Lifetime Pell Grant Eligibility and Community College Transfer Students

• In Event: 65.050 - The Intersection of Education Finance and Policy

Abstract

Financial aid is an important component of college access, but most of the largest need-based grant aid programs, including the federal Pell Grant program, have lifetime eligibility limits. Receiving grants while enrolled at community colleges counts towards that maximum. Inefficiencies in the transfer pipeline, including exceeding the minimum required units at the two-year level and retaking courses at the four-year level, can contribute to students possibly maxing out aid eligibility before attaining a four-year degree. Using unique administrative restricted-use data on the census of California Community College students, this paper evaluates the remaining financial aid eligibility of community college transfer students and explores differences by aid type, campus and student characteristics.

Author

• Elizabeth Friedmann, University of California - Davis