Students are eligible for the Federal Pell Grant if their parent or guardian died in the line of duty in the US Armed Forces or while performing as a public safety officer, and if they meet the additional criteria below. Approved students will receive a maximum Federal Pell Grant for the award year for which the determination of eligibility is made, regardless of their calculated SAI.
Eligibility
Student must:
- Have a parent or guardian who died in the line of duty while performing in the US Armed Forces or as a public safety officer (listed below);
- Be less than 33 years of age as of January 1 (example: a student enrolling in the 26-27 award year must be less than 33 years old as of January 1, 2026.)
- Have a valid Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) on file;
- Be working toward his or her first bachelor's degree;
- Attend all courses in order to keep the grant. Failure to attend all courses could result in a reduction of Pell Grant funds;
- Be making Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP);
- Complete and submit the Special Rule for Pell (IAFH) Form;
- Submit supporting documentation (listed below).
Public Safety Officer Position:
- Law enforcement officers for a federal, state, county or city/town government
- Firefighters or chaplains employed by a fire department
- Employees of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) performing official or hazardous duties related to a major disaster or emergency
- Employees of a state, county or city/town government Emergency Management department performing official or hazardous duties related to a major disaster or emergency
- A fire police officer, defined as an individual who is serving in accordance with state or local law as an officially recognized or designated member of a legally organized public safety agency and provides scene security or directs traffic in response to any fire drill, fire call, or other fire, rescue, or police emergency, or at a planned special event.
Acceptable Supporting Documentation:
The student must provide at least one of the documents below. The student may be asked to provide more than one document upon review of the individual situation.
- DD Form 1300 Report of Casualty;
- DD Form 214 (in addition to a death certificate);
- Department of Veterans Affairs Death Narrative Document
- A letter showing that the student qualifies for benefits under the Public Safety Officers Benefit (PSOB) program administered by the Department of Justice;
- A letter on official letterhead from the supervisor of the parent lost in the line of duty;
- A letter on official letterhead from the current head of the agency who employed the parent lost in the line of duty;
- A letter on official letterhead from the human resources department of the agency who employed the parent lost in the line of duty;
- Legal guardianship decree (if the fallen officer was a guardian and not a parent);
- Adoption paperwork (if the student was legally adopted).
Amount
Student will be eligible for the maximum Federal Pell Grant for the current aid year Note: If the student is already getting the maximum Pell award due to having a a Student Aid Index (SAI) of -1,500 to zero, there will be no change to their award amounts.
Notification and Disbursement
The Office of Student Financial Aid will collect documentation from each student who answers Yes to the “Parent Killed in the Line of Duty” question on the FAFSA. The Special Rule for Pell (IAFH) Form will show as needed on the student’s portal. Student will only need to submit documentation once. Funds are applied directly to the student's account approximately ten days before the start of the applicable semester.