Pell Grant Calculator (2026–27)
Enter the Student Aid Index (SAI) from your FAFSA Submission Summary, and this calculator estimates your 2026–27 Federal Pell Grant for full-time, full-year enrollment. It uses the Department of Education's award rules rather than a rough scale, and it shows each step of the math.
By Moises Lopez, Educator (10+ yrs, LAUSD & nonprofits) · Published
Calculator
Enter your Student Aid Index (SAI) from your FAFSA Submission Summary to estimate your 2026-27 Pell Grant. For a full-time student the award is the $7,395 maximum minus your SAI, rounded to the nearest $5. If that comes out below the $740 minimum, there's no SAI-based award.
2026-27 Pell Grant by SAI (full-time examples)
Award = $7,395 − SAI, rounded to the nearest $5. Results under $740 mean no SAI-based award. Under OBBBA, an SAI of 14,790 or more rules out Pell entirely.
| Student Aid Index (SAI) | How it's figured | Est. Annual Pell Grant | % of Max |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 or below (negative SAI) | Maximum award | $7,395 | 100% |
| 1,000 | Max Pell − SAI | $6,395 | 86% |
| 2,500 | Max Pell − SAI | $4,895 | 66% |
| 4,000 | Max Pell − SAI | $3,395 | 46% |
| 5,500 | Max Pell − SAI | $1,895 | 26% |
| 6,655 | Smallest SAI-based award | $740 | 10% |
| 6,660 – 14,789 | No SAI-based award (min. $740 possible through the income test) | $0 | 0% |
| 14,790 or higher | OBBBA cutoff (2× max) — no Pell at all | $0 | 0% |
* Full-time, full-year estimates. Some students receive the maximum or minimum award through income-based tests that SAI alone doesn't show. Source: FSA 2026–27 SAI and Pell Grant Eligibility Guide; P.L. 119-21.
The calculator runs entirely in your browser. Nothing you enter is sent anywhere or saved.
How to use it
- Find your SAI. It appears on your FAFSA Submission Summary, and it can be anywhere from -1,500 to 999,999.
- Type it into the calculator, including the minus sign if it's negative, and select Estimate My Pell Grant.
- Read the result. If you qualify, you'll see the estimated award and the math behind it. If you don't, it tells you whether the SAI cutoff or the minimum award is the reason.
- Use the table under the calculator to see how the award changes across a range of SAIs.
Worked example
A full-time student's FAFSA Submission Summary shows an SAI of 3,000.
| 2026–27 maximum Pell Grant | $7,395 |
| Minus the SAI | − 3,000 |
| Result, rounded to the nearest $5 | $4,395 |
| At least the $740 minimum? | Yes |
| Estimated award for the year | $4,395 |
Now take a student with an SAI of 7,000. The formula gives $7,395 minus 7,000, or $395, which is below the $740 minimum, so the SAI-based award is $0. Because that SAI is under 14,790, the student could still get the minimum award through the income test described below.
How the calculation works
The calculator follows the 2026–27 rules in the FSA Handbook's Application and Verification Guide and the Department of Education's letter setting this year's award amounts. For a full-time, full-year student, the award is the $7,395 maximum minus the SAI, rounded to the nearest $5. An SAI of zero or below gets the full maximum. If the result is below the $740 minimum award, there is no SAI-based award.
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) adds a hard stop starting in 2026–27: an SAI of 14,790 or more, twice the maximum award, means no Pell Grant at all. That cutoff also closes the income-based path to the minimum award, so the calculator checks it first.
The maximum Pell Grant has been $7,395 since 2023–24. OBBBA did not raise it.
What the calculator can't tell you
- Income-based awards. Some students get the maximum or the minimum award because their family's income is at or below set percentages of the federal poverty guideline, whatever their SAI. The calculator uses the SAI only; your FAFSA Submission Summary shows whether an income-based award applies to you.
- Part-time enrollment. Pell Grants are prorated by enrollment intensity: a student taking 6 credits in a term where 12 is full time has 50% enrollment intensity. The calculator assumes full-time, full-year enrollment.
- Your final award. Your school's financial aid office determines the actual amount and packages it with any other aid.
- Future years. The 2027–28 maximum award has not been announced yet, so the calculator covers 2026–27 only.
Sources
- FSA Handbook 2026–27, Application and Verification Guide, Ch. 3 (SAI and Pell Grant eligibility)
- FSA Dear Colleague Letter: 2026–27 Pell Grant maximum and minimum awards (Jan. 30, 2026)
- studentaid.gov: What is the Student Aid Index (SAI)?
- FSA Handbook 2026–27, Vol. 7 Ch. 3 (Pell Grant enrollment intensity)
Checked against these sources on September 24, 2026. If something here looks wrong, please tell us through the contact page.