Grants

The Pell Grant assists undergraduate students who need financial help for their education and, like other grants, does not have to be repaid. Applicants must submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to determine eligibility for the grant. For 2025-2026 award year the amounts range from $740 to $7,395.

The Pell Grant is disbursed based on a student’s financial aid enrollment status. A student’s financial aid enrollment status is based on the number of credit hours that a student is registered for as of the Pell Recalculation Date (also referred to the Financial Aid Census Date). For the Fall and Spring term the financial aid census date is the tenth day of the term. Classes added after that date will not count towards a student’s Pell grant eligibility.

The financial aid census date for the summer term is the third day of the June session. The Northeast Intersession is attached to the Spring term and will use the Spring term financial aid census date or the tenth day of the spring term.

Effective July 1st, 2012 students are limited to 12 semesters, or their equivalent, of Pell grants.  A student may be eligible to receive Pell grant funds for up to 150 percent of the student’s Pell Grant scheduled award for an award year.

The purpose of the FSEOG Program is to provide additional grants to students who are Pell-eligible and who demonstrate exceptional financial need.

The Nebraska Opportunity Grant (NOG) program provides financial aid to students who are residents of Nebraska, have not earned a bachelor’s, graduate or professional degree, have high financial need and who are attending an eligible Nebraska college. NOG is funded through State of Nebraska’s general fund appropriations and lottery funds.

One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) (H.R.1) changes effective July 1, 2026.

The law retained the current definition of a full-time student at the current 12 credit hours per term. At 12 credits hours, students will continue to be eligible for the maximum amount of the Pell Grant that they qualify for. Additionally, students will continue to receive a prorated amount of Pell Grant when they are enrolled less than half-time. There are, however, some changes to Federal Pell Grant listed below that are likely to impact smaller subsets of our students.

• No Pell over Cost of Attendance: Students who receive grants or scholarships covering their entire cost of attendance (COA) are now ineligible to receive a Pell Grant, even if otherwise eligible for the program.

• Pell Grant Eligibility with a High SAI: Students can no longer receive Pell Grant if their SAI exceeds twice the maximum Pell Grant award ($14,790).

• Workforce Pell Program: Creates a Workforce Pell Grant program, and opens Pell to shorter term career programs in high demand fields. These grants will not be available to remedial, non-credit, English language learning, or study abroad coursework.

• Foreign Income and Pell Grant Eligibility: Student and FAFSA contributor foreign income must be included in the income calculation on the FAFSA for Pell Grant eligibility.