Federal Pell Grant (FPELL)

This award is awarded to undergraduate students based on the results from the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). This information is used to determine your Expected Family Contribution (EFC) which is calculated by a formula established by law. The EFC is not the amount of money that your family must provide. Rather, you should think of the EFC as an index that we use to determine how much financial aid you would receive if you were to attend RichmondCC. If your EFC is below a certain number, you’ll be eligible for a Federal Pell Grant assuming you meet all other eligibility requirements. The amount of your Pell Grant depends on your EFC and your enrollment status (full-time, three-quarter-time, half-time, or less than half-time). Eligible students are allowed to receive Pell for 12 full-time equivalent semesters or six years. This is known as the Pell Grant Lifetime Eligibility. Since the maximum amount of Pell Grant funding you can receive each year is equal to 100%, the six-year equivalent is 600%. Be sure to plan your course schedule carefully so that you can graduate on time. Students who have earned a bachelor’s degree are ineligible.