Federal aid reference2026–27
See which school grants you may qualify for.
The Pell Grant pays up to$7,395a year*
Answer 11 short questions and we’ll email you your next step toward programs built around a job and a family.
What do you want to study?
- Healthcare & Nursing
- Business
- Computers & Technology
- Trades & Vocational
- Criminal Justice & Law
- Education & Teaching
- Something else
No account, no credit check. We may be paid by education partners, which is how this stays free. Your name and email come at the end.
- Pell age limit
- None
- adults qualify the same way
- Grant credit check
- None
- a grant isn’t a loan
*$7,395 is the published maximum Federal Pell Grant for the 2026–27 award year. Most students receive less. Eligibility is decided by your FAFSA and the school you attend, not by us, and applying for federal aid is free at studentaid.gov.
How it works
Three steps, and it’s free to use.
We may be paid by education partners if you submit your details on their sites from our emails, which is how this stays free for you. We don’t award aid, and we can’t tell you whether you qualify.
Tell us what you want to study
Your field, whether you would study online or on campus, and when you would start. About two minutes.
We email you your next step
Usually within minutes, to the address you give us. We don’t pass your request to schools.
You decide what to do next
Explore programs and ways to pay, including filing the FAFSA for free. Nothing obliges you to apply anywhere.
For working adults
Going back is not starting over.
Most people who go back as adults are working while they do it. Certificates take months, not years, and an associate degree is about two. Grants are not awarded on your grades or on how long you have been away.
Grants, explained
Money for school that isn’t a loan.
Whether you qualify, and for how much, depends on your FAFSA and the school you attend.
- Federal Pell Grant
- $7,395a year
- The largest federal grant for undergraduates with financial need, and not a loan. No age limit. Your amount is set by your FAFSA and your school.
- FSEOG
- $4,000a year
- For students with exceptional need at schools that take part. Funds are limited, so applying early matters.
- State grants
- Variesby state
- Most states run their own need-based or merit grants for residents. Many use the FAFSA; some have their own short application and deadlines.
- School and employer aid
- Variesby program
- Scholarships, adult-learner discounts, and tuition help from your employer can sit on top of federal and state grants.
Federal maximums published by Federal Student Aid for the 2026–27 award year. Most students receive less than the maximum. The FAFSA is free at studentaid.gov, and nobody should charge you to apply for federal aid.
No. CollegeCompass360 is an independent, free service, not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Education or any government agency. We do not award grants. The official place to apply for federal aid is the FAFSA at studentaid.gov, and it is free.
Maybe. Federal grants are based on your income and family size, worked out on the FAFSA, and adults qualify the same way eighteen-year-olds do. You generally need a high school diploma, a GED or the equivalent, and to be a U.S. citizen or an eligible non-citizen.
Up to $7,395 a year from the Pell Grant in 2026–27. Most people receive less, and state grants and school aid can add to it. None of it is a loan, though leaving a program partway through a term can mean giving some back.
By filing the FAFSA, which is free at studentaid.gov. Eligibility is based on financial need, plus factors like your enrollment status and program. A school's financial aid office tells you your exact award after you apply. We cannot work it out for you.
No. We may be paid by education partners if you submit your details on their sites through links in our emails, which is how the service stays free to you.
We email you your next step, usually within a few minutes. We don’t pass your request to schools. We also add your email address to our newsletter about school and funding options, and you can use the unsubscribe link in any email at any time.
Often, yes. Federal grants generally require a diploma, a GED or the equivalent, and many programs accept a GED. Some schools have a pathway for students still working on one.
Only us, by email. We don’t pass your request to schools. If that ever changes, we will name each business on our partners page first, and the consent on the form will change with it.
CollegeCompass360, at 3379 Peachtree Rd NE, STE 700, Atlanta, GA 30326. You can reach us at support@collegecompass360.com.
CollegeCompass360 and NoGigiddy.com are under common ownership and share a contact database and email platform. If NoGigiddy.com already has a record for your email, your request is combined with it.
Find out what you may qualify for.
About two minutes, free, and no obligation. We email you your next step.
See if I may qualify