A student must be enrolled in an undergraduate course of study to receive a Pell Grant. A student who has earned a baccalaureate degree or a first professional degree cannot receive a Pell Grant. 

Pell Grant Scheduled Awards are based on information provided on the FAFSA form, the presence of a valid Student Aid Index (SAI) on the student’s FAFSA Submission Summary or ISIR, the academic year structure, and cost of attendance (COA) for a full-time student for a full academic year. The PELL Grant award will depend not only on the student’s Student Aid Index (SAI), but on the cost of education, enrollment status, and whether or not attendance is for a full academic year or less. A part-time student's financial aid is adjusted each semester according to the number of credit hours in which the student is enrolled.

For financial aid, enrollment intensity is calculated in the following manner: Enrollment intensity is the percentage of full-time enrollment at which a student is enrolled, rounded to the nearest whole percent. For example, if full-time enrollment is 12 credit hours and the student is enrolled in 7 hours, the enrollment intensity would be 7 ÷ 12 × 100% = 58%. Programs Offered in Standard Terms For federal student aid purposes, full-time enrollment for programs offered in standard terms is 12 credit hours. Below is a chart of enrollment intensity relative to full-time. Note that enrollment intensity cannot exceed 100% for purposes of Pell Grant proration.

Enrollment intensity only applies to Pell Grant eligibility. All other Title IV programs still use the categorical measures of enrollment status. 

If a student receiving financial aid merits a tuition refund due to withdrawal or a drop in the number of credit hours, the amount to be refunded shall be determined by the institution's refund policy. When tuition and fees are paid by a financial aid account, the refund is returned to that account and not to the student. Federal aid recipients who withdraw are subject to the federal return of funds regulations. A repayment of federal aid is required if a student withdraws before attending 60% of the semester. Students withdrawing or changing course loads should report this change to the Financial Aid Office.