Federal Grant Information | Butler Community College

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Federal Grant Information

The following grants are direct gifts to students which do not have to be repaid, unless you withdraw or have an overpayment: Federal Pell Grants, Federal Supplemental Education Opportunity Grants (FSEOG).

Federal Pell Grant

The amount of the Pell Grant varies according to the student's need as determined by the FAFSA and is available to all students who qualify. Once Pell funds are paid, additional Pell funds will not be disbursed for increased enrollment in the same semester. You can only receive Pell funds at one college or university during each semester you are enrolled.

Lifetime Eligibility Limit for Pell Grant (LEU)

Students are limited to 12 semesters (or 600%) of Pell Grant eligibility during their lifetime. This affects all students regardless of when or where they received their first Pell Grant. This limit is tracked by the U.S. Department of Education.

The 600% total eligibility applies at all schools and colleges. However, once you have earned a bachelor degree, you are no longer eligible for a Pell Grant even if you haven’t received the entire 600% eligibility. In addition, you must also meet and maintain satisfactory academic progress standards to remain eligible each year.

Login in to studentaid.gov and underneath your name, select MY AID, click on View Details. Click on Grants and scroll down to Federal Grant Usage to see your Pell Grant LEU.

Declining a Pell Grant

Students have the right to decline all or part of their Pell Grant offers.  To preserve future Pell Grant eligibility, a student may choose to return a previously received Pell Grant offer.  We do not recommend you do this. Students may not return any Pell Grant funds from a prior academic award year.  

To decline your Pell Grant, submit a signed written statement clearly indicating you are declining/returning Pell funds for which you were otherwise eligible and that those funds may not be available once the aid year is over to the Financial Aid Office.

Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant

This grant is provided through an allocation of federal money to Butler. It is a campus-based program and offers are limited. Certain priority dates and restrictions apply. For information on this grant, visit the official FSEOG page of the U.S. Department of Education.

Maximum Pell Grant Eligibility for Dependents of Certain Deceased Servicemembers and Public Safety Officers

The following students may be eligible for maximum Pell grant based on a special rule:

  • The child of a parent or guardian who died in the line of duty while either (a) serving on active duty as a member of the U.S. Armed Forces on or after September 11, 2001; or (b) actively serving as and performing the duties of a public safety officer; and
  • Less than 33 years old as of the January 1 prior to the award year for which the applicant is applying (e.g., for the 2024–25 award year, a student must be less than 33 years old as of January 1, 2024, to be eligible).

Students meeting the above criteria should answer ‘Yes’ to the question on the FAFSA regarding a parent killed in the line of duty. Students will then work with the Financial Aid Office to provide the necessary documentation for this special status.