Financial Need

• One of the Pell Grant Eligibility Requirements is that student must demonstrate financial need. Financial need is the amount of tuition and expenses that remain after the student's expected family contribution has been subtracted from the total costs.
  
  

Educational Requirements

• In addition, in most cases an applicant must be a high school graduate or have earned a GED in order to be eligible for a Pell Grant. In some cases, however, students may pass an "Ability to Benefit" or ATB test in order to earn eligibility for this federal financial aid award.
  
  

Enrollment Status

• Students must be enrolled or have applied to enroll in a degree-granting program at a two or four-year college or university.
  
  

Citizenship

• According to Pell Grant Eligibility Requirements, applicants must be United States citizens, permanent residents, or eligible non-citizens. In addition, they must have a valid Social Security Number.
  
  

Selective Service

• All male applicants between the ages of 18 and 25 must register for Selective Service in order to be eligible to receive the Pell Grant.
  
  

Academic Progress

• Applicants must also maintain specific levels of academic performance in order to remain eligible for the Pell Grant. This includes meeting minimum grade-point average (GPA) requirements and attempting no more than 1.5-times the number of credits needed to earn a degree.
  
  

Certifications

• Finally, according to Pell Grant Eligibility Requirements, applicants must verify by signing a FAFSA form that any student aid funds they receive will be used exclusively for educational expenses, and that they do not have any current outstanding federal student loan or grant expenses.