Federal Grants
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pell grant
The PELL Grant is a federally funded program for undergraduate students from low-income families. The amount of the award varies based on the expected family contribution (EFC) as calculated by the FAFSA. Students may only receive a Federal Pell Grant for 12 full-time semesters (or its equivalent). Students can check their lifetime PELL Grant eligibility by logging into studentaid.gov.
Awards will vary based on enrollment hours (at the end of the add/drop period each term) as illustrated by the table below.
Pell table
Number of Hours Enrolled per Term Percentage of Federal Pell Grant 12+ hours 100% of award 9-11 hours 75% of award 6-8 hour 50% of award 1-5 hours 25% of award -
FSEOG
The Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG) is a program for undergraduate students from low-income families. Only students who are eligible to receive the Pell Grant, have an EFC of $0, and are enrolled at least half time (6 hours a semester) are considered for the FSEOG. Funding is very limited and not all eligible students are awarded. Awards range from $500 to $1,000 for the academic year.
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TEACH
Undergraduate, post-baccalaureate and graduate students may be eligible to receive the Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education (TEACH) Grant. Students must complete the FAFSA, be eligible for federal aid, be enrolled in a certification program for a high need teaching field and meet academic achievement requirements (3.25 cumulative GPA).
Students must annually complete TEACH Grant Counseling and sign an Agreement to Serve (ATS). In signing the ATS students agree to teach low-income students in a high-need field for a minimum of four academic years within eight years of completing their program. When a student graduates or withdraws, they must complete TEACH Grant Exit Counseling.
Due to sequestration, the maximum award amount is adjusted every October 1st and may be less than $4,000. The charts below display undergraduate and graduate enrollment award eligibility:
Undergraduates
Number of Hours Enrolled per Term Percentage of Federal TEACH Grant 12+ hours 100% of award 9-11 hours 75% of award 6-8 hours 50% of award 1-5 hours 25% of award Graduates
Number of Hours Enrolled per Term Percentage of Federal TEACH Grant 9+ hours 100% of award 8 hours 75% of award 5-7 hours 50% of award 1-4 hours 25% of award Teach grant
The cumulative maximum for TEACH awards are $16,000 for undergraduate and post-baccalaureate students and $8,000 for graduate.
Interested students may apply for the TEACH Grant through UIC’s College of Education by clicking here.