Support of New Pell Calculation

The FAFSA Simplification Act extends the Federal Pell Grant to more students and links eligibility to family size and the federal poverty level. This builds on changes implemented in the 23/24 award year including incarcerated students regaining the ability to receive a Federal Pell Grant and restoration of Federal Pell Grant lifetime eligibility to students whose school closed while they were enrolled or if the school is found to have misled the student.

In order to achieve this for the 24/25 Award Year, the department will no longer publish the Pell Payment and Disbursement Schedule and instead will determine whether a student is eligible for maximum Pell or minimum Pell and send the applicable data in the ISIR to use when calculating the student's scheduled award.

The following flowchart represents how the Student Financial Aid will use the ISIR data to determine the eligible Pell scheduled award amount limited Pell COA, then calculate their enrollment intensity in order to prorate the amount used in the pell formulas setting the amounts the student can receive each term or payment period.

The following flowchart represents how the system will use the ISIR data to determine the eligible Pell scheduled award amount limited Pell COA, then calculate their enrollment intensity in order to prorate the amount used in the pell formulas setting the amounts the student can receive each term or payment period.

Determining the Scheduled Award Amount:

  • Leveraging the ISIR, the system will first determine if the student is eligible to receive a Maximum Pell Scheduled Award (limited by COA)
    • The system will determine a student eligible for a Maximum Pell Scheduled Award if the ISIR Pell Grant Eligibility value = Y and one of the following values in the ISIR is true,
      • Max Pell Indicator = 1, 2, or 3 OR
      • SAI <= 0 OR
      • IASG Indicator = 1 or 2 OR
      • Children of Fallen Heroes (CFH) Indicator = 1 or 2
    • A new configuration for the yearly Maximum Pell Scheduled Award Amount will be set in a new column entitled Pell_Max_Regulatory_Amount within the FAS_FUND_CONFIG.csv
    • If the student meets all criteria for a Maximum Pell Scheduled Award but the Pell COA < the Maximum Pell amount then the Scheduled Award will be set to the Pell COA
      • If the Scheduled Award = the Pell COA and contains cents, the Scheduled Award value is truncated (not rounded)
  • If the student is not eligible for Maximum Pell Scheduled Award. the system will calculate the scheduled award
    • If the ISIR Pell Grant Eligibility value = Y, and the SAI is less than annual maximum Pell Grant Scheduled Award, the Calculated Scheduled Award for the Pell Grant will be determined
    • Calculated Scheduled Award (CSA) = Pell_Max_Regulatory_Amount - SAI (where a negative SAI will default to = $0)
      • If the CSA ends in 0 or 5, then no rounding is needed
      • If the CSA ends in 3, 4. 8 or 9, then round CSA up to nearest $5 
      • If the CSA ends in 1, 2, 6, or 7 then round CSA down to nearest $5 
    • The system when then compare the Calculated Scheduled Award (CSA) to the configured Minimum Pell Scheduled Award Amount, which is configured yearly within Pell_Min_Regulatory_Amount within the FAS_FUND_CONFIG.csv 
    • If the Calculated Scheduled Award (CSA) >= Pell_Minimum_Regulatory_Amount, the system will compare the rounded CSA to the Pell COA,
      • If the CSA <= Pell COA, the Scheduled Award = the Calculated Scheduled Award
      • If the CSA > Pell COA, the Scheduled Award = the Pell COA
        • If the Scheduled Award = the Pell COA and contains cents, the Scheduled Award value is truncated (not rounded)
    • If the Calculated Scheduled Award (CSA) < Pell_Minimum_Regulatory_Amount, the system will determine if the student is Minimum Pell eligible
      • If the Minimum Pell Indicator = 1-5, the Scheduled Award will be set to the configured Minimum Pell Scheduled Award Amount
        • If the Pell COA < the Pell_Minimum_Regulatory_Amount, then the Scheduled Award = the Pell COA
          • If the Scheduled Award = the Pell COA and contains cents, the Scheduled Award value will be truncated (not rounded)
      • Else, the student is not eligible for Pell

Determining Enrollment Intensity:

  • Since the Pell Payment and Disbursement Schedule will no longer be used, schools are required to prorate the scheduled award amount when a student is attending less than full time.
  • A new configuration will determine an Enrollment Intensity value used for each term/payment period.
    • This will be set in a new column entitled Pell_Enrollment_Intensity within the FAS_FUND_CONFIG.csv
      • The Enrollment Intensity output will be a percentage
        • The Enrollment_Intensity configuration can be used to freeze the enrollment intensity for Pell census dates and program withdrawals similar to the existing Enrollment_Status_Override_Census configuration
      • If the Enrollment Intensity percentage contains more than two decimals, the percent will be rounded to the nearest whole percent using standard rounding rules within the Pell fund calculator (i.e., 7÷12 = 0.58333 = 58%, If value is .585, what is it rounded ip to .59)
      • If no configuration value is returned, a default of 100% Enrollment Intensity will be utilized by the system 
  • For non term programs, Pell Formula 4 is used for the Pell calculation and will always have an Enrollment Intensity of 100% regardless of the configured value
  • The Enrollment Intensity value will display on the "View Fund Eligibility" UI as a percent under the Fund Information, per payment period section

Determining Amount Per Term/Payment Period using Pell Formulas:

  • The system will then use the Scheduled Award Amount and the Enrollment Intensity within the Pell Formulas to determine the amount the student will be able to receive per term/payment period
  • Standard Terms using Pell Formula 1:
    • The system will continue to use Pell Formula 1 to determine the amount per term for standard term schools
    • The Pell Payment Disbursement Amount (per term) = (Scheduled Award Amount x Enrollment Intensity) ÷ SAFI.TermType (Number of terms)
  • Non-Standard Terms using Pell Formula 4:
    • The system will continue to use Pell Formula 4 to determine the amount per payment period for non-standard term schools
    • The Pell Payment Disbursement Amount (per payment period) = (Lesser of Credits/Weeks Equation 1 or 2 for Pell Formula 4) x Scheduled Award Amount 
      • The Credits/Weeks Equation remains the same for Pell Formula 4
      • Since Pell Formula 4 always has an enrollment intensity of 100%, it is no multiplied by the Scheduled Award Amount

Steps to Enable

Use the Opt In UI to enable this feature. For instructions, refer to the Optional Uptake of New Features section of this document.

Offering: Student Financial Aid

  • Set the following additional config:
    • Pell_Max_Regulatory_Amount within the FAS_FUND_CONFIG.csv to the amount published by the Department
    • Pell_Minimum_Regulatory_Amount within the FAS_FUND_CONFIG.csv to the amount published by the Department
    • Enrollment_Intensity within the FAS_FUND_CONFIG.csv based on your institution's policy considering the number of credits that are required for full time enrollment and your census date.
    • Refer to Release 24A Release Notes on My Oracle Support (Doc ID 3000063.1) for further details of how this is delivered with our baseline configuration
  • Load a valid 24/25 ISIR and SAFI in order to package Title IV funds

Tips And Considerations

  • The system is able to project 24/25 award year Pell funds when only a 23/24 ISIR is received
    • System uses the old ISIR values and the old 23/24 Pell logic (ie using pell tables)
  • The system will throw an error message on the Configuration Administration UI if a school tries to load the Pell tables for 24/25 onward in config
    • Error verbiage: In an attempt to import the CSV file, an error occurred when loading the new configuration. You have specified an Aid_Year of 2024-2025. PELL_SCHEDULE records are only allowable for Aid_Year prior to 2024-2025. It is recommended that you remove all records that correspond to Aid_Year of 2024-2025 or greater and then reload the changed CSV file.
  • A student is no longer required to be half-time or more to received 150% Pell (Year-Round Pell)
  • The system will throw a validation errors if:
    • The Pell_Minimum_Regulatory_Amount is greater than the Pell_Maximum_Regulatory_Amount
    • Either the Pell_Minimum_Regulatory_Amount or the Pell_Maximum_Regulatory_Amount is set to be negative value
  • The following calculations used within the Pell calculation remains the same
    • Pell COA Proration
    • Remaining Eligibility Based on Pell LEU Report Aggregate Year Limits
    • Remaining Eligibility Based on NSLDS Award Year Limits

Key Resources