The	child	of	a	parent	or	guardian	who	died	in	the	line	of	duty	while	either	(a)	serving	on	active	duty	as	a	member	of
the	U.S.	Armed	Forces	on	or	after	September	11,	2001;	or	(b)	actively	serving	as	and	performing	the	duties	of	a
public	safety	officer;	and
Less	than	33	years	old	as	of	the	January	1	prior	to	the	award	year	for	which	the	applicant	is	applying	(e.g.,	for	the
2025326	award	year,	a	student	must	be	less	than	33	years	old	as	of	January	1,	2025,	to	be	eligible).
In	this	situation,	eligible	students	will	have	a	Scheduled	Award	equal	to	a	maximum	Pell	Grant	award,	regardless	of	SAI.
Other	aid	for	these	students	will	be	based	on	their	calculated	SAI.
Public	Safety	Officer	Definition
A	public	safety	officer	generally	includes	the	following:
Law	enforcement	officer
Firefighter
Member	of	a	rescue	squad	or	ambulance	crew
Federal	Emergency	Management	Agency	(FEMA)	employee
Emergency	management	or	civil	defense	agency	employee
Chaplain
Others	defined	in	Section	1204	of	the	Omnibus	Crime	Control	and	Safe	Streets	Act	of	1968	(34	U.S.C.	10284)
Identification	of	Eligibility	and	Acceptable	Documentation
The	U.S.	Department	of	Defense	does	not	provide	confirmation	that	a	service	member	killed	in	the	line	of	duty	meets	the
special	eligibility	criteria.	Further,	no	comprehensive	federal	database	exists	to	effectively	and	efficiently	identify	public
safety	officers	killed	in	the	line	of	duty.	Therefore,	students	will	self-identify	potential	eligibility	on	the	FAFSA	form,	and	the
school	will	be	required	to	confirm	eligibility	by	collecting	supporting	documentation	from	the	student.	Once	you	document
and	certify	Special	Rule	eligibility	for	a	maximum	Pell	Grant	award,	neither	your	school	nor	any	other	school	is	required	to
redetermine	that	student's	eligibility	for	subsequent	award	years	if	the	student	continues	to	meet	all	other	Pell	Grant
eligibility	requirements	and	the	age	requirement	for	the	Special	Rule.
Acceptable	documentation	may	include,	but	is	not	limited	to,	the	following:
A	copy	of	the	servicemember9s	DD	Form	1300	(Report	of	Casualty)	which	documents	death	in	the	line	of	duty.
A	copy	of	the	servicemember9s	DD	Form	214	and	death	certificate,	documenting	that	the	date	and	cause	of	death
occurred	during	and	as	a	result	of	active	duty.
A	copy	of	a	Department	of	Veterans	Affairs	Death	Narrative	Document.
A	determination	letter	acknowledging	eligibility	for	certain	federal	benefits	under	the	Public	Safety	Officers	Benefit
(PSOB)	program	administered	by	the	Department	of	Justice.
A	written	letter	of	attestation	or	determination	made	by	a	state	or	local	government	official	with	supervisory	or	other
relevant	oversight	authority	of	an	individual	who	died	in	the	line	of	duty	while	serving	as	a	public	safety	officer.
Pell	Grants	Under	the	Special	Rule
HEA	Section	401(c)
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