ScholarLens

A scholarship and grant eligibility checker that shows its sources.

Describe your situation the way you would to a counselor. ScholarLens checks it against the rules of ten US programs we've reviewed, and searches official websites for everything else.

Check your eligibilitySee how it works

You don't need an account, and nothing you type is stored.

Eligibility rules are written for program staff, and students have to work out what they mean.

This is part of the Federal Pell Grant's own eligibility summary. The numbered notes show what makes rules like these hard to read, and what ScholarLens does about each one.

Federal Pell Grant, eligibility summary, studentaid.gov

  • Must file the FAFSA; eligibility is determined by the Student Aid Index (SAI), not a single flat income cutoff.1quoted in the US example above
    1

    There's no simple income limit

    Pell uses a number from the federal aid application, while a state program may ask about family income instead. ScholarLens reads each program's own wording, so you don't have to compare them yourself.

  • SAI is calculated from family income, family size, number in college, and other FAFSA factors.
  • Starting with the 2026-27 award year, students with an SAI of $14,790 or higher are not eligible for any Pell Grant award, regardless of other factors.
  • Must be enrolled in an eligible undergraduate program and not already hold a Bachelor's or professional degree.
  • Must be a U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen.2
    2

    One line can decide everything

    A rule like this sits in the middle of a long list. ScholarLens checks every rule against what you told it and quotes the one it relied on, word for word, with a link to the source.

  • Must maintain satisfactory academic progress.3
    3

    Some rules need details you didn't give

    Instead of guessing, your result is marked a partial match and lists exactly what would change the answer.

It takes three steps, starting with your own words.

  1. 1

    Describe your situation

    Write it the way you'd tell a counselor. Add your family income, where you live, your grades, or what you plan to study if you know them.

  2. 2

    ScholarLens reads the rules

    It starts with the program rules we've reviewed, and searches official websites only for programs outside that list.

  3. 3

    Get a cited answer

    Eligible, partial, or not eligible, with the exact clause it relied on and a link to the source.

Check your eligibility

We've reviewed the rules for ten US programs, from the Pell Grant to state grant programs.

Questions about any other program, including ones outside the US, are answered from official websites, and the result says so.

Program rules last reviewed

Federal grants (3)

State programs (7)

Common questions

The methodology page explains how ScholarLens reads the rules and where its limits are.

Who built ScholarLens

ScholarLens is an independent project by Arkadipta Mojumder. It isn't affiliated with the U.S. Department of Education, any state agency, or any of the programs it covers.

Find out what you qualify for in about a minute.

You won't need an account, nothing you type is saved, and every result comes with the rule it relies on.

Check your eligibility