Pell Grant Lifetime Eligibility Used (LEU)
The Federal Pell Grant has a lifetime limit on how much you can receive. This limit is called your Lifetime Eligibility Used (LEU).
How It Works
- You can receive Pell Grant funds for up to the equivalent of 6 years (or 12 full-time semesters).
- Your usage is measured in percentages, not years.
- Each full-time semester of Pell Grant counts as 50% of your annual limit.
- Full-time (12+ units) for a full year = 100% used.
- Half-time or part-time enrollment uses a smaller percentage.
Why It Matters
- Once you reach 600% LEU, you are no longer eligible for Pell Grant funds 鈥� even if you haven鈥檛 earned your degree yet.
- Using Pell Grant at a community college counts toward this limit, so it鈥檚 important to plan ahead if you will be transferring to a university.
How to Check Your Pell Grant Lifetime Eligibility (LEU)
You can see your Pell Grant Lifetime Eligibility Used (LEU) by logging in to your Federal Student Aid (FSA) account.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Go to StudentAid.gov.
- Log in using your FSA ID username and password (this is the same as your FAFSA username and password)
- Once logged in, click 鈥淰iew Details鈥� in the 鈥淢y Aid鈥� section.
- Scroll down to 鈥淕rants鈥� and look for Pell Grant.
- You will see your Lifetime Eligibility Used (LEU) listed as a percentage.
Example: 350% means you鈥檝e used the equivalent of 3 years and one semesters full-time.
If you鈥檙e close to 600%, plan carefully 鈥� you won鈥檛 be eligible for more Pell Grant once you hit the limit.
Cal Grant Four-Year Limit
Cal Grant awards have a lifetime limit of four years of full-time payment (also called 鈥淔ull-Time Equivalent鈥� years). This applies to all Cal Grant types (A, B, and C) combined.
How It Works
- Your usage is based on the number of units you take:
- Full-time (12+ units) = 1 year used per academic year.
- Three-quarter time (9鈥�11 units) = 0.75 year used per academic year.
- Half-time (6鈥�8 units) = 0.5 year used per academic year.
- Cal Grant received at any California college counts toward your limit, including community colleges.
- Once you reach the four-year limit, you cannot receive additional Cal Grant funding unless you qualify for an approved exception.
Why It Matters
- Using your Cal Grant while at community college will reduce the amount available if you transfer to a university.
- Tuition at universities is usually higher, so some students choose to save their Cal Grant for transfer.
Check Your Cal Grant Usage
Log in to your account to see how much of your Cal Grant eligibility you have used and how much remains.
