Can I Get a Pell Grant for Graduate School?

Pell grants provide crucial financial support for undergraduate students who do not already hold a degree. While graduate students are ineligible for Pell grants, there is an exception for college graduates who want to pursue a teaching career and need to complete an undergraduate teaching certification program.

The federal government provides Pell grants to students who need financial assistance to complete their education. To qualify for a Pell grant, the student must demonstrate financial need, be enrolled in an undergraduate program and cannot already hold a bachelor's degree.

Individuals who already hold a bachelor's degree but who need to go back to school to earn post-baccalaureate teaching certification may be eligible for a Pell grant. Not all teaching certification programs qualify, however. According to the Department of Education, the program must meet the following criteria to qualify the student for a Pell grant:

• The school offering the program must not also offer a bachelor's degree in education.
  
• The program must be considered an undergraduate program.
• The coursework cannot lead to a graduate degree.

Students should contact a school's financial aid department to determine whether its teaching certificate program meets the qualifications for Pell grant assistance.