Chapter	1
Student	Eligibility	for	Pell	Grants
General	Eligibility	Requirements	for	Federal	Pell	Grants
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	bachelor9s	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.
A	student	who	completes	a	master9s	program	has	earned	a	degree	beyond	the	baccalaureate	level,	making	the	student
ineligible	for	a	Pell	Grant	even	if	they	do	not	have	a	bachelor9s	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	degree4or	any	certificate	or	diploma	below	the	baccalaureate	level4and	who
enrolls	in	another	undergraduate	program	continues	to	be	considered	an	undergraduate	student	until	the	student	has
completed	the	curriculum	requirements	for	a	first	bachelor9s	degree.
A	student	with	a	baccalaureate	or	professional	degree	is	ineligible	even	if	the	degree	is	from	an	unaccredited	school	or	is
not	accepted	for	admission	or	transfer	credit	by	your	school.	Similarly,	a	student	with	a	baccalaureate	or	professional
degree	from	a	foreign	school	usually	isn9t	eligible	for	a	Pell	Grant.	But	because	a	foreign	degree	often	won9t	translate
neatly	into	the	American	classification,	the	school	must	judge	whether	it	equates	to	a	U.S.	bachelor9s	degree.	If	the
student	provides	written	documentation	that	the	foreign	degree	is	not	equivalent	to	a	bachelor9s	degree	awarded	in	the
United	States,	you	may	determine	that	the	student	does	not	have	a	bachelor9s	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	bachelor9s	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	bachelor9s	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	bachelor9s	program	(regardless
of	whether	the	student	accepted	the	degree),	then	the	student	is	no	longer	eligible	to	receive	a	Pell	Grant.
Wrong	Grade	Level	on	the	FAFSA	Form
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	bachelor9s	degree,	the	student	must	correct	that	information.	Because	the
application	shows	that	the	student	isn9t	an	undergraduate,	the	Department9s	records	will	show	that	the	student	is
ineligible	for	Pell.	If	the	application	isn9t	corrected,	the	school	won9t	be	able	to	pay	the	student	a	Pell	Grant.
Definition	of	an	Undergraduate	Student
34	CFR	668.2