Will my son's part-time job affect his Pell Grant eligibility for FAFSA?
Just found out my son qualified for a Pell Grant for the 2025-2026 year which is AMAZING since we're struggling financially. But now I'm worried because he's thinking about getting a part-time job at the campus bookstore that pays around $15/hr for about 12 hours a week. I can't find any clear information online about the exact income thresholds for Pell Grant eligibility. Does anyone know if his part-time earnings might push us over some limit and cause him to lose the grant next year? His current SAI is pretty low (around 1800) and the Pell Grant is covering almost $7,300 of his expenses. I don't want him to lose thousands in aid just to make a few hundred each month... but he also needs spending money. Any advice from parents who've dealt with this??
18 comments
Join the conversation
Freya Andersen
Dont worry 2 much, student income has a protection allowance. I think its like $7k or something so your son can make that much without it affecting his aid. Anything over that only counts at 50% anyway for fafsa calculations.
0 coins
Malik Jenkins
•Oh thank you! That's a relief to hear. Do you know if that $7k protection is per calendar year or academic year? And does it apply to summer earnings too?
0 coins
Eduardo Silva
The income threshold for Pell Grants isn't a simple cutoff - it's calculated through the SAI formula which considers family size, number in college, and several other factors. For the 2025-2026 FAFSA, student income has a protection allowance of $9,410 (for dependent students). Income above that is assessed at 50% for FAFSA calculations. With your son's current SAI of 1800 and working 12 hours/week at $15/hour, he'd make roughly $9,360 annually (assuming he works all year), which is just under the protection allowance. Even if he exceeds it slightly, the impact on his SAI would be minimal. The Department of Education publishes updated SAI formulas each year if you want the specifics.
0 coins
Malik Jenkins
•Wow, thank you for such a detailed explanation! This is exactly what I needed to know. So basically, he could work those hours without it affecting his aid much, if at all. That's such a relief.
0 coins
Leila Haddad
I went through this exact situation with my daughter last year. Her working part-time at the library actually HELPED her overall because of the work experience, connections, and additional money that didn't significantly impact her aid. The protection allowance mentioned is correct - student income has special treatment under FAFSA. Just make sure he doesn't go too far over that protection amount, and even then, only 50% counts against him. The bigger concern would be if YOU had a significant income increase, as parent income is assessed much more heavily in the SAI calculation.
0 coins
Malik Jenkins
•That's good to know about parent income being weighted more heavily. Fortunately, our household income isn't likely to change much next year. It sounds like his campus job will be beneficial overall!
0 coins
Emma Johnson
omg the system is so confusing!! my kid lost his entire pell grant because he worked too many hours one summer and it pushed us over some threshold. the financial aid office wasnt any help either and we couldnt get anyone on the phone from fafsa to explain!!!
0 coins
Ravi Patel
•This happened to my nephew too! The whole FAFSA system is designed to punish people trying to work hard and better themselves. The algorithms they use are deliberately confusing to discourage people from getting aid they deserve.
0 coins
Astrid Bergström
Something to keep in mind - the income that affects your 2025-2026 FAFSA was already reported (it uses 2023 tax info). So any job your son gets now won't affect his current Pell Grant at all - it would potentially impact his 2026-2027 aid package. Also, having trouble reaching someone at Federal Student Aid about this? I discovered a service called Claimyr that gets you through to an agent without the usual wait times. Saved me hours when I needed to clarify our verification issues. You can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ or check out claimyr.com. Seriously helpful when you need to talk to an actual human about these complicated situations.
0 coins
Malik Jenkins
•That's such an important point about the tax years! I didn't realize it was using 2023 data for the 2025-2026 year. Definitely relieves immediate pressure. And thanks for the Claimyr tip - I've been trying to get through to someone for a week with no luck. I'll check it out!
0 coins
PixelPrincess
Let him take the job!!!!! Work experience is WAY more valuable than worrying about a few hundred dollars in aid. Employers want to see that campus involvement and work history!!! My daughter's campus job turned into an internship which turned into a full-time offer after graduation. The connections are worth more than the money either way.
0 coins
Malik Jenkins
•That's a great perspective! I hadn't thought about the networking and potential career benefits. His major is business administration, so working at the campus bookstore could actually give him some relevant experience.
0 coins
Freya Andersen
be careful tho - make sure he doesnt work too many hours during the school year. my son started working too much and his grades suffered. better to work more in summer and less during actual school time
0 coins
Emma Johnson
•This is such good advice! My daughters roommate worked 25 hrs a week her freshman year and almost failed two classes. Academics have to come first!!!
0 coins
Eduardo Silva
Just a clarification on the tax year information - for the 2025-2026 FAFSA, they'll be using 2024 tax information (not 2023 as someone mentioned above). This is due to the FAFSA Simplification Act changes. So any income your son earns in 2024 would affect the 2025-2026 aid calculation. That said, with the protection allowance of $9,410, working 12 hours weekly at $15/hour should still keep him under or very close to that threshold, meaning minimal impact on his Pell eligibility.
0 coins
Malik Jenkins
•Oh! Thank you for that correction - that's actually really important. So his earnings this year (2024) WILL impact next year's aid. But it sounds like we should still be okay with the hours he's planning to work.
0 coins
Astrid Bergström
•You're absolutely right - I mixed up my years. Thanks for the correction!
0 coins
Nia Davis
As someone who works in financial aid, I can confirm that the $9,410 protection allowance for student income is accurate for 2025-2026. Your son's projected earnings of around $9,360 annually would fall just under this threshold, so his Pell Grant should remain intact. One thing I'd add is to keep detailed records of his work hours and earnings throughout the year. If he ever gets close to that threshold, he can adjust his schedule accordingly. Also, many campus jobs are flexible with student schedules during finals and busy academic periods, which is a huge advantage over off-campus work. The experience and potential networking opportunities from a campus bookstore job could be invaluable - he'll interact with faculty, staff, and other students regularly. Plus, many campus positions offer perks like textbook discounts or first access to used books, which could save money in other ways!
0 coins