Pell Grant

noun

A subsidy provided by the United States federal government to students who need it to pay for college.

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Meanings

nounPell Grant (plural Pell Grants)

plural Pell Grants

  1. USeducationA subsidy provided by the United States federal government to students who need it to pay for college.
    1 more example

    A Pell Grant is federal money awarded to some low-income students, based on family income and other information listed on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form. Pell Grants — and grants in general — do not need to be repaid. But you might not get the same award the following year. States and colleges may also offer separate grants to students.

    2018 June 7, Katie Lobosco, “36% of colleges are hiding the cost to students”, in CNN Business, archived from the original on 28 May 2025

Origin

Originally known as a Basic Educational Opportunity Grant, it was renamed in 1980 in honor of Democratic U.S. Senator Claiborne Pell of Rhode Island.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

Pell Grant. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Pell%20Grant

MLA

“Pell Grant.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Pell%20Grant. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Pell Grant,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Pell%20Grant.

Source: Pell Grant on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.