Eligible	Postbaccalaureate	Program
A	student	who	is	enrolled	at	least	half	time	in	a	postbaccalaureate	teacher	certification	or	licensure	program	is	eligible	to
receive	a	Pell	Grant	for	the	period	necessary	to	complete	the	program	if:
The	program	does	not	lead	to	a	graduate	degree;
The	school	offering	the	program	does	not	also	offer	a	bachelor9s	degree	in	education;
The	student	is	pursuing	an	initial	teacher	certification	or	licensing	credential	within	a	state;	and
The	program	consists	of	the	courses	required	by	a	state	to	receive	a	professional	certification	or	licensing	credential
necessary	for	employment	as	a	teacher	in	an	elementary	or	secondary	school	in	that	state.
Under	this	very	limited	provision,	a	postbaccalaureate	program	is	defined	as	a	program	that	generally	requires	a
student	to	have	a	bachelor9s	degree	before	being	admitted	to	the	program.	Accordingly,	a	program	in	which
undergraduate	students	are	routinely	allowed	to	enroll	would	not	meet	the	definition	of	a	postbaccalaureate	program	for
this	purpose,	nor	would	a	program	that	is	generally	open	to	undergraduates	but	that	also	admits	students	with	bachelor9s
degrees.	For	Title	IV	purposes,	a	school	must	treat	a	student	who	receives	a	Pell	Grant	under	this	provision	as	enrolled	in
an	undergraduate	program.	Such	a	student	is	eligible	for	Federal	Work-Study	and	fifth-year	undergraduate	(not	graduate
student)	Direct	Loan	limits	but	would	not	be	eligible	for	a	Federal	Supplemental	Educational	Opportunity	Grant	(FSEOG).
Eligible	Postbaccalaureate	Program	and	the	FAFSA
Normally,	students	who	indicate	on	the	FAFSA	that	they	have	a	bachelor9s	degree	won9t	be	listed	in	the	Department9s
records	as	Pell-eligible	students,	and	the	school	won9t	be	able	to	receive	Pell	funds	for	them.	However,	to	allow	students
who	are	eligible	under	the	postbaccalaureate	program	provision	to	be	paid,	students	who	correctly	report	that	they	have	a
bachelor9s	degree	but	also	indicate	on	the	FAFSA	form	that	they	are	in	a	teaching	credential	program	will	be	listed	as	Pell-
eligible	students.	Of	course,	you	must	determine	whether	the	student	falls	under	the	eligible	postbaccalaureate	provision.
Prohibition	on	Receiving	Two	Pell	Grant	Payments	for	Concurrent	Enrollment
A	student	may	not	receive	Pell	Grant	payments	concurrently	from	more	than	one	school.	If	a	student	is	awarded	Pell	for
any	period	of	concurrent	enrollment,	the	student	has	the	choice	of	which	award	to	receive	but	is	limited	to	a	single	award
from	a	single	school.
For	Pell	purposes,	the	phrase	<concurrently	from	more	than	one	institution=	means	that	the	student	must	be	attending
both	schools	at	the	same	time	for	the	concurrent	Pell	Grant	prohibition	to	apply.	A	student	who	withdraws	from	one	school
and	enrolls	at	least	one	day	later	in	another	school	is	normally	not	considered	to	have	been	enrolled	concurrently.	If	a
Pell-eligible	student	withdraws	from	one	institution	but	meets	one	of	the	Return	of	
Title	IV	Funds	(R2T4)	withdrawal
exemptions	and	subsequently	enrolls	at	a	different	institution	during	the	same	payment	period,	the	new	institution	can
award	Pell	Grant	funds	for	any	remaining	portion	of	the	overlapping	payment	period.	See	Chapter	6	of	this	volume	for
additional	information	on	awarding	remaining	eligibility	for	a	transfer	student.	The	new	institution	should	maintain
documentation	in	the	student9s	file	supporting	a	Pell	Grant	disbursement	at	that	institution	following	the	student's
withdrawal	from	the	prior	school.
Eligible	Postbaccalaureate	Programs
34	CFR	690.6(c)
HEA	Sec.	401(d)(4)(B)
Prohibition	on	Concurrent	Enrollment
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