TAMPA, Fla. — The cost of a college education isn't cheap, so many students with high financial needs use Pell Grants to help afford it. However, proposed changes under the "One Big Beautiful Bill" could tighten eligibility and reduce Pell Grant access for thousands of students.
On any given day, you’ll find William Eleazar studying hard at Hillsborough Community College.
WATCH: Tampa Bay college students concerned over potential Pell Grant program changes
“Even with the four classes, it’s just kind of stressful managing and balancing all my time and my hours with school and my personal life,” said Eleazar, an HCC student.
Eleazar said he has Pell Grants to help pay for school.
Pell Grants are typically awarded to students with exceptional financial need.
“I feel like if I had added on an extra course to be eligible, then I feel like it might cause a struggle,” he said.
The House version of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which passed in May, increases the number of credits required to qualify for full-time enrollment in order to receive Pell Grants.
It would also prohibit a student who is enrolled less than half-time from receiving a Pell Grant.
“The proposal is to decrease the maximum Pell Grant to $5,710, which is currently $7,395, as well as increase the enrollment status for full-time from 12 credit hours [per semester] to 15 credit hours [per semester],” said Tierra Smith, the Associate Vice President of Student Services and Financial Aid at HCC.
Smith said usually, 12 credit hours is about four courses, while 15 is five courses.
Breaking it down, Smith said they have about 13,000 students who receive Pell Grants during an award year. She said about 6,000 students would be impacted with the full-time eligibility increase and about 3,000 students would lose eligibility altogether with the half-time changes.
“Any reduction in eligibility could really impact students’ ability to attend full-time,” said Smith. “Most students are working students.”
Smith explained it’s a little bit of wait-and-see for what happens in the Senate.
For students like Eleazar, the funds can be a lifeline.
“If that was gone, I really don’t know what I would do,” said Eleazar. “I can’t even think of that scenario.”
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