Grants Available at SFSC

Grants are awarded by federal, state and institutional sources and do not have to be paid back. Grants are based on financial need and require that you complete the FAFSA. Applications submitted by April 15 are given priority consideration for many types of aid.

Examples of Year-Round Pell Grant

Listed below are five examples of how students with an Expected Family Contribution (EFC) of 0000 will be able to use Pell Grants to pay for college. This chart is based on a student being enrolled in a credit-hour program.

Example
Fall
Spring
Summer
1. Pete the Panther is enrolled as a full-time student during fall, spring, and summer terms.
Enrolled 12+ credits
Pell usage is 50%
Enrolled 12+ credits
Pell usage is 50%
Enrolled 12+ credits
Pell usage is 50%
2. Pete the Panther is enrolled as a full-time student during fall term, ¾ time in the spring term, and ½ time in the summer term.
Enrolled 12+ credits
Pell usage is 50%z
Enrolled 9 credits
Pell usage is 37.5%
Enrolled 6 credits
Pell usage is 25%
3. Pete the Panther is enrolled ¾ time in the fall term, ¾ time in the spring term, and ¾ time in the summer term. 
Enrolled 9 credits
Pell usage is 37.5%
Enrolled 9 credits
Pell usage is 37.5%
Enrolled 9 credits
Pell usage is 37.5%
4. Pete the Panther is enrolled ¾ time in the fall term, ¾ time in the spring term, and ¼ time in the summer term.
Enrolled 9 credits
Pell usage is 37.5%
Enrolled 9 credits
Pell usage is 37.5%
Enrolled 3 credits
Pell usage is 12.5%*
5. Pete the Panther is enrolled as a full-time student during the fall and spring terms, and ¼ time in the summer term.
Enrolled 12+ credits
Pell usage is 50%
Enrolled 12+ credits
Pell usage is 50%
Enrolled 3 credits
Pell = 0**
*The student is still in the first 100%, so the student doesn’t have to be ½ time.

**The student has received 100% and is not enrolled ½ time in second Pell.

The following table provides examples of conversion from credit hours to occupational credits (contact hours) for vocational programs.

Enrollment Credit Hours Occupational Credits/Contact Hours
 Full-time  > 12  > 16 / 480
 Three-quarter time  > 9  > 12 / 360
 Half-time  > 6  > 8 / 240
 Less than half-time  < 6  < 8 / 240

Summer Term Pell Grants

The federal government has expanded the Pell Grant program, and now students can receive Pell Grants to attend South Florida State College during the summer term.

To be considered for a summer Pell Grant, applicants must first file a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). You must maintain enrollment in a minimum of 6 credit hours (credit-hour programs) or 8 occupational credits/240 clock hours (vocational programs) in the summer term to receive the summer Pell Grant. As a reminder, you may receive approximately 144 credit hours (600%) of Pell funding over the course of your lifetime. This converts to 192 occupational credits/5,760 contact hours for vocational programs.

If you have any questions, visit the Financial Aid Office in Building B at the Highlands Campus, call 784-7134, or email finaid@southflorida.edu. We have also posted a helpful worksheet above, “Year-Round Pell Grant Examples.”