On July 4, 2025, legislation (One Big Beautiful Bill/H.R. 1- ) was signed into law by President Trump. This act has implications for the administration of federally funded student aid starting on July 1, 2026.
Please note that final rules associated with the regulatory interpretation for the reconciliation bill have not yet been published. The information provided is based on the current interpretation of the law and may be subject to changes. As more information becomes available from the U.S. Department of Education, the 166su will continue to monitor the development of the federal regulations associated with the bill and provide updates accordingly.
*Unless otherwise stated, the effective date for changes below is July 1, 2026.
Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) Changes
Exemptions of family farm and family-owned small business assets from the (SAI) calculation reinstated and expansion of asset exemptions to family-owned commercial fisheries.
Pell Grant Changes
Foreign income must be included in the Adjusted Gross Income used to calculate Pell Grant eligibility.
Students who receive grants or scholarships from non-federal sources covering their entire Cost of Attendance (COA) are ineligible to receive a Pell Grant, even if otherwise eligible for the program.
Prevents students from receiving Pell Grants if their exceeds twice the maximum Pell Grant award.
Federal Student Loan Changes
Undergraduate Students
Effective for the 2026-2027 aid year, the loan amounts for students who are enrolled less than in any given semester are subject to a reduction of the loan amount for that term.
Annual Aggregate Loan Limit Changes- Parents may borrow $20,000 per year per dependent student with a $65,000 aggregate limit per dependent student.
- Legacy Provision: If a borrower has a Federal Direct Loan made before July 1, 2026, while enrolled in a program of study, the borrower can continue to borrow from the program for the shorter of 3 academic years or the remainder of their expected time to credential. For whichever timeframe is shorter, a parent may borrow under the current Parent PLUS Loan guidelines which include borrowing up to the student’s unmet Cost of Attendance with no aggregate limit.
Graduate/Professional Students
Effective for the 2026-2027 aid year, the loan amounts for students who are enrolled less than in any given semester are subject to a reduction of the loan amount for that term.
The Graduate PLUS Loan Program will be eliminated effective July 1, 2026.
- Legacy Provision: If a borrower has a Federal Direct Loan made before July 1, 2026, while enrolled in their specific graduate program of study, the borrower can continue to borrow from the Graduate PLUS Loan program for 3 academic years or the remainder of their expected time to credential, whichever is less.
Annual loan limits of $20,500 for graduate students and $50,000 for professional students. The aggregate limit is capped at $100,000 for graduate students and $200,000 for , and excludes amounts borrowed as an undergraduate. The only professional program offered at 166su based on the U.S. Department of Education definition is the Doctor of Medicine (M.D.).
- Legacy Provision: If a borrower has a Federal Direct Loan made before July 1, 2026, while enrolled continuously in current graduate program of study, the current loan limits ($20,500 annual limit regardless of distinction between graduate and professional) continue to apply for 3 academic years or the remainder of their expected time to credential, whichever is less.
Lifetime borrowing limit of $257,500 on all federal student loans excluding Parent PLUS.
- Legacy Provision: If a borrower has a Federal Direct Loan made before July 1, 2026, while enrolled continuously in current graduate program of study, the current loan limits ($138,500 for graduate students; and $224,000 for medical students) continue to apply” for 3 academic years or the remainder of their expected time to credential, whichever is less.
Federal Student Loans – Schedule of Reduction (SOR)
Federal student loans for students enrolled less than full-time are subject to Schedule of Reduction (SOR) requirements. This means that federal student loan amounts may be reduced based on a student’s actual enrollment level.
At the 166su, full-time enrollment is defined as:
- Undergraduate: 12 or more credit hours per term
- Graduate: 9 or more credit hours per term during the Fall and Spring semesters, or 6 or more credit hours during the Summer term.
- Certain graduate students who are completing thesis or dissertation requirements may qualify as full-time with fewer credit hours depending on their program and eligibility.
Schedule of Reduction (SOR) requirements apply to all Subsidized and Unsubsidized Federal Direct loans, and Graduate PLUS loans offered under legacy provisions. Students must still be enrolled at least half-time to receive a federal direct loan.
Important Information:
- Students enrolled less than full-time may have their federal student loan reduced based on their enrollment level.
- Post-disbursement drops and withdrawals will affect current term loan disbursements.
- If a student withdraws from one or more courses after their federal student loan has been disbursed, their loan eligibility may be recalculated based on their new enrollment level.
- A reduction in loan eligibility may result in the student being required to return a portion of loan funds already disbursed, which could create a balance owed to 166su.
- Students must meet all general eligibility requirements in order to be offered aid.
Loan Repayment Changes
Loan repayment options will vary for current borrowers, who have no new loans after July 1, 2026, and new borrowers who have one or more loans made after July 1, 2026. The chart below outlines available repayment options:
| Student loan borrowers with no new loans on or after July 1, 2026 | Student loan borrowers with new loans on or after July 1, 2026 |
Parent PLUS borrowers with no new loans on or after July 1, 2026 | Parent PLUS borrowers with new loans on or after July 1, 2026 |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Repayment plans | Current 10‑year standard, graduated, extended, ICR, PAYE, IBR, Repayment Assistance Plan (RAP) (after July 1, 2026) | Tiered standard, Repayment Assistance Plan (RAP) | Current 10‑year standard, graduated, extended, ICR* | Tiered standard |
| Impacts of July 1, 2028 changes | If enrolled in ICR or PAYE, borrower must switch to an eligible plan before July 1, 2028, or will be moved into RAP | N/A | If enrolled in ICR (meaning PLUS loans were consolidated into a Direct Consolidation Loan prior to July 1, 2026), borrower must switch into an eligible plan before July 1, 2028, or will be moved into IBR | N/A |
| Eligible for PSLF? | Yes, if enrolled in current 10‑year standard, ICR, PAYE, IBR, or RAP | Yes, if enrolled in RAP | Yes, if enrolled in current 10‑year standard, ICR*, or IBR** | No Eligible Plan |
| Eligible for income‑driven repayment plan loan forgiveness (time‑based forgiveness)? | Yes, if enrolled in ICR, PAYE, IBR, or RAP | Yes, if enrolled in RAP | Yes, if enrolled in ICR* or IBR** | No |
Effective July 1, 2027
will not be available for new borrowers.
- Borrowers with loans made on or before July 1, 2027, are still able to use these deferment options under the current rules. Once all a borrower’s loans made prior to that date are paid in full, these options will cease to exist.
Loans made on or after July 1, 2027, will be eligible for for up to nine months in any two-year period.
All information contained herein is tentative, pending final regulatory guidance from the US Department of Education.
For further information or updates, please refer to the Federal Student Aid website: .
FAQs
Students should make enrollment decisions based on their academic plan and progress toward their degree—not solely for financial aid purposes. After the regular add/drop period, students must follow 166su’s normal Late Add process. Approval is not guaranteed, and adding a course does not guarantee additional financial aid eligibility.
Some federal student loans requiring SOR processing may require additional processing time while 166su completes the federally required calculation.
This is not a general financial aid disbursement delay. Full-time students are not part of the SOR population.
For an affected student, other eligible aid—including Pell Grants, Bright Futures, scholarships, and other state and institutional aid—will continue through the normal disbursement process.
Yes, depending on your individual circumstances. If your federal student loan is reduced and your remaining financial aid is not enough to cover your charges, you could have an outstanding balance on your student account.
Review your financial aid and student account carefully and contact Student Financial Assistance if you need help understanding your options.
Yes. Federal Pell Grant eligibility rules changed beginning with 2026–27.
Among the changes:
- Certain foreign earned income is now considered when determining Pell Grant eligibility.
- Students whose Student Aid Index meets or exceeds the federal maximum threshold for Pell eligibility generally cannot receive a Pell Grant.
- Students generally cannot receive a Pell Grant when their non-federal grants and scholarships equal or exceed their full Cost of Attendance.
Individual eligibility varies, and applicable federal exceptions may apply.
The existing annual and aggregate Direct Subsidized and Unsubsidized Loan limits for undergraduate students did not change.
Yes. Accepting a federal student loan does not guarantee that the full accepted amount will ultimately be eligible for disbursement. Federal eligibility must be confirmed before funds are disbursed.
For students who are subject to SOR, enrollment level is now one of the factors that can affect the final eligible loan amount.
No. Students enrolled full-time are not subject to an SOR reduction based on their enrollment level.
166su’s SOR processing will not cause financial aid for full-time students to be held.
166su must apply the required federal calculation to determine the amount of federal student loan for which you are eligible based on your enrollment and individual circumstances.
If you are affected, UCF will provide additional information about your federal student loan eligibility.
Yes. For student borrowers subject to the new rules, there is a $257,500 lifetime maximum aggregate limit on applicable federal student loans. The lifetime student limit does not include Parent PLUS Loans borrowed by a parent on behalf of a dependent student.
No. SOR is a federal student loan requirement. 166su is required to apply the federal eligibility rules when determining the amount of an affected student’s federal student loan.
Possibly not immediately. Federal law (One Big Beautiful Bill) provides a temporary exception for certain continuing students and parent borrowers who meet the eligibility requirements.
If the exception applies, a parent may temporarily remain eligible under the previous Parent PLUS borrowing rules for the shorter of the federally permitted exception period or the student’s remaining expected time to complete the program.
166su will determine whether the exception applies based on the student’s and borrower’s federal aid records.
For graduate students subject to the new federal rules:
- New Graduate PLUS Loans are no longer available beginning July 1, 2026.
- The annual Direct Unsubsidized Loan limit is generally $20,500.
- The graduate aggregate limit is $100,000.
Some continuing graduate students may qualify for a temporary federal exception allowing certain previous loan provisions to continue for a limited period.
For students in programs meeting the federal definition of a professional program and who are subject to the new rules:
- The annual Direct Unsubsidized Loan limit is generally $50,000.
- The professional aggregate limit is $200,000.
- New Graduate PLUS borrowing is no longer available.
At 166su, the Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) is currently the program classified as a professional program under the applicable federal definition.
The 2026–27 FAFSA includes changes to how certain family assets are treated when calculating the Student Aid Index.
Certain assets are no longer included in the FAFSA asset calculation, including qualifying family-owned small businesses, family farms on which the family resides, and qualifying family-owned commercial fishing businesses.
These changes may affect the Student Aid Index for some families but do not guarantee that a student will receive additional financial aid.
New federal legislation (One Big Beautiful Bill) changes several federal student aid requirements beginning with the 2026–27 academic year.
Changes affect areas including:
- The FAFSA and Student Aid Index (SAI)
- Federal Pell Grant eligibility
- Federal student loan eligibility for less-than-full-time enrollment
- Parent PLUS Loan limits
- Graduate and professional student borrowing
- Federal student loan lifetime limits
- Federal student loan repayment options
Not every change affects every student. Your individual financial aid eligibility depends on your circumstances.
For parent borrowers subject to the new federal limits beginning July 1, 2026:
- Parent PLUS borrowing is limited to $20,000 per year for each dependent undergraduate student.
- The aggregate Parent PLUS limit is $65,000 per dependent undergraduate student.
The aggregate limit applies to borrowing on behalf of that student, including applicable prior Parent PLUS borrowing.
Adding, dropping, or withdrawing from a course can affect financial aid eligibility.
Under the new federal requirements, a reduction in enrollment may require federal student loan eligibility to be reviewed or recalculated. In some circumstances, a change after disbursement could result in loan funds being returned and a balance being created on your 166su account.
Before changing enrollment, students are encouraged to consider both the academic and financial consequences.
Students awaiting financial aid may be eligible to apply for 166su’s Short Term Advance.
The advance can help with eligible immediate educational expenses such as books and supplies and, in some circumstances, housing and food. The advance is repaid when the student’s financial aid disburses. Eligibility requirements apply.
Federal law provides a temporary exception from certain new loan limits for eligible continuing borrowers. Eligibility depends on factors including whether the student was enrolled in the applicable program and had qualifying federal loan activity before July 1, 2026.
Beginning with 2026–27, federal law requires applicable federal student loan limits to be adjusted for students enrolled less than full-time.
This is called the Schedule of Reductions (SOR).
At 166su, full-time enrollment is generally:
- Undergraduate: 12 or more credit hours per term
- Graduate: 9 or more credit hours during fall and spring or 6 or more during summer
Certain graduate students completing thesis or dissertation requirements may qualify as full-time with fewer hours based on applicable requirements.
Students must still meet federal half-time enrollment requirements to receive a Direct Loan.
Eligible students will have a tuition and fee deferment, protecting them from receiving an initial late fee and being dropped from classes for nonpayment while eligible financial aid is being processed. Students should review their individual account to confirm their deferment status during the second week of classes.