Future Undergraduate Student

You are starting an undergraduate program in the Fall of 2026 or later

Pell Grants:

Updated Eligibility Criteria

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 will not be eligible for Pell
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.

Federal Student Loans:

No Change: Subsidized and Unsubsidized loan limits remain the same

Undergraduate Loan Limits

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

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.

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 limit: $20,000 per year per student
Lifetime limit: $65,000 total per student

Key Detail: Unless Congress subsequently changes the lifetime Parent PLUS limit, families borrowing $20,000 in each of a student’s first three academic years will only be able to borrow $5,000 in the student’s 4th year.

Recommendation: If your parents plan to borrow more than the new Parent PLUS limits, consider private loan options.