Pell & Grants
Under OBBBA, a student is ineligible for a Pell Grant if their Student Aid Index (SAI) exceeds this many times the maximum Pell award.
What is two times? (2x)
This popular federal loan program is officially eliminated for new borrowers starting July 1, 2026.
What is the Graduate PLUS Loan?
OBBBA introduces this specific annual cap on Parent PLUS loans per student.
What is $20,000?
This is the name of the new income-driven repayment plan replacing the SAVE plan.
What is the Repayment Assistance Plan (RAP)?
This is the total "All-In" lifetime cap for all combined federal student loans (Subsidized, Unsubsidized, and Grad PLUS).
What is $257,500?
For the 2026-27 year, this specific SAI dollar amount acts as the "firm cutoff" for Pell eligibility (except for Special Rule students).
What is $14,790?
This is the new annual limit for Federal Direct Unsubsidized loans for graduate students.
What is $20,500?
This is the new lifetime cap a parent can borrow for a single student’s education.
What is $65,000?
RAP monthly payments will range between these two percentages of a borrower's income.
What is 1% and 10%?
Under OBBBA, loan amounts must now be adjusted based on this factor if a student is less than full-time.
What is proration?
This type of non-federal aid, if it covers the entire Cost of Attendance (COA), now makes a student ineligible for a Pell Grant.
What are scholarships or grants?
The new aggregate (lifetime) limit for graduate students (who are not "Professional" students) is this amount.
Answer: What is $100,000?
To ensure a student has funding for all four years of a standard degree, experts suggest parents stay below this annual borrowing amount.
What is $15,000?
Regardless of income, this is the new minimum monthly payment for all borrowers under RAP.
What is $10?
This is the specific date in 2025 when the OBBBA was signed into law.
What is July 4, 2025?
These specific students are exempt from the "2x Max Pell" SAI cutoff rule.
Who are dependents of deceased service members or Public Safety Officers?
Current Grad PLUS borrowers can continue borrowing under old terms for this maximum number of additional years or until program completion.
What is three years?
True or False: Parent PLUS loans are included in the new $257,500 "All-In" lifetime limit.
False (Parent PLUS is excluded from the student's aggregate cap).
Forgiveness under the new RAP plan occurs after this many years of qualifying payments.
What is 30 years?
To remain under "grandfathered" loan limits, a student must maintain this type of enrollment status.
What is "continuous enrollment"?
True or False: A student with an SAI of $10,000 who receives a full-ride private scholarship can still pocket the Pell Grant for living expenses.
False (Pell is now disqualified if COA is fully met by other grants).
To determine the new aggregate limits, NSLDS introduced new codes for these two distinct student tracks.
What are "Graduate" vs. "Professional" tracks?
If a parent borrowed for a term beginning before July 1, 2026, they may be eligible for these.
What are the previous (higher/uncapped) loan limits?
Borrowers currently on the SAVE plan have until this date to switch to RAP before being automatically enrolled.
What is July 1, 2028?
NSLDS began using these new academic level codes (8 through 13) on this date to support OBBBA implementation.
What is April 26, 2026?