Grants
Federal Pell Grant Program
The Federal Pell Grant Program is an aid program designed to provide financial assistance to those who need it to attend college. Award amounts are based on adjusted gross income and number in household.
Federal Pell Grants are intended to be the "floor" of a financial aid package and may be combined with other forms of aid in order to meet the full costs of education. Students seeking financial assistance should apply for this type of aid.
Did you know there’s a maximum amount of Federal Pell Grant funds you can receive over your lifetime?
The amount of Federal Pell Grant funds you may receive over your lifetime is limited by a new federal law to be the equivalent of six years of Pell Grant funding. Since the maximum amount of Pell Grant funding you can receive each year is equal to 100%, the six-year equivalent is 600%. To determine how much of the maximum six years (600%) of Pell Grant you have used each year, the U.S. Department of Education (ED) compares the actual amount you received for the award year with your scheduled award amount for that award year. Of course, if you receive the full amount of your scheduled award, you will have used 100%. It’s possible that you might not receive your entire scheduled award for an award year. There are a number of reasons for this, the most common of which are that you are not enrolled for the full year or that you are not enrolled full-time, or both.
If you did not receive the full amount of your scheduled award, we calculate the percentage of the scheduled award that you did receive. For example, if your scheduled award for an award year is $5,000, but because you were enrolled for only one semester you received only $2,500, you would have received 50% of the scheduled award for that award year. Or if you received only $3,750 for the award year because you were enrolled three-quarter-time and not full-time, you would have received 75% for that year.
Lifetime Eligibility Used (LEU): ED keeps track of your LEU by adding together the percentages of your Pell Grant scheduled awards that you received for each award year. If you have questions regarding your LEU you may contact your assigned counselor to discuss this information.
Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant Program (FSEOG)
The FSEOG program is sponsored by the federal government and was authorized under the Higher Education Act of 1972. A limited number of these grants will be available to students who have "exceptional financial need". Any student who completes the federal application for financial aid is considered for this grant. Priority is given to early applicants.
North Carolina Student Incentive Grant (NCSIG)
Full-time students who are legal residents of North Carolina may apply for the NCSIG. These grants are awarded by College Foundation, Inc., Raleigh, NC. Students must demonstrate substantial financial need as calculated by the Department of Education. Students must apply for federal aid using the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form by March 15 of each year to be considered for these monies.
- In order to be considered for Federal and State grants, students must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) each academic year. Please visit the Apply for Financial Aid Page for full instructions on completing the application process.