Grants

What you need to know about Grants

Grants are financial aid offers that are based on financial need. If grants are offered as a part of your financial aid offer, FAU will automatically accept for you.

Disbursement of Grant Aid

Grants will be prorated based on the student's number of enrolled hours at the end of the drop/add period:

***Effective Fall 2024 for Pell grant proration see Pell Grant Intensity table under the Federal Pell Grant Program section below***

Tentative disbursement dates are available for review on the Dates and Deadlines page at the beginning of each semester. Tuition & fees and housing (excluding parking and library fines) owed to FAU for the current semester will be deducted first. Summer enrollment requirements for Graduate students are different, learn more at Summer Financial Aid.

University Grants

FAU Grant

This grant is for undergraduate and graduate students enrolled at least half-time at FAU who demonstrate financial need. Funds are limited and financial aid offers are made based on priority consideration. Availability from one year to the next is not guaranteed.

FAU Academic Achievement Grant

The FAU Academic Achievement Grant is a four year need based grant offered to students who entered FAU as a new (non-transfer) degree seeking student on or after the Summer 2019 semester. To be eligible for this grant, you must be admitted as a degree seeking undergraduate student, pursuing first baccalaureate degree, have a completed FAFSA file, and demonstrate financial need. Offer amounts are based on academic profile and financial need. Actual disbursement amounts will be prorated if less than full time. A minimum enrollment of 6 credits is required for disbursement each semester. Annual renewal criteria include a complete FAFSA file for the academic year, compliance with Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress Standards, financial need, and a minimum of 30 earned credits at the end of the academic year for each year that grant payment was received (example: if you have received payment of the offer for the past 2 years, to renew in the third year, you must have 60 or more earned credits at the end of the second year). Students attending Wilkes Honors College are not eligible for this grant.

FAU Academic Grant

The FAU Academic Grant is a four year progressive need based grant offered to students who entered FAU as a new (non-transfer) degree seeking student. The grant will increase each year if annual eligibility and renewal requirements are met. To be eligible for this grant, you must be admitted as a degree seeking undergraduate student, have a completed FAFSA file, and demonstrate financial need. Offer amounts are based on academic profile and financial need. Actual disbursement amounts will be prorated if less than full time. A minimum enrollment of 6 credits is required for disbursement each semester. Annual renewal criteria include a complete FAFSA file for the academic year, compliance with Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress Standards, financial need, and a minimum of 30 earned credits at the end of the academic year for each year that grant payment was received (example: if you have received payment of the offer for the past 2 years, to renew in the third year, you must have 60 or more earned credits at the end of the second year). Students attending Wilkes Honors College are not eligible for this grant.

FAU Transfer Grant (beginning Fall 2024)

To be eligible for the FAU Transfer Grant, you must be admitted as a degree seeking undergraduate transfer student, have a minimum 2.5 GPA, have a complete FAFSA application on file with a maximum SAI of 12,000, and demonstrate financial need. The grant is available during the fall and spring semesters regardless of entry term. FAU Transfer Grant offers are based on academic profile, financial need, fund availability, and the assumption of full-time enrollment (12 or more credits). Actual disbursement amounts will be prorated if you are enrolled less than full time. A minimum enrollment of 6 credits is required for disbursement each semester. Requirements for subsequent year renewal include have a complete FAFSA application for the award year with a maximum SAI of 12,000, compliance with the Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress Standards, demonstrate financial need, and a minimum of 20 earned credits in the previous academic year that the grant payment was received. The duration and amount of the award will differ based on whether a student is transferring from a Florida College System institution with an AA or a non-Florida College System institution.

Federal Grants

Federal Pell Grant Program

"Pell Grant Enrollment Intensity"

Effective Fall 2024: Enrollment intensity is the percentage of full-time enrollment at which a student is enrolled, rounded to the nearest whole percent. For example, if full-time enrollment is 12 credit hours and the student is enrolled in 7 hours, the enrollment intensity would be 7 ÷ 12 × 100% = 58.3% (round to 58%). Table below provides details per credit hour. However, after registering for the term, students eligible for Pell grant are encouraged to use the Financial Aid Disbursement Estimator.

Pell Grant Enrollment Intensity Table:

Credit Hours	Enrollment Intensity	Enrollment Status Equivalent
12 (or more)	100%	Full-Time
11	92%	Three-Quarter Time
10	83%	Three-Quarter Time
9	75%	Three-Quarter Time
8	67%	Half-Time
7	58%	Half-Time
6	50%	Half-Time
5	42%	Less-than-Half-Time
4	33%	Less-than-Half-Time
3	25%	Less-than-Half-Time
2	17%	Less-than-Half-Time
1	8%	Less-than-Half-Time

“Year-round Pell”

Effective Summer 2025: Students who are enrolled in one or more credits will potentially be eligible for a Summer Pell grant disbursement. The estimated Pell grant offer will be pro-rated based on enrollment credit hours (see Pell Grant Enrollment Intensity table).

Requirements to receive disbursement:

Meeting Satisfactory Academic Progress
Have not exceeded lifetime limit
Student must register for ALL parts of term (1, 2 & 3) by the first drop/add deadline of the earliest term they are enrolled in.
EFFECTIVE Summer 2025: Eligible students who are enrolled in more than one credits will receive a Pell grant disbursement (provided they meet all other relevant eligibility criteria).

A student may receive a Pell Grant to the equivalent of six years. Learn how we calculate the "equivalent of six years" at the Pell Grant Eligibility Calculation website.

This is for undergraduate students seeking a first baccalaureate degree. The U.S. Department of Education determines financial aid offer eligibility. Application deadline is June 30th of each year.

IMPORTANT NOTE: If a student who has been offered a PELL grant adds a class after the drop/add deadline, the PELL grant offer will NOT increase due to late enrollment. The student will be offered Pell funds for the number of credits enrolled at the end of the drop/add period of the earliest term that they are enrolled in.

Federal Pell grant recipients MUST complete their course entry quiz before their Pell grant can be disbursed; In addition, Pell grant will only disburse for classes that are in a student’s program.

Title IV Pell Grant & Architecture 5000-Level Courses (ONLY)

In general, with the exception of specific courses taken as part of the Bachelor of Architecture degree program, only undergraduate courses (identified as courses below the 5000 level) are eligible for Pell Grant funding.

Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant Program (FSEOG)

This is for first baccalaureate degree students enrolled at least half-time who demonstrate exceptional financial need. Funds are limited and financial aid offers are made based on the priority consideration deadline.

Florida State Grants

Florida Student Assistance Grant (FSAG)

The FSAG is a state funded program funded need-based offer program for first degree-seeking undergraduate students attending public Florida institutions. Financial aid offers range from $200-$2600 per academic year, based on availability of funds. This grant is for one year only and is not guaranteed in subsequent years. Talented 20 students qualify for priority funding if FSAG requirements are met. Please bring a copy of your Talented 20 notification letter to the Financial Aid Office.

General Eligibility Requirements:

Be a U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen;
Be a Florida resident
Must be a Pell recipient
Demonstrate financial need SAI -1500 to 9984
Enroll at least half time (6 credit hours)
Meet the Standards of Satisfactory Academic Progress
Not be in default on a federal student loan;
Not owe repayment of a grant or scholarship unless satisfactory arrangements have been made to repay.

Benacquisto Scholarship Program

The Benacquisto Scholarship Program is a merit scholarship for high school graduates who receive recognition as a National Merit® Scholar. Eligible scholars will receive an offer equal to the institutional cost of attendance for an in-state student minus the sum of Bright Futures and the National Merit® offer. An initial application is not required.

Be a U.S. citizen or eligible noncitizen (as determined by the institution) and enroll at an eligible, regionally accredited, public or independent Florida postsecondary institution.
Enroll full-time (minimum 12 credit hours per term) in a baccalaureate degree program.
Earn a standard Florida High School diploma or its equivalency (unless the student completes a home education program or earns a high school diploma from a non-Florida high school while living with a parent who is on military or public service assignment away from Florida).
Be a National Merit Scholar.
Enroll at an eligible Florida postsecondary institution during the fall academic term immediately following high school graduation.

Renewal Requirements:

Eligibility for renewal is determined at the end of the spring semester of each academic year.

For automatic renewal, an offer recipient will have:

Earned credit for all hours enrolled by the end of the regular drop/add period each term.
Earned a minimum cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.

A student who does not maintain a minimum 3.0 GPA by the end of the spring semester of the academic year shall be ineligible to continue in the program.

First Generation Matching Grant Program

The funds for this offer come from the State of Florida and are matched by the FAU Foundation. House Bill 795 was signed into law on June 2, 2006 and became effective July 1, 2006 creating Section 1009.701, Florida Statutes. This law provides financial, need based assistance to undergraduate, degree-seeking Florida residents who are U.S. citizens or eligible non-citizens and:

Attend a state University of Florida,
Enroll at least half-time (6 credit hours) per term,
Must be a Pell recipient
Demonstrate financial need SAI -1500 to 9984
Parents did not complete a baccalaureate degree. If student resides with only one parent who provides full support, that one parent must not have completed a baccalaureate degree for the student to be eligible, and
meet other criteria established by the individual Universities.

Please note that the letter refers to meeting Other Criteria established by the University. Those criteria are as follows:

Submit a FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid)
Preference will be given to First Time in College (FTIC) freshman and Florida Community College Transfer students for the initial academic year
Continuing students with a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5 will be considered if additional funding is available.

Funds are not available for the SUMMER terms.

Renewal Requirements: To be considered eligible for renewal, students must complete a minimum of 12 credits for the prior Fall and Spring semesters combined. In addition students must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.500. Exceptions will be reviewed on a case by case basis via the institutional appeal process.

Other Grants/Scholarships

Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grant (IASG)

This grant is available to eligible students whose parents or guardians died as a result of a U.S. military service in Iraq or Afghanistan after September 11, 2001 and who are not eligible for the Pell Grant. If your parent(s) or guardian(s) died as a result of U.S. military service in Iraq or Afghanistan after September 11, 2001 and you are eligible for the Pell Grant, you may qualify for an increase. Students must:

complete the FAFSA
have been 23 years of age or younger when the parent or guardian died, or must have been enrolled at an institution of higher education at the time of the parent or guardian's death, if over the age of 23
meet all Title IV student eligibility requirements

Applicants with an Student Aid Index (SAI) that is not Pell-eligible, are eligible to receive an offer under the IASG program. The amount of the IASG offer is the same as the maximum Pell Grant for the academic year, adjusted for the student’s enrollment status and cost of attendance. All other federal student aid will be offered based on the student’s calculated EFC.

Children of Fallen Heroes Scholarship

To qualify for this scholarship, a Pell-eligible student whose parent or guardian died in the line of duty while serving as a public safety officer is eligible, under the Children of Fallen Heroes Scholarship, to receive a maximum Federal Pell Grant. The Children of Fallen Heroes Scholarship requires Florida Atlantic University to determine and document, in collaboration with the student, that the student was less than 24 years of age or enrolled at an institution of higher education at the time of his or her parent’s or guardian’s death. To qualify for this scholarship, a Pell-eligible student whose parent or guardian died in the line of duty while serving as a public safety officer is eligible, under the Children of Fallen Heroes Scholarship, to receive a maximum Federal Pell Grant. The Children of Fallen Heroes Scholarship requires Florida Atlantic University to determine and document, in collaboration with the student, that the student was less than 24 years of age or enrolled at an institution of higher education at the time of his or her parent’s or guardian’s death. By completing the FAFSA and responding the question regarding parent killed in the line of duty. The Financial Aid office can advise on the documentation needed for further review.