:
The program does not lead to a graduate degree; The school offering the program does not also offer a bachelor’s degree in education; The student is pursuing an initial teacher certification or licensing credential within a state; andThe program consists of the courses required by a state to receive a professional certification or licensing credential necessary for employment as a teacher in an elementary or secondary school in that state.
Under this very limited provision, a postbaccalaureate program is defined as a program that generally requires a student to have a bachelor’s degree before being admitted to the program. Accordingly, a program in which undergraduate students are routinely allowed to enroll would not meet the definition of a postbaccalaureate program for this purpose, nor would a program that is generally open to undergraduates but that also admits students with bachelor’s degrees. For federal student aid purposes, a school must treat a student who receives a Pell Grant under this provision as enrolled in an undergraduate program. Such a student is eligible for Federal Work-Study and fifth-year undergraduate (not graduate student) Direct Loan limits but would not be eligible for a Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG).