How much Pell do you have left? The lifetime limit
You can receive Pell Grants for about six years of full-time school, and then they stop. The federal limit is 600% “Lifetime Eligibility Used,” where 100% is one full-time year’s award, and it counts every Pell Grant paid to you since 1973-74. Source · FSA Handbook 2026-27, Vol. 7, Ch. 8
Recommended next step
See how much Pell you have left
Enter the share you've used from StudentAid.gov. See the full-time years and the dollars left at this year's maximum.
Check my Pell leftSee what this year's Pell is worth to you
Pell, your state grant and loan limits for your household in about two minutes.
Start the aid checkThat matters most if you’re going back. Pell from a first try at college, at any school, still counts against the same 600%.
Where does your income land on the Pell lines?
Answer two questions and you'll see it right here. Nothing to sign up for.
Each full-time year uses 100% of your lifetime Pell
The Department tracks your use as a percentage. A full-time student who gets a full year’s Pell uses 100%. Part-time enrollment pays a smaller award, so it uses a smaller share. Source · FSA Handbook 2026-27, Vol. 7, Ch. 8
Your FAFSA, Free Application for Federal Student Aid. The free federal form for grants, federal student loans and work-study. Most states and schools use it for their own aid too. Submission Summary shows where you stand with a Lifetime Limit flag and your percentage. Here is what each flag means for 2026-27.
| Flag | Lifetime Pell used | What it means this year |
|---|---|---|
| N | Under 400% | A full award, if you qualify |
| H | Over 400%, up to 500% | Likely a full award, but you are close |
| C | Over 500%, under 600% | A partial award: only what is left |
| E | 600% or more | No Pell. The limit is reached |
Near the limit, your award is whatever share is left
Once you’ve used more than 500%, less than a full year remains. The school subtracts your percentage from 600% and pays that share of a full award.
The handbook’s own example: a student at 533% has 67% left. At the 2026-27 maximum, that’s $7,395 × 0.67, or $4,954 after rounding down to the dollar. Schools round down so you don’t go over 600%. Source · FSA Handbook 2026-27, Vol. 7, Ch. 8
There’s no floor on this last award. The usual $740 minimum Pell doesn’t apply, so even a sliver of eligibility gets paid. Source · FSA Handbook 2026-27, Vol. 7, Ch. 8 At 590%, the most you could get is $739.
Some discharges give used Pell back
Federal law restores lifetime Pell in two situations, and you don’t have to apply for either. The Department adjusts your record and emails students who may be eligible. Source · FSA Handbook 2026-27, Vol. 7, Ch. 8
Your school closed
Closed after 1994
- Who qualifies
- You got Pell there, didn't finish, and were enrolled within two years of the closure
- What you do
- Nothing. Check your FAFSA Submission Summary for the new percentage
A loan was discharged
Four discharge types
- Who qualifies
- A closed school, false certification, identity theft or borrower defense discharge, for the same school and year as your Pell
- What you do
- Nothing. The Pell from that school and year comes back
Your record looks wrong
Dispute
- Who qualifies
- You think the Pell history behind your percentage is inaccurate
- What you do
- Ask your current school's aid office. It handles the dispute
Frequently asked questions
Does Pell from a school I didn’t finish count?
Yes. Every Pell Grant disbursed to you since 1973-74 counts toward the 600%, wherever you got it and whether or not you finished.
Is the limit really 12 semesters?
For a full-time student, yes: six full-time years of two semesters each. Part-time terms use less, so a part-time student gets more terms out of the same 600%.
Where do I see my percentage?
Your FAFSA Submission Summary shows your Lifetime Limit flag and percentage. Your school’s aid office can also see your current figure.
Can I get Pell for a second bachelor’s degree?
Generally no. Once you’ve earned a bachelor’s degree, Pell stops, whatever lifetime share is left. Source · FSA Handbook 2026-27, Vol. 7, Ch. 1
The two exceptions, postbaccalaureate teacher certification programs and eligible workforce programs, are in Pell for a second bachelor’s degree.
Your next step is your own percentage
Find your lifetime percentage on your FAFSA Submission Summary or at StudentAid.gov. Pell Years Left turns it into full-time years and the dollars left at this year’s maximum, before any email.
Turn your lifetime percentage into years and dollars
Enter the share you've used from StudentAid.gov. See the full-time years and the dollars left at this year's maximum, before any email.
Check my Pell leftWant your Pell lines by email? Go to the quick check
Sources
Every figure in this guide comes from one of these pages. How we check sources
Related Resources
Pell Grants for adults over 30: no age limit in 2026-27
Pell sets no age limit. For 2026-27 it pays up to $7,395, and a single parent of two with 2024 AGI up to $58,095 meets the maximum-award income test.
Finish your degree: where to go back after stopping out
43.1 million Americans have some college and no degree, and only 28% of those who stopped out would return to the same school. How to pick where to finish.
The SAI cutoff for Pell in 2026-27, and who it hits
From 2026-27, a Student Aid Index of 14,790 or more means no Pell Grant, even under the minimum-Pell income line. The four SAI zones and what each pays.