Pell	Recalculation	Due	to	Change	in	Enrollment	Intensity
The	process	for	recalculating	a	student9s	Pell	Grant	award	due	to	changes	in	enrollment	intensity	depends	on	when	the
change	occurs.
Change	in	Enrollment	Intensity	
Between	Academic	Terms
In	a	credit-hour	program	that	uses	terms,	you	must	calculate	a	student9s	payment	for	each	term	based	on	the	enrollment
intensity	for	that	term.	For	example,	if	a	student	attended	full	time	for	the	first	term	and	then	enrolled	less	than	full	time
in	the	second	term,	you	must	use	the	less-than-full-time	enrollment	intensity	to	calculate	the	student9s	payment	for	the
second	term.
Change	in	Enrollment	Intensity	
Within	a	Payment	Period	Before	a	Student	Begins	Attendance	in	All	Classes
You	must	report	changes	to	a	student9s	enrollment	intensity	to	NSLDS	in	a	timely	manner.	Any	change	requiring	a
recalculation	of	an	award	may	also	require	an	update	to	the	student9s	enrollment	intensity.	If	the	student	doesn9t	begin
attendance	in	all	classes	for	a	payment	period,	resulting	in	a	change	in	the	student9s	enrollment	intensity,	you	must
recalculate	the	student9s	award	for	that	payment	period	based	on	the	lower	enrollment	intensity.	A	student	is	considered
to	have	begun	attendance	in	all	classes	if	the	student	attends	at	least	one	day	of	each	class	whose	credits	are	counted	for
purposes	of	determining	the	student9s	enrollment	intensity	for	Pell	Grant	eligibility.	Note	that	clock-hour	and	non-term
programs	are	always	based	on	full-time	enrollment	intensity	for	Pell.
Your	school	must	have	a	procedure	in	place	to	know	whether	a	student	has	begun	attendance	in	all	classes	for	purposes
of	the	Pell	Grant	program.	The	Department	does	not	dictate	the	method	a	school	uses	to	document	that	a	student	has
begun	attendance.	However,	a	student	is	considered	not	to	have	begun	attendance	in	any	class	in	which	the	school	is
unable	to	document	that	attendance.
If	you	recalculate	a	Pell	award	because	the	student9s	enrollment	intensity	has	changed,	you	must	also	consider	any
changes	in	the	student9s	costs	at	that	time.	For	example,	if	a	student	enrolls	full	time	for	the	first	semester	and	then	drops
to	less	than	half	time	during	that	semester,	the	student9s	costs	will	change,	because	only	certain	cost	components	are
allowed	for	less-than-half-time	students.	However,	the	COA	components	for	a	less-than-half-time	student	must	still	be
based	on	the	costs	for	a	full-time	student	for	a	full	academic	year	when	calculating	the	student9s	less-than-half-time
enrollment	intensity	and	Pell	Grant	award.
Change	in	Enrollment	Intensity	
Within	a	Payment	Period	After	a	Student	Has	Begun	Attendance	in	All	Classes
Pell	Recalculation	3	Change	in	Enrollment
34	CFR	690.80(b)
Volume	7,	Chapter	7,	Example	1:	Enrollment	Intensity	Change	Pell	Recalculation
A	student	registers	for	a	full-time	course	load	(15	credit	hours)	and	their	school	makes	an	initial	disbursement	on
that	basis	10	days	before	the	first	term	starts.	When	the	term	starts,	the	student	only	begins	attendance	in	three
classes	(9	credit	hours).	The	school	must	recalculate	the	student9s	Pell	award	based	on	the	lower	enrollment
intensity.	Any	difference	between	the	amount	the	student	received	and	the	new	recalculated	award	is	an
overpayment	for	which	the	student	is	responsible.	See	Volume	4,	Chapter	3	for	more	detail	on	overpayments.
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