Current Undergraduate Student

You are currently enrolled in an undergraduate program and will continue in the 2026-27 academic year

What's Staying the Same:

Undergraduate Loan Limits

No Change: Subsidized and Unsubsidized loan limits remain the same

Annual: $5,500-$12,500 (based on year and dependency status)
Total: $31,000 (dependent) or $57,500 (independent)
U.S. Department of Education: Loan Amount Limits

What's Changing:

Parent PLUS Loan Limits

New limits: Updated annual and lifetime borrowing limits apply to Parent PLUS loans - limits are per student, not per parent borrower

Annual: $20,000 per year, per student
Total: $65,000 per student

Action: If you do not qualify for an exception and your parent(s) plan to borrow in excess of new limits, consider private education loan options

Reduced Annual Loan Limits for Part-Time Enrollment

Limited loan eligibility: If you enroll in fewer than 12 credits for a semester, the amount you can borrow for the semester may be reduced

Example: If you enroll in 6 credits for the Fall semester (half of full-time), the portion of your annual loan limit attributable to the Fall will be reduced proportionally (also by half). If the amount you plan to borrow for the Fall exceeds the new limit, your Fall loan must be reduced to the new limit.

Pell Grant Eligibility

Updated eligibility criteria: Certain types of income/assets are either included or excluded for some students, and new eligibility limitations apply

Certain Assets Excluded: Family businesses (≤100 employees), family farms, and commercial fishing operation assets will be excluded
Foreign Income Included: Income from foreign sources will be added to adjusted gross income (AGI)
Student Aid Index (SAI) limitation: Students with SAI ≥ $14,790 (2x the current maximum Pell award) will not be eligible
Other grants and scholarships limitation: Students with total grants and scholarships from non-federal sources ≥ total estimated cost of attendance will not be eligible for Pell.

Parent PLUS Exception for Current Students (a.k.a. "legacy" or "grandfather" provisions):

Most current students qualify for an exception: If you qualify, new Parent PLUS limits don't apply for up to three academic years

Your parent(s) may continue borrowing Parent PLUS loans under prior limits for up to 3 academic years (or the remainder of your academic program, whichever is less) if -

You are enrolled as of June 30, 2026, and
You or your parent(s) previously borrowed a federal loan for your academic program, and
You remain in the same academic program through graduation