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Admission & Aid Paying for College Financial Aid Types of Aid Grants

Grants

Federal Pell Grant

A Federal Pell Grant is a need-based grant awarded to eligible undergraduate students who complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

  • Eligibility

    To be eligible, students must meet all of the following requirements:

    • Must submit a FAFSA and qualify based on SAI or family size, AGI, and poverty guidelines
    • Must be enrolled
    • Must be making Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)
    • Must not have already earned a bachelor’s degree or higher
    • Must not have received a Federal Pell Grant for more than six years or the equivalent of 12 semesters at full-time enrollment.

     

    To learn more about Federal Pell Grants provided by the Department of Education visit StudentAid.gov.

  • Pell Awards

    The FAFSA calculation that is used to measure a families ability to pay for college and their resulting financial aid eligibility, is known as the Student Aid Index (SAI).

    A Scheduled Pell Award is the Federal Pell amount offered to a student for one academic year, based on their Student Aid Index. The maximum Scheduled Pell Award for the 2024-2025 and 2025-2026 academic year is $7,395. 

  • Enrollment

    Once your Scheduled Pell Award has been offered to you, a portion will be paid out in fall and spring based on the number of credit hours you are enrolled in:

    • Those enrolled full-time (12 hours) will receive the full half of their Scheduled Pell Award for a semester.
    • Those enrolled less than 12 hours will multiply their Scheduled Pell Award by the percentages shown below and then divide it in half to get the total Pell award that will pay out for the semester. This new percentage determination is known as Enrollment Intensity.
    Credit Hours Enrollment Intensity 
    12 (or more) 100%
    11 92%
    10 83%
    9 75%
    8 67%
    7 58%
    6 50%
    5 42%
    4 33%
    3 25%
    2 17%
    1 8%

  • Summer Pell

    New federal regulations allow Pell eligible students to qualify for Pell in the summer, regardless of what your enrollment was like for the fall and spring.

    Summer Pell will pay out at the full award amount for 12 credit hours of summer enrollment, and at a prorated (reduced) amount for 1-11 hours of summer enrollment.

Federal Pell Grant FAQs

If I am eligible to receive a Federal Pell Grant, do I have to pay it back?

Federal Pell Grants do not have to be repaid unless there is a decrease in enrollment after receiving the funds. Any decrease in enrollment due to withdrawing, being withdrawn, or dropping classes might result in having to pay a portion or all of the Federal Pell Grant back.

If I am required to repay Federal Pell funds due to a decrease in enrollment, can I still receive other types of aid?

No, Federal Pell Grants must be repaid in order to continue receiving financial aid. This includes future Federal Pell Grant Funds, Federal Direct Loans and Work Study.

Can I receive Federal Pell funds for an unlimited number of semesters?

No, the Title IV Consolidation Appropriation Act of 2012 limits Federal Pell Grant payments to six (6) years of full-time enrollment. Students who exceed this timeframe can no longer receive a Federal Pell Grant, but may be able to apply for Federal Direct Loans, Work-Study, or other state grants or scholarships. 

How will my total Federal Pell Grant for the year be issued?

The total award in your ACES Award Summary will be divided and issued between the Fall and Spring semesters.
Example: A student who is awarded $5,600 in Federal Pell Grant can receive a maximum of $2,800 in the Fall and again in the Spring, depending on the "official" number of hours in which the student is enrolled on the census date.

 

Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG)

The Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG) is a need-based grant awarded to eligible undergraduate students who have been awarded a Federal Pell Grant and have maximum financial need. Funds are on a first-come, first-served basis.

To be eligible, students must meet all of the following requirements:

 

Texas Public Education Grant (TPEG)

The Texas Public Education Grant (TPEG) is a need-based grant made available through each college’s resources. Priority is given to students with little or no Federal Pell Grant eligibility, and funds are awarded on a first-come, first-served basis.

Funds are available for Texas resident, Out-of-state, International, and HB-1403 students and can range from $100-$3,000 per year. 

To be eligible, students must meet all of the following requirements:

 

Texas Public Education Grant – Continuing Education (TPEG-CE)

The Texas Public Education Grant for Continuing Education (CE) is a need-based grant designed to help CE students cover the cost of their tuition and fees. Funds are awarded on a first-come, first-served basis each term.

To be eligible, students must meet all of the following requirements:

Important Information:

  • Students must pay the cost of any remaining charges on their student bill not covered by TPEG
  • TPEG will not be awarded if a student is already receiving VA Benefits, Hazlewood, or other tuition benefits that cover the full cost of their tuition and fees
  • TPEG will not be awarded to cover a CE course previously paid
  • Applications are accepted for currently enrolled courses only. Reimbursements are not made for completed courses.

 

Texas Educational Opportunity Grant (TEOG)

The Texas Educational Opportunity Grant (TEOG) is a need-based grant funded by the State of Texas, awarded to students enrolled at Texas public two-year colleges like the Alamo Colleges District. 

  • Initial Eligibility

     

    Required Forms

    • The State Financial Aid Eligibility Form: Student will self certify whether they have been convicted of any felony; or any offense involving a controlled substance. Student will also self certify whether they are more than 30 days late in making a child support payment. 
    • Selective Service Statement of Registration Status: Student will self certify that they are registered for Selective Service or that they are exempt. 
    • Both forms must be completed no later than 45 days after receiving the initial TEOG offer notification to their ACES email.

  • Renewal Eligbility

    • Must be a previous TEOG Initial award recipient
    • Must be a Texas Resident
    • Must complete either the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or the Texas Application for State Financial Aid (TASFA)
    • Must have financial need
    • Must be enrolled at least half-time per semester in a degree program
    • Must be making Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) and meet the following each year:
      • Must have 75% successful completion of attempted hours 
      • Must have a 2.5 GPA
    • Must not have earned an associate or baccalaureate degree
    • Must not have been convicted of any felony; or any offense involving a controlled substance
    • Must not be more than 30 days late in making a child support payment
    • Must be registered for Selective Service or be exempt

TEOG Grant FAQs

How long will I receive a TEOG offer?

Students who meet the renewal requirements each year may continue to receive TEOG until one of the following events occurs first:

  • Student reaches the four year maximum time frame since receiving their first award
  • Student reaches 75 attempted hours of college credit
  • Student earns an associate's degree 
Can I receive TEOG at Alamo Colleges and TEXAS grant at another school in the same year?

A student may only receive a TEOG grant and a TEXAS grant award in the same academic year if both grants are not received in the same semester.

For example, should a student receive TEXAS grant in the fall at another university and transfer to Alamo, the state will allow the spring TEOG award to disburse here. 

Will I receive my full TEOG offer if I am enrolled half time?

No, financial aid is offered based upon the expectation of full-time enrollment in 12 credit hours. TEOG will be prorated, or have a percent based recalculation, if you are enrolled between 6-11 credit hours. 

 

Full-Time 3/4 Time Half-Time
12 Hours 9-11 Hours 6-8 Hours 
100% of Original Offer 75% of Original Offer 50% of Original Offer
Is there a deadline to accept my TEOG offer as a first-time initial recipient?

No, starting this year the Texas Educational Opportunity Grant will be automatically accepted for you on ACES. 

Can I submit an appeal to continue to receive TEOG based on a hardship?

Yes, students may submit a hardship appeal to potentially regain their TEOG award. These appeals will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. A student who is currently ineligible for a TEOG based on the following eligibility criteria will be considered:

  • GPA or completion rate that falls below SAP requirements.
  • Enrollment in less than 6 credit hours.
  • Attempted 75 or more credit hours.
  • Reached the maximum 4 year limit.

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