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Federal Pell Grants
Managing Agency U.S. Department of Education http://www.ed.gov

Program Description

The Federal Pell Grant Program provides need-based grants to low-income undergraduate and certain post-baccalaureate students to promote access to postsecondary education. The maximum Pell Grant for the 2009-10 award year is $5,350. Grants are not loans. They do not need to be paid back.

General Program Requirements

Federal Pell Grants are direct grants awarded through participating institutions to students with financial need who have not received their first bachelor's degree or who are enrolled in certain post-baccalaureate programs that lead to teacher certification or licensure.

Students may not receive Federal Pell Grant funds from more than one school at a time.

Your Next Steps

The following information will lead you to the next steps to apply for this benefit.

Application Process

To determine whether you are eligible to receive assistance through this program, you must first complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Schools use the information from the FAFSA to determine your actual financial aid package. Complete the form online at http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/. Your school will inform you how much money you may be eligible for that academic year.

Program Contact Information

Additional information about Federal Pell Grants can be obtained at:
http://studentaid.ed.gov/PORTALSWebApp/students/english/PellGrants.jsp

The U.S. Department of Education's Student Aid on the Web-the gateway to Federal student aid, offers a single source of free information not only for applying for Federal aid, but also on choosing a career, selecting a school, and identifying non-Federal resources to pay for higher education:
http://studentaid.ed.gov
For general information about the Federal student aid programs, assistance in completing the FAFSA, and information about FAFSA on the Web, call the Federal Student Aid Information Center (FSAIC) at the following toll-free number:
1-800-433-3243

People who are hearing impaired may call this toll-free number:
1-800-325-0778

TTY users for the hearing impaired can call:
1-800-730-8913

Callers in locations without access to 800 numbers may call this non toll-free number:
319-337-5665