Chapter	8
Pell	Grant	Lifetime	Eligibility	Used	(LEU)
Duration	of	Eligibility
Per	the	
Consolidated	Appropriations	Act,	2012,	a	student9s	maximum	duration	of	Pell	eligibility	is	six	Scheduled	Awards,	as
measured	by	the	percentage	of	<Lifetime	Eligibility	Used=	(LEU)	field	in	COD	(one	Scheduled	Award	equals	100%	LEU).	A
student	is	ineligible	to	receive	further	Pell	Grant	funds	if	they	have	reached	or	exceeded	the	600%	limit.	This	limitation
includes	all	grants	disbursed	since	the	beginning	of	the	program	(1973-74).
The	Department	provides	weekly	Pell	LEU	reports	through	the	SAIG	Mailbox	under	Message	Class	PGLEXXOP	(where	XX	=
the	year)	for	your	Pell-eligible	students	(and	students	who	listed	your	school	code	on	their	FAFSA	form)	who	have	a	Pell
LEU	greater	than	or	equal	to	450%.	The	COD	website	will	show	the	current	Pell	LEU	level	for	all	aid	recipients	(updated	as
transactions	are	processed).	COD	also	provides	the	LEU	for	the	Pell	Multiple	Reporting	Record	(MRR),	Pell	Reconciliation
Report,	and	Pell	Year-to-Date	file.
Students	will	fall	into	one	of	the	following	categories:
Student	not	on	report	(Code	<N=	on	the	student9s	ISIR	under	Lifetime	Limit	Flag):	Students	in	this	category	have
LEU	of	less	than	400%.	These	students9	Pell	awards	will	be	awarded	as	normal,	since	even	if	they	receive	a	full
Scheduled	Award,	they	will	not	go	over	the	600%	LEU	maximum.
LEU	greater	than	400%	but	less	than	or	equal	to	500%	(Code	<H=	on	the	student9s	ISIR	under	Lifetime	Limit
Flag):	Students	in	this	category	will	likely	have	Scheduled	Award	eligibility	for	2025-26.	However,	a	student9s	2025-
26	Pell	eligibility	may	be	reduced	if,	for	example,	another	Pell	disbursement	is	reported	after	a	report	has	been
created,	putting	the	student9s	2025-26	baseline	LEU	over	500%.
LEU	greater	than	500%	but	less	than	600%	(Code	<C=	on	the	student9s	ISIR	under	Lifetime	Limit	Flag):	These
students	will	not	have	full	Pell	eligibility	for	2025-26	since	their	baseline	LEU	has	less	than	100%	remaining.
LEU	600%	or	higher	(Code	<E=	on	the	student9s	ISIR	under	Lifetime	Limit	Flag):	These	students	will	have	no	Pell
eligibility	remaining,	as	they	have	already	met	or	exceeded	the	maximum	LEU	amount.
To	aid	in	identifying	students	who	are	approaching	their	LEU	limits,	COD	returns	warning	code	177	or	178	when	a
student9s	Pell	LEU	is	near	or	exceeds	600%.	COD	has	a	hard	reject	(Edit	201)	for	Pell	Grant	actual	disbursements	with	a
Pell	Grant	LEU	greater	than	600%.	Also,	you	will	be	able	to	see	this	data	in	the	Common	Record	Response,	and	LEU	is	also
visible	in	the	NSLDS	system.	The	FAFSA	Processing	System	(FPS)	reports	the	Pell	Grant	LEU	limit	flags	and	percentages	on
FAFSA	Submission	Summaries	and	ISIRs.	COD	calculates	a	student9s	LEU	to	three	decimal	places,	and	you	may	round
awards	as	described	in	Chapter	4	of	this	volume.	However,	you	may	not	round	up	if	that	would	cause	the	student	to
exceed	either	their	Scheduled	Award	or	600%	LEU.
Pell	Grant	LEU
34	CFR	690.6
HEA	Section	401(d)
Dear	Colleague	Letter	GEN-12-01
Dear	Colleague	Letter	GEN-13-14
Electronic	Announcement	April	18,	2014
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