Pell lifetime eligibility used, out of 600%.

The limit

34 CFR 690.6(e) says a student may receive no more than six Scheduled Awards, as determined by the Secretary. The statute, 20 U.S.C. 1070a(c)(5)(A), puts the maximum period at 12 semesters, or the equivalent of 12 semesters, and says that for a term when a student received Pell while enrolled at a fraction of full time, only that same fraction of the semester counts toward the limit. The shorthand 600% is six awards at 100% each.

How terms are counted

• One semester at full-time is 1, which is 50% of a Scheduled Award.
• A semester at half-time is 0.5, which is 25%.

Twelve semesters at 50% each is 600%. Quarter and trimester schools use "the equivalent of 12 semesters" under the same statute; ask your school how it converts.

Worked example

Four full-time semesters and two half-time semesters.

• Semester equivalents: 4 + 0.5 + 0.5 = 5.
• Used: 5 × 50% = 250%.
• Remaining: 600% − 250% = 350%, about 7 full-time semesters.

Limits

The Department of Education tracks the official percentage across all schools and years, and exceptions exist, including for some programs and periods listed in the statute (for example certain closed-school and false-certification cases). Check your own figure at StudentAid.gov, and ask your financial aid office what it shows for your enrolment intensity.

Sources

Primary sources opened and checked on November 2, 2026. This page has no affiliation with any agency; confirm with the agency before you rely on an amount or date.

• 34 CFR 690.6, Duration of student eligibility (eCFR). Read November 2, 2026.
• 20 U.S.C. 1070a, Federal Pell Grants, Cornell Legal Information Institute. Read November 2, 2026.