We’ve released programs designed to give you new ways to boost your monthly income. Whether you’re looking to cover bills, build savings, or just have extra spending money, these resources can help you bring in more cash.
Who actually qualifies for a Pell Grant
A Pell Grant is not a loan — it does not have to be repaid, and it is awarded based on financial need rather than credit history or work history. Eligibility runs through the FAFSA, which calculates a Student Aid Index using household income, family size, and other factors; there is no single income cutoff published in advance, so it is worth applying even if you assume you will not qualify. You also do not need to enroll full-time — part-time students can receive a prorated award as long as they are enrolled at least half-time in a degree or certificate program, with the exact amount adjusted to reflect enrollment level. This eligibility breakdown covers exactly how enrollment level affects the award amount.
That combination — need-based rather than credit-based, and open to part-time students — is what makes it a realistic option for adults returning to school while working, not just recent high school graduates enrolling full-time straight out of high school.
How many people are already using this to go back to school
This is a large, well-established program, not a pilot. More than six million students received a Pell Grant in the most recent year the Department of Education has reported figures for, with the average award landing at $5,300. See the full breakdown of Pell Grant statistics. The maximum award for the current 2025–26 award year is $7,395 — money that goes directly toward tuition, fees, and other education costs and never has to be paid back, whether you finish the semester or the program takes longer than planned.
A credit worth checking before tax season
One resource worth checking alongside the options above: the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) is a federal credit millions of eligible workers miss simply because they don’t realize they qualify. The IRS’s own page covers the income limits and how to claim it.
Nationally, about 24 million workers and families received the EITC for the most recent tax year the IRS has fully reported, claiming roughly $70 billion combined, with an average credit of $2,894 and a maximum of up to $8,046 for a filer with three or more qualifying children — according to the IRS’s own EITC statistics. That is real money that goes unclaimed by an estimated one in five eligible workers simply because they never checked.
The two can work well together if you are rebuilding income during a career change. Going back to school part-time on Pell Grant funding does not disqualify you from the EITC on whatever income you are still earning, and Pell Grant money used for tuition and required fees is not counted as taxable income in the first place — so returning to school and claiming the credit are not competing options, they are two separate resources aimed at the same goal of increasing what you take home this year and what you are able to earn afterward.
Getting started
The only real cost to finding out what you qualify for is the time it takes to complete the FAFSA, and one application opens the door to Pell Grant funding, work-study, and other federal aid at the same time. Checking your EITC eligibility takes even less time, since it is calculated automatically when you file. Neither one requires you to change your plans first — applying costs nothing and does not commit you to enrolling anywhere or attending full-time, it simply tells you what is available before you decide, which is exactly why both are worth checking alongside the options above.
One more thing worth doing: mark both deadlines on a calendar the same day you apply for either one. The FAFSA has a rolling deadline that resets every award year, and the EITC has to be claimed on that year’s tax return — missing either window means waiting another full year for the same benefit.
