Grants, explained · 2026–27
School grants for adults going back to school.
Grants are money for school that isn’t a loan. Here is how the main ones work, who decides, and how to apply for free.
Free · About two minutes · Not a school or a government agency
- Pell Grant, up to
- $7,395
- a year · most students receive less
- Pell age limit
- None
- adults qualify the same way
- Cost to apply
- Free
- the FAFSA at studentaid.gov
$7,395 is the published maximum Federal Pell Grant for a full-time student in the 2026–27 award year. We are not a government agency and we do not award aid. Eligibility is decided by your FAFSA and the school you attend.
Grant types
The main grants, and who decides.
Whether you qualify, and for how much, depends on your FAFSA and the school you attend.
- Federal Pell Grant
- $7,395a year
- The largest federal grant for undergraduates with financial need, and not a loan. No age limit. Your amount is set by your FAFSA and your school.
- FSEOG
- $4,000a year
- For students with exceptional need at schools that take part. Funds are limited, so applying early matters.
- State grants
- Variesby state
- Most states run their own need-based or merit grants for residents. Many use the FAFSA; some have their own short application and deadlines.
- School and employer aid
- Variesby program
- Scholarships, adult-learner discounts, and tuition help from your employer can sit on top of federal and state grants.
Federal maximums published by Federal Student Aid for the 2026–27 award year. Most students receive less than the maximum. The FAFSA is free at studentaid.gov, and nobody should charge you to apply for federal aid.
How to apply
Three steps, all free.
File the FAFSA
The Free Application for Federal Student Aid is the one form behind federal grants and most state and school aid. It is free at studentaid.gov.
List the schools you are considering
The FAFSA sends your information to each school you add, so their financial aid offices can work out an offer.
Compare the offers
Each school tells you what grants, scholarships and loans it can offer. Look at the grants first, since they are not loans.
Short programs
Newer: Workforce Pell.
Starting July 1, 2026, a Workforce Pell Grant can help pay for some shorter job-training programs of about 8 to 15 weeks. A program qualifies only after both its state and the U.S. Department of Education approve it, and very few had been approved by late summer 2026. Ask any school whether a specific program is eligible.
Comparing program types? See certificates and degrees side by side.
Questions
Grant questions adults ask.
No. There is no age limit on the Pell Grant. Adults qualify the same way younger students do, based on financial need worked out on the FAFSA.
A grant is not a loan. In some cases, such as leaving a program partway through a term, you may have to return part of it. The school’s financial aid office can explain its rules.
No. Federal grants do not involve a credit check. You do need to not be in default on a federal student loan, or owe money back on a federal grant, and there are ways to fix either one. A school’s financial aid office can explain.
You do not need to. The FAFSA is free, and school financial aid offices help with it at no charge. Be wary of anyone who asks for money to file it or promises a grant.
Find out what you may qualify for.
About two minutes, free, and no obligation. We email you your next step.
See if I may qualify