Financial Aid

How Adding & Dropping Courses Impacts My Pell Grant

Pell Recalculation Date 2024-2025 (full semester classes)

Pell Recalculation Date 2024-2025 (8-week classes)

Register for Classes Prior to the Pell Recalculation Date

A student's initial Federal Pell Grant (Pell) award offer anticipates full-time enrollment. Per federal regulation, the number of credit hours a student is enrolled in a t the time of the Pell Recalculation Date (PRD) determines what percentage of that award is applied to their account. Any student falling below full-time enrollment (12 hours) must have their aid adjusted appropriately.

FAFSA and Enrollment Completed Before the Pell Recalculation Date

Any student who completes their FAFSA and registers for classes prior to the first PRD will have their enrollment status (full-time, half-time, etc.) locked in at the time of the PRD. Any full-term courses added after the PRD will not be eligible for Pell. 

FAFSA and Enrollment Completed After the Pell Recalculation Date

Any student who initially enrolls after the PRD and has a FAFSA already on file will receive the appropriate amount of Pell award based on enrollment status. In this scenario, the student is strongly encouraged to register for ALL classes in one registration session, as classes added after the initial registration will not be eligible for Pell. 

Should SIUE receive a student's FAFSA after the PRD, the student will be awarded an appropriate amount of Pell based on their enrollment status at the time of the FAFSA's receipt. 

Pell Grant Enrollment

Examples:

Adding a full-term course after the first PRD:

• Prior to the first PRD, you enroll in nine credit hours. After the PRD you enroll in an additional three credit hour, full term course. The added course will not be eligible for Pell.

Adding a late starting, 8-week session course:

• Prior to the first PRD you enroll in nine credit hours. After the PRD you enroll in one three credit hour course that does not begin until the semester's eight week session. Your Pell will be increased at the second PRD to accommodate for the added class. 

Dropping full-term courses and Adding 8-week session course:

• Prior to the first PRD you enroll in nine credit hours. During the first 8 weeks of the semester you drop six of those hours and add one, three credit hour course that does not begin until the semester's second, eight week session. Your Pell will be recalculated at the second PRD to accommodate the number of credit hours you are registered for at that time. In this example that would be six total credit hours, or half time (9CH - 6CH + 3 CH).

Pell Recalculation in Summer Term

The Federal Pell Grant will be recalculated as student's credit hours increase or decrease thought the entire Summer semester. The student's Cost of Attendance must be adjusted per federal regulations. This may impact a student's financial aid package. 

Before you add or drop courses, be sure to check with Student Financial Aid (finaid@siue.edu) to ensure what implications it may have on your financial aid.