Cougar Pell Promise

Brigham Young University offers students a world-class education in a unique environment centered in and enriched by the gospel of Jesus Christ. Though much less than most other private universities, tuition costs still pose a significant challenge for many students. When we admit someone to BYU, we welcome them to our family and want them to join us. To help make our shared dream a reality, the university will launch Cougar Pell Promise, a new financial aid program unlike any other that we have offered before.

Beginning in the 2021-22 academic year, the university will offer eligible new freshman students a last-dollar commitment for eight semesters. Cougar Pell Promise is not a loan, grant, or scholarship. It is a university guarantee to cover any remaining gaps in undergraduate Latter-day Saint tuition charges after grants, scholarships, and benefits are received for eight semesters. Yes, a BYU education is within your grasp!

Changes to Cougar Pell Promise for the 2024-2025 Academic Year

Beginning with the 2024-2025 academic year, the federal government is changing the way Pell Grants are calculated. Due to these changes, students who are initial applicants for the Cougar Pell Promise must qualify for more than the "Minimum Pell Grant" on the FAFSA in order to be eligible for the Cougar Pell Promise.

The Cougar Pell Promise

Initial Qualifications

Apply for and be admitted to BYU during your senior year of high school.
Complete the online scholarship application by the published scholarship deadline.
Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) by January 20th and be certified as Pell-eligible for more than the "Minimum Pell Grant."
- (For 2024-2025 only, the deadline was extended to March 22nd due to ongoing issues with the revised FAFSA).
If you are selected for FAFSA verification, you must complete verification within 30 days of your initial notification to complete it, in order to establish eligibility for the Cougar Pell Promise. If you do not complete verification, it will be cancelled and you will lose eligibility for Cougar Pell Promise for all eight semesters.
If you are leaving on a mission or military service and you are selected for FAFSA verification, you must complete verification prior to leaving on your mission or military service to establish eligibility for Cougar Pell Promise. You must complete verification even if you do not attend BYU prior to your service. If verification is not completed, you will lose eligibility for the Cougar Pell Promise program for all eight semesters.
Students entering BYU during winter semester must be mid-year high school graduates. Also, they must complete the scholarship application by August 1, and the FAFSA by July 20.

For Departing Missionaries

Apply for and be admitted to BYU during your senior year of high school, even if you are leaving on your mission or military service directly out of high school before attending BYU.
Complete the online scholarship application by the published scholarship deadline.
Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) by January 20th and be certified as Pell-eligible for more than the "Minimum Pell Grant."
If you are selected for financial aid verification, it MUST be completed PRIOR to leaving on your mission or military service to establish initial eligibility. You must complete verification even if you have not attended BYU prior to your service. If verification is not completed, you will lose eligibility for the Cougar Pell Promise for all eight semesters.
Complete your Mission Deferment form to defer your Cougar Pell Promise.

Maintaining Continuing Eligibility

Complete the online scholarship application each year by the continuing student scholarship deadline.
Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) each year by January 20th. Please note the following:
- For the 2024-2025 academic year only, you needed to complete the FAFSA by March 22nd. Due to changes made the FAFSA, the application was delayed, so the FAFSA deadline was extended for 2024-2025 only.
- If you are first awarded prior to the 2024-2025 academic year, you need to be eligible for a Pell Grant when you are first granted the Cougar Pell Promise. You can still maintain the Cougar Pell Promise in following years even if you are not eligible for the Pell Grant.
- If you are first awarded beginning with the 2024-2025 academic year, you need to be eligible for more than the "Minimum Pell Grant" when you are first granted the Cougar Pell Promise. You can still maintain the Cougar Pell Promise in following years even if you are not eligible for more than the "Minimum Pell Grant."
Maintain a 2.00 cumulative BYU GPA.
Enroll in 12.0 credit hours each semester. Cougar Pell Promise does not cover spring or summer terms.

Additional Information

After initial qualification, semesters of eligibility may be deferred for full-time missionary or active duty military service.
Eligibility is forfeited for semesters with fewer than 12.0 credit hours of enrollment and for non-enrollment, except for approved deferments. Each fall or winter semester without full-time enrollment or an approved deferment is deducted from the eight-semester limit.
Cougar Pell Promise does not cover spring/summer tuition charges.
Cougar Pell Promise will not cover tuition charges incurred for withdrawing from a semester/term.
Maximum coverage is capped at the value of Latter-day Saint tuition. However, eligible recipients do not need to be members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and can receive Cougar Pell Promise up to the Latter-day Saint tuition limit.
Cougar Pell Promise only applies to undergraduate tuition. Once a recipient graduates or begins a program that charges graduate-level tuition amounts, the program ceases.
Institutional, federal, and third-party scholarships, grants, and benefits totals are considered before adding the Cougar Pell Promise. As these funds are received or withdrawn, Cougar Pell Promise adjusts to cover the remaining gap up to the value of Latter-day Saint tuition.
A semester will still count as one of the eight semesters of Cougar Pell Promise even if Cougar Pell Promise funds are not used due to tuition being covered by institutional, federal, and third-party scholarships, grants, and benefits.
For Cougar Pell Promise purposes, scholarship amounts offered, not claimed, are the values used in the calculation.
Student loans and 529-plan payments do not affect the calculations of coverage for Cougar Pell Promise recipients.