Grants

Federal Pell Grant

Who Is Eligible

Federal Pell Grants usually are awarded only to undergraduate students who display exceptional financial need and have not earned a bachelor's, graduate, or professional degree.

A Federal Pell Grant, unlike a loan, does not have to be repaid, except under certain circumstances. Find out why you might have to repay all or part of a federal grant.

You may not receive Federal Pell Grant funds from more than one school at a time.

How to Apply

You should start by submitting a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) form. Schools use the information on the FAFSA® form to determine your eligibility for a Pell Grant, and if so, how much you’re eligible to receive. You will have to fill out the FAFSA form every year you’re in school to stay eligible for federal student aid, including Pell Grant awards.

It's important to understand the cost of attendance at your school of choice so that you can understand how much aid you might need. The cost of attendance of a school program is the annual cost advertised by the school before financial aid is applied. Tuition and fees, housing and meals, and other additional education-related expenses (both direct and indirect) are included and may vary based on personal choices. Once you know the cost of attendance, you can better plan how to cover your educational expenses.

Award Amounts

Award amounts can change yearly. The amount for the 2024–25 award year is provided below. We’ll add the amount for the 2025–26 award year when it’s available.

2024–25 Award Year
The maximum Federal Pell Grant award is $7,395 for the 2024–25 award year (July 1, 2024, to June 30, 2025).

The amount you get, though, will depend on

• your Student Aid Index (based on your FAFSA form),

• the cost of attendance (determined by your school for your specific program),

• your status as a full-time or part-time student, and

• your plans to attend school for a full academic year or less.

In certain situations, an eligible student can receive up to 150 percent of his or her scheduled Pell Grant award for an award year.

For example, if you are eligible for a $2,000 Pell Grant for the award year and are enrolled full-time for both the fall term and spring term, you’ll likely receive $1,000 in the fall and $1,000 in the spring. However, under certain circumstances, you may be eligible to receive up to an additional $1,000 for attendance in an additional term within that award year (resulting in your receiving 150% of your original award). You might hear this situation being referred to as “year-round Pell.” For details, contact your school’s financial aid office.

Please note that you can receive the Federal Pell Grant for no more than 12 terms full-time terms or the equivalent (roughly six years). You’ll receive a notice if you’re getting close to your limit. If you have any questions, contact your financial aid office.

If you’re eligible for a Federal Pell Grant, you’ll receive the full amount you qualify for—each school participating in the program receives enough funds each year from the U.S. Department of Education to pay the Federal Pell Grant amounts for all its eligible students. The amount of any other student aid for which you might qualify does not affect the amount of your Federal Pell Grant.

Additional Pell Grant Eligibility

If your parent died while serving on active duty in the U.S. armed forces or as a public safety officer, you may be eligible for additional Pell Grant funds.

How Funds Are Delivered

Your school can apply Federal Pell Grant funds to your school costs, pay you directly, or combine these methods. Learn more about how (and when) you’ll be paid.

How to Maintain a Pell Grant

In general, you must maintain enrollment in an undergraduate course of study at a nonforeign school to receive a Federal Pell Grant. Additionally, you will have to fill out the FAFSA form every year you’re in school to stay eligible for federal student aid.

Once you have earned a baccalaureate degree or your first professional degree or have used up all 12 terms of your eligibility, you are no longer eligible to receive a Federal Pell Grant.

Learn more about staying eligible for federal student aid while you’re in school.

Additional Links

Finding and Applying for Scholarships

How Aid Is Calculated

Filling Out the FAFSA® Form

Oregon Opportunity Grant

The Oregon Opportunity Grant (OOG) is Oregon's largest state-funded, need-based grant program for college students attending a college/university in Oregon. The grant provides funding to more than 30,000 Oregon resident students each year.

OOG is a need-based grant awarded to Oregon residents of all ages who are pursuing their first associates degree or bachelor's degree at an eligible public or private institution. Award amounts vary based on student's financial need and type of institution the student attends. There is not a separate application for the OOG. To be considered for the grant, students must submit their FAFSA or ORSAA by the deadline date each academic year.

Oregon Opportunity Grant Award Amounts

Students enrolled full-time for a full-year in 2024-25:

• Community College: $900 - $3,900

• BAS Program at Community College: $1,260 - $5,904

• 4-Year College or University: $1,788 - $7,524

How to Apply

To apply for 2025-26 Oregon Opportunity Grant, submit the 2025-26 FAFSA or ORSAA as soon as possible after it opens on December 1, 2024.

Important Eligibility Requirements 

See full list of eligibility requirements here

• Oregon resident for at least 12 months prior to college attendance and a U.S. citizen or eligible noncitizen

  • For dependent students, your parent(s) must also live in Oregon

  • Out-of-state students who are members of Native American tribes with traditional ties to Oregon may be considered Oregon residents.

  • Undocumented students, including DACA students, may be eligible for an Oregon Opportunity Grant if they meet additional requirements. Learn more about financial aid for undocumented and DACA students.

• Plan to enrolled at least half time (i.e. 6+ credit-hours) at a participating Oregon-based postsecondary institution.

• Have financial need based on the difference between cost of attendance and student's financial resources including federal aid and student's estimated family contribution (as determined by FAFSA or ORSAA).

• Submit a FAFSA or ORSAA as soon as possible after December 1, 2024: 

Conditions of the Award

Oregon Opportunity Grants are available to qualified students for up to four years (12 quarters or 8 semesters) of full-time enrollment, provided they maintain satisfactory academic progress, continue to meet eligibility and award requirements, and file a new FAFSA or ORSAA each year. Awards are prorated for half-time enrollment. Students enrolled in courses of study leading to degrees in theology, divinity, or religious education are not eligible. 

Oregon Promise Grant

The Oregon Promise is a state grant that helps cover tuition costs at any Oregon community college for recent high school graduates and GED® test graduates. Students must apply during their senior year or immediately after GED® test completion. The application opened in September 2023 for students who graduated between July 1, 2023 and June 30, 2024, and now is closed for the season. 

For students who graduate between July 1, 2024 and June 30, 2025, the application will open mid-September 2024. 

Please review the fact sheets below (updated July 2024)

• Oregon Promise Fact Sheet for New Students and Families

• Oregon Promise General Fact Sheet

Oregon Promise Award Amounts

• Full-time, full-year students, 2024-25: $2,124 to $4,422 

How to Apply

Complete all of the steps by your application deadline (varies by graduation date). For most students, you MUST apply during your senior year of high school (before you graduate), or immediately after GED® test completion.

How to Apply:

• Submit the Oregon Promise application in the OSAC Student Portal (only takes about 15min!)

• Submit the FAFSA or ORSAA for the year that you will start college

  • List at least one Oregon community college on the FAFSA or ORSAA

Eligibility Requirements

• Submit the Oregon Promise Grant application AND the FAFSA or ORSAA by the appropriate deadline, and list at least one Oregon community college on the FAFSA or ORSAA.

• Be a recent Oregon high school graduate or GED® test graduate.

• Attend an Oregon community college by your required start term, based on your graduation date.

• Have a 2.0 cumulative high school GPA or higher, or a 145 grade on all GED® tests.

• Be an Oregon resident for at least 12 months prior to college attendance.

  • For dependent students, your parent(s) must also live in Oregon.

• Have no more than 90 college credits completed or attempted.

• Students may be subject to eligibility requirements based on their Expected Family Contribution (EFC) or Student Aid Index (SAI). EFC/SAI eligibility requirements are subject to change based on available funding.

  • For Class of 2024 students, there is a final SAI limit of 25,000. Students at or above the limit are not eligible for the grant.

  • In July 2024, the limit was adjusted from 22,000 to 25,000 to award more students after the application window closed. Unfortunately, there are not enough funds to award all Class of 2024 students.

Oregon Tribal Student Grant

The Oregon Tribal Student Grant provides funding for eligible Oregon tribal students to offset the cost of attendance at eligible Oregon colleges and universities. Current, new and continuing students are encouraged to apply for this grant for the 2024-25 academic year. The grant is intended to cover the average cost of attendance after all federal and state grants/scholarships have been applied. The 2025-26 application is not yet open.

Eligible students can attend any Oregon community college, public university, or eligible Oregon-based private college and receive the Oregon Tribal Student Grant. View the full list here.  New applicants are encouraged to complete the Oregon Tribal Student Grant application and 2024-25 FAFSA or ORSAA at the earliest point possible. Renewal applicants (those who received the grant in 2023-24 or prior years) must log into their OSAC Student Portal account and re-apply for 2024-25 Oregon Tribal Student Grant.

Oregon Tribal Student Grant Award Amounts

Award amounts will vary depending on where you attend school and degree you are pursuing. Awards will be reduced by state and federal grants, such as the Pell Grant, the Oregon Opportunity Grant, the Oregon Promise Grant, etc. Awards will also be reduced by publicly funded state and federal scholarships. Grants cannot exceed the actual cost of attendance. 

Students will be awarded as follows:

Undergraduate Public Colleges or Universities

Award will be calculated based on the school’s average Cost of Attendance (COA) for 15 credit hours per term and will be reduced by the amount of state and federal gift aid.

Undergraduate Private Universities

Award will be calcu­lated based on the average COA for 15 credit hours per term at the highest cost public university* and will be reduced by the amount of state and federal gift aid.

Eligibility Requirements

Students must meet all eligibility requirements below:

• You must be an enrolled member of one of the nine federally recognized tribes in Oregon:

  • Burns Paiute Tribe

  • Confederated Tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua and Siuslaw Indians

  • Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde

  • Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians

  • Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation

  • Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs

  • Coquille Indian Tribe

  • Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians

  • Klamath Tribe

• You must be enrolled or accepted for enrollment as a student at an Oregon college or university. Eligible schools can include:

  • Oregon community colleges

  • Oregon public universities

  • Oregon based private non-profit colleges and universities

• Complete the Oregon Tribal Student Grant application by the deadline

• Submit the FAFSA or ORSAA

• You must be enrolled at least half time for the 2024-25 academic year

• You must maintain good standing in a degree seeking program

• You must be working towards earning a first degree or credential at the current level:

  • If you are working toward your first associate, bachelor, or graduate degree you would be eligible, including students who have earned an associate degree and are working on their first bachelor degree. 

  • If you have already earned your bachelor's degree, you would not be eligible for the grant if you are working towards an associate or second bachelor's degree, or an undergraduate certificate. 

Awarding is prioritized for undergraduate and master's degree students. If funding is available after eligible undergraduate and master's degree students have been awarded, full or partial awards may be made to students in either professional or doctoral programs of study, and/or graduate certificates. Graduate students are not required to have participated in the grant as undergraduate students.

How to Apply

Note: The 2025-26 Oregon Tribal Student Grant Application is not yet open.

• Submit the 2025-26 FAFSA or ORSAA when it opens on December 1, 2024

• Complete the Oregon Tribal Student Grant application, including requested documentation and the Tribal Enrollment Verification Form

Other Grants from Oregon Studnent Aid

The State of Oregon offers several grants for college that generally do NOT have to pay back. These funds come from the federal and/or state government. For many grants, eligibility is based on your own and/or your family's financial need, which is determined by submitting the FAFSA or ORSAA as soon as possible after the application opens each year. The 2024-25 FAFSA and ORSAA are open now. Some grants consider additional factors. Most grants have their own application and deadlines. Go to Oregon Student Aid to learn more about grants and other types of financial aid.