August 22, 2023
Pell Grant disbursement rules change for fall 2023
Submitted by Office of Student Financial Assistance
Federal Pell Grant recipients will notice a change in the business procedure the Office of Student Financial Assistance, or OSFA, will use to determine the amount of Pell Grant a student will keep. Beginning in fall 2023, OSFA will implement the use of a Pell Recalculation Date.
The Pell Recalculation Date is a point in the semester where the OSFA will confirm the number of credit hours a student is enrolled. If the student’s initial enrollment has changed as of the Pell Recalculation Date, the amount of Federal Pell Grant already disbursed will be adjusted — either up or down. A Pell Grant that is adjusted down may create a balance due, which the student will be responsible for repaying.
Example: Bob was enrolled full-time at the beginning of the semester, and his Federal Pell Grant was disbursed for the full-time amount. However, Bob dropped to seven hours and remained enrolled in seven hours as of the Pell Recalculation Date. Because Bob was enrolled in only seven hours on the Pell Recalculation Date, his Federal Pell Grant was reduced to reflect his enrollment.
The Pell Recalculation Date for fall 2023 will be Monday, Sept. 11. The date coincides with the last day to drop a 16-week course for a 100% tuition refund.
Read more about this change in procedure including Q&A on the Office of Student Financial Assistance's website.