Pell Grant Calculator: How Much Pell Grant Will I Get?
The maximum Federal Pell Grant for 2026-27 is $7,395 for a full-time student. A calculated Pell Grant is $7,395 minus the SAI, rounded to the nearest $5, when that is at least the $740 minimum (an SAI up to 6,655). With an SAI from 6,656 to 14,789, only students who meet the Minimum Pell test qualify, for $740; at 14,790 or more there is no Pell Grant.
Maintained by Archie Chang · Amounts checked against ED sources November 8, 2026 · Methodology & sources
Estimate for planning only. Your school determines the actual award from your FAFSA results, cost of attendance and enrollment.
Your 2026-27 Pell Grant estimate
Award year 2026-27 (the only year with published amounts). Do not know your SAI? Use the SAI calculator first. It gives a 2027-28 SAI; this page applies 2026-27 amounts.
Estimated annual Pell Grant
$7,395
Full-time student, full academic year (the Scheduled Award). Maximum $7,395, minimum $740. Part-time enrollment lowers the annual award; your school applies that.
- SAI 0 is 0 or below, so the award is the $7,395 maximum.
- No cost of attendance entered, so no cap is applied.
The SAI calculator gives a 2027-28 SAI. Using it here assumes the 2027-28 maximum is still $7,395, which has not been announced; the Max Pell and Min Pell tests for 2026-27 use the 2024 poverty guideline.
How the Pell Grant is calculated
A student can qualify under one of three sets of criteria: Maximum Pell, Minimum Pell, or a Calculated Pell Grant based on the SAI. The maximum for the 2026-27 award year (July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027) is $7,395. The minimum award is 10% of the maximum, rounded to the nearest $5, which is $740.
For a calculated award the Handbook gives four steps.
- Subtract the SAI from the published maximum.
- If the result is at least the published minimum, continue; if not, there is no calculated award.
- Round the result from Step 1 to the nearest $5.
- If the rounded amount is less than the Pell cost of attendance (COA), that is the Scheduled Award; if it is more, the Scheduled Award is the COA.
Worked example for 2026-27: an SAI of 1,004 gives $7,395 - 1,004 = $6,391, which rounds to $6,390. The Handbook's own example uses a fictional $7,500 maximum and gets $6,495 for the same SAI; do not use that example's amounts for real awards.
The OBBBA set a maximum SAI for Pell eligibility beginning with 2026-27: an applicant whose SAI is equal to or greater than twice the maximum is ineligible, which is an SAI of $14,790 this year. The limit does not apply to children of certain deceased servicemembers and public safety officers.
Maximum Pell and Minimum Pell tests
These tests compare AGI plus any foreign earned income exclusion with the poverty guideline for family size and state. The Handbook says: for the 2026-27 award year, use the 2024 poverty guideline (the prior-prior tax year). A Max Pell test also applies when a parent (or the independent student and spouse) was not required to file a federal income tax return.
| Applicant | Max Pell: up to | Min Pell: up to |
|---|---|---|
| Dependent student, single parent | 225% (and above $0) | 325% |
| Dependent student, parents not a single parent | 175% (and above $0) | 275% |
| Independent student who is a single parent | 225% (and above $0) | 400% |
| Independent student who is a parent, not a single parent | 175% (and above $0) | 350% |
| Independent student, not a parent | 175% (and above $0) | 275% |
Percentages are of the poverty guideline. A Min Pell student also needs an SAI below $14,790 and keeps the SAI calculated for other aid. You can find the indicators on the ISIR your school receives; the SAI calculator shows which tests a set of inputs meets.
What this estimate leaves out
- Part-time enrollment. The annual award for a part-time student in a term-based program is less than the Scheduled Award. The percentages are in ED's Pell payment schedule announcement, which we could not retrieve, so the result above is the full-time amount.
- Cost of attendance. The Title IV COA used for the Scheduled Award is always for a full-time student for a full academic year. A student's award is limited by enrollment intensity, SAI, COA and Lifetime Eligibility Used, so the calculator takes the lower of the award and any COA you enter, for every category.
- Lifetime limit and year-round Pell. A student may receive up to 150% of the Scheduled Award in an award year, and Pell eligibility is limited to 12 semesters (or the equivalent).
- 2027-28. The 2027-28 maximum has not been announced. See the SAI calculator for the 2027-28 SAI and scenarios, and the FAFSA 2027-28 page for the form.
Official Pell information is on StudentAid.gov.
Pell Grant questions
How much Pell Grant will I get?
For 2026-27 the most a full-time student can get is $7,395 for the award year (July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027). The award is the maximum minus your SAI, rounded to the nearest $5, as long as the result is at least the $740 minimum. For a student who qualifies for the maximum on the tax-filing or poverty-guideline tests, the full-time Scheduled Award is $7,395 whatever the SAI is; part-time enrollment, cost of attendance and lifetime eligibility can make the actual award lower.
What SAI gets the full Pell Grant?
An SAI of 0 or below gives the $7,395 maximum. A student with a Max Pell indicator also has the maximum as the Scheduled Award; the Dear Colleague letter says the SAI is not used to determine the amount of that grant. The Max Pell indicator depends on tax filing, family size, poverty guideline and state of residence, which this page cannot see from an SAI alone.
Is there a Pell Grant for a high SAI?
Not at or above $14,790. Under Public Law 119-21, an applicant whose SAI is equal to or greater than twice the maximum Pell Grant for the award year cannot receive a Pell Grant. For 2026-27 that threshold is $14,790. Below it, a student whose calculated award would fall under $740 can still get the $740 minimum Pell Grant if the Min Pell income test is met (see the section on the Maximum Pell and Minimum Pell tests).
What is the 2027-28 Pell Grant maximum?
It has not been announced. The 2027-28 SAI and Pell Eligibility Guide is published, but the maximum depends on appropriations, and the Department of Education had not published a 2027-28 amount in the sources we checked. This page shows 2026-27 only and will add 2027-28 when ED publishes it. The SAI calculator shows 2027-28 scenarios.
Does part-time enrollment change the amount?
Yes. The Handbook says a part-time student in a term-based program has an annual award that is less than the Scheduled Award, adjusted for enrollment intensity. The percentages for each level come from the Pell payment schedule announcement, which we could not retrieve, so this calculator shows the full-time Scheduled Award only. Your school's financial aid office sets the exact annual award.
How many years can I receive Pell Grants?
The Dear Colleague letter points to a lifetime limit of 12 semesters (or the equivalent), and a student may receive Pell funds for up to 150% of the Scheduled Award in an award year. Check Volume 7 of the Handbook and your school for how that applies to you.
Sources (checked November 8, 2026; the Handbook was read from an Internet Archive copy captured October 26, 2026 and the 2027-28 guide from one captured October 21, 2026): ED GEN-26-01: 2026-27 Pell Grant maximum and minimum award amounts (Jan. 30, 2026) · FSA Handbook 2026-27, Vol. 7, Ch. 2: Calculating Pell Grants (read from an Internet Archive copy, Oct. 26, 2026) · ED: 2027-28 SAI and Pell Grant Eligibility Guide (June 2026; Internet Archive copy, Oct. 21, 2026)
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Page title: Pell Grant Calculator: How Much Pell Grant Will I Get?. Updated November 8, 2026. Canonical URL: https://fedratecalc.com/pell-grant-calculator/
Data source: ED GEN-26-01: 2026-27 Pell Grant maximum and minimum award amounts (Jan. 30, 2026); FSA Handbook 2026-27, Vol. 7, Ch. 2: Calculating Pell Grants (read from an Internet Archive copy, Oct. 26, 2026); ED: 2027-28 SAI and Pell Grant Eligibility Guide (June 2026; Internet Archive copy, Oct. 21, 2026), compiled by FedRateCalc.
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