2026-27 Federal Aid Changes
Federal financial aid programs are changing and effective beginning July 1, 2026. These changes include:
- Federal Direct Loan amount reduction for less-than-full-time enrollment required
- New graduate & professional student loan limits
- Parent PLUS loan capped (New annual and lifetime limits)
- Grad PLUS loan Eliminated
- Pell cannot be paid on accounts where non-federal aid is greater than cost of attendance
Direct Loan Reduction for Less-Than-Full-Time Enrollment
Use the Schedule of Reductions Estimator to calculate how Schedule of Reductions affects you.
Federal Direct Subsidized, Unsubsidized, and Graduate PLUS Loans are required to be reduced for students enrolled less than full-time. Loans will be reduced proportionally based upon enrolled credit hours. Students must still be enrolled at least half-time to be eligible for a disbursement.
| Registered Fall Hours | Registered Spring Hours | Percentage of FT Enrollment | Annual Loan Eligibility | Final Annual Loan Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 | 15 | 30/24=125% | $5500 | $5500 |
| 12 | 12 | 24/24=100% | $5500 | $5500 |
| 9 | 9 | 18/24=75% | $5500 | $4125 |
| 6 | 6 | 12/24=50% | $5500 | $2750 |
| 3 | 3 | 6/24=25% | $5500 | $0 |
* $5,500 is the First Year in College Annual Loan Eligibility Maximum. Actual offers may vary.
Graduate, Professional & Parent PLUS Loan Limits
Graduate and Professional aggregate loan limits have been modified to reflect amounts taken on at their respective levels. At SUU, the Professional limit only applies to the Doctorate of Psychology in Clinical Psychology (Psy.D.) program. All Masters degrees will be limited to the Graduate aggregate loan limit.
First-time Parent Plus Loan borrowers will have new annual and lifetime aggregate loan limits. Parent Plus Loans will continue to be available to parents of dependent undergraduate students.
| Borrower Type | Undergraduate Subsidized & Unsubsidized (no change) | Graduate Unsubsidized | Professional Unsubsidized | Parent PLUS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annual Limit | $5,500-$12,500 | $20500 | $50000 | $20000 |
| Aggregate Limit | $31,000-$57,500 | $100,000 (not including UG) | $200,000 (combined Graduate/Professional, not UG) | $65,000* |
| Lifetime Limit (All levels; Parent PLUS excluded) | $257,500* | $257,500* | $257,500* | N/A |
* without regard to any amounts repaid, forgiven, canceled, or otherwise discharged
Grad PLUS Loan Eliminated
New graduate students will be unable to take out a Graduate Plus Loan. There is a limited exception as follows:
- Student is enrolled as of June 30, 2026.
- Student previously borrowed a federal loan.
- Student maintains continuous enrollment in the same program of study through the remaining length of their program.
The limited exception is revoked when:
- At the end of the expected graduation date for the program of study.
- The student changes program of study
- The student withdraws or skips a fall or spring semester
Pell Ineligibility for Students With Non-Federal Aid Greater than Cost of Attendance
Students with non-federal awards up to Cost of Attendance are ineligible for Pell. These situations may be remediated by lowering the non-federal awards to less than Cost of Attendance. Please reach out if you believe you this is happening on your account.
Pell Ineligibility for Students With an SAI Twice the amount of Pell
If your Student Aid Index (SAI) on the FAFSA is double the amount of the maximum Pell Grant, you will not qualify for Pell Grant funding.