In December of 2011, Congress passed a spending bill that made changes to the eligibility of the Pell Grant program. Beginning in the summer of 2012, students are limited to a maximum lifetime Pell grant limit of the equivalent of 12 full-time semesters of eligibility. There are no exceptions to this policy. To calculate your Pell grant lifetime eligibility used, please click here.
The Department of Education sets annual and aggregate (i.e. lifetime) limits of the amount of debt a student can obtain from the federal government. Click here for a chart of how much you can borrow annually and over your lifetime.
Undergraduate and post-baccalaureate students are allowed to receive up to $4,000 per academic year, and $16,000 over their lifetime.
Graduate students are allowed to receive up to $4,000 per academic year, and $8,000 over their lifetime.