{"id":9319,"date":"2026-11-13T18:52:41","date_gmt":"2026-11-13T18:52:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.trincoll.edu\/admissions\/changes-to-federal-financial-aid-what-students-need-to-know\/"},"modified":"2026-11-13T18:52:41","modified_gmt":"2026-11-13T18:52:41","slug":"changes-to-federal-financial-aid-what-students-need-to-know","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.trincoll.edu\/admissions\/changes-to-federal-financial-aid-what-students-need-to-know\/","title":{"rendered":"Changes to Federal Financial Aid & What Students Need to Know"},"content":{"rendered":"

Federal Student Loan Program
\nNew and Legacy Borrowers<\/strong>
\nSome students who borrowed before July 1, 2026, may qualify for temporary exceptions to the new loan limits and requirements.<\/p>\n

To generally qualify for legacy protections, students must have:<\/p>\n

Been enrolled in the same academic program at the same institution on June 30, 2026.
\nReceived a Direct Loan for that program before July 1, 2026, that has not been fully repaid.
\nEligible students may continue borrowing under previous limits for a limited period, generally the lesser of three academic years or the remaining time needed to complete their program.<\/p>\n

Transferring schools or changing academic programs may affect eligibility. Contact Student Financial Services before making academic changes.<\/p>\n

New Borrower: A student who has not received a Direct Loan before July 1, 2026, or has fully repaid previous Direct Loans.<\/p>\n

Legacy Borrower: A student who meets the enrollment and borrowing requirements for the temporary legacy protections.<\/p>\n

Elimination of Graduate PLUS Loans<\/strong>
\nBeginning July 1, 2026, Graduate PLUS Loans are no longer available to new borrowers. Previously, these loans allowed eligible graduate and professional students to borrow up to their remaining cost of attendance.<\/p>\n

Students who qualify for legacy protections may continue borrowing under previous rules for the limited period permitted by law.<\/p>\n

Schedule of Reduction (Loan Proration)<\/strong>
\nBeginning July 1, 2026, federal Direct Loan limits are reduced proportionally for students enrolled less than full time.<\/p>\n

Full-time students may qualify for their full annual loan limit.
\nLess-than-full-time students have reduced loan eligibility based on enrollment.
\nStudents enrolled below half time are not eligible for federal Direct Loans.
\nThis requirement applies to eligible Direct Subsidized and Unsubsidized Loans, including graduate Direct Unsubsidized Loans, but not Parent PLUS Loans.<\/p>\n

Changes in enrollment may affect loan eligibility and future disbursements. Contact Student Financial Services before dropping classes if you have questions about the impact on your loans.<\/p>\n

These changes apply to federal Direct Loans, not private education loans. Private lenders set their own eligibility requirements.
\n
\nFederal Student Loan Repayment Options
\nNew Repayment Plans<\/strong>
\nBeginning July 1, 2026, two new repayment plans became available:<\/p>\n

Repayment Assistance Plan (RAP): Monthly payments are based on income and other factors.
\nTiered Standard Repayment Plan: Fixed monthly payments with repayment periods based on the amount borrowed.
\nRepayment options depend on loan type, disbursement date, and borrowing history. Borrowers receiving new Direct Loans on or after July 1, 2026, may lose access to certain existing repayment plans.<\/p>\n

For repayment questions, contact your federal loan servicer or visit StudentAid.gov to identify your servicer.<\/p>\n

Important Repayment Dates<\/strong><\/p>\n

July 1, 2026: New repayment plans and loan provisions take effect.
\nJuly 1, 2027: Additional repayment provisions take effect.
\nJuly 1, 2028: Certain existing repayment plans, including PAYE and ICR, are scheduled to end. Affected borrowers must transition to an eligible plan.
\nParent PLUS Loan Repayment
\nParent PLUS Loans first disbursed on or after July 1, 2026, are eligible only for the Tiered Standard Repayment Plan. They are not eligible for RAP or other income-driven repayment plans.<\/p>\n

Borrowers who qualify for legacy protections may retain certain previous repayment options.<\/p>\n

Consolidation Loan Repayment<\/strong>
\nRepayment options depend on when the consolidation loan was made and whether it includes Parent PLUS debt.<\/p>\n

Consolidation loans without Parent PLUS debt: Eligible loans made on or after July 1, 2026, may qualify for RAP or the Tiered Standard Repayment Plan.
\nConsolidation loans with Parent PLUS debt: New loans made on or after July 1, 2026, are generally eligible only for the Tiered Standard Repayment Plan.
\nSome borrowers who consolidated Parent PLUS Loans before July 1, 2026, may qualify for Income-Based Repayment (IBR), subject to additional requirements, including applicable transition deadlines.<\/p>\n

Important: Consolidating federal loans can change repayment eligibility. Contact your loan servicer before consolidating.<\/p>\n

Federal Pell Grant Program<\/strong>
\nThe OBBBA provides $12.67 billion in additional funding to address the projected Pell Grant funding shortfall. It also introduces new eligibility requirements beginning July 1, 2026.<\/p>\n

Pell Grant Eligibility Changes<\/strong>
\n1. Other Grant Aid Covers Full Cost of Attendance<\/p>\n

Students are not eligible for a Pell Grant when nonfederal grant assistance equals or exceeds their full Cost of Attendance (COA) for the applicable period.<\/p>\n

Nonfederal grant assistance may include state grants, institutional scholarships, and private grants.<\/p>\n

2. Higher Student Aid Index (SAI)<\/p>\n

Students whose SAI is equal to or greater than twice the maximum Pell Grant award for the applicable year are generally ineligible, subject to a limited statutory exception.<\/p>\n

For 2026\u201327:<\/p>\n

Maximum Pell Grant: $7,395
\nSAI eligibility threshold: $14,790
\nThese amounts may change in future award years.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Federal Student Loan Program New and Legacy Borrowers Some students who borrowed before July 1, 2026, may qualify for temporary exceptions to the new loan limits and requirements. To generally qualify for legacy protections, students must have: Been enrolled in the same academic program at the same institution on June 30, 2026. Received a Direct […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-9319","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nChanges to Federal Financial Aid & What Students Need to Know - Admissions & Aid<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.trincoll.edu\/admissions\/changes-to-federal-financial-aid-what-students-need-to-know\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Changes to Federal Financial Aid & What Students Need to Know\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Federal Student Loan Program New and Legacy Borrowers Some students who borrowed before July 1, 2026, may qualify for temporary exceptions to the new loan limits and requirements. 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