Changes to Federal Student Aid
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), signed into law on July 4, 2025, includes changes to Federal Student Aid programs.
While colleges are still awaiting official implementation guidance from the U.S. Department of Education, the information below outlines how certain provisions of the law may affect students at Maricopa Community Colleges beginning in the 2026–2027 academic year.
Please note: Information on this page is subject to change as additional federal guidance and regulations are released. Maricopa Community Colleges will continue to update this page as new information becomes available from the U.S. Department of Education.
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA)
Beginning with the 2026-2027 award year:
Students with a Student Aid Index (SAI) equal to or greater than twice the maximum Federal Pell Grant award amount for the award year will be ineligible for the grant even if the minimum Pell criteria is met.
For example, if the max Pell amount for 2026–27 is $7,395, and a student has an SAI index of 14,790 or greater, the student will not be eligible for a Federal Pell Grant.
Students who receive non-federal grants or scholarships (such as state, institutional, or private aid) that are equal to the full Cost of Attendance, they will be ineligible for a Federal Pell Grant. The foreign earned income exclusion amount reported on the FAFSA will be added to the adjusted gross income when determining Federal Pell Grant eligibility.
Beginning with the 2026-2027 award year:
New Limits for *Parent PLUS Loans: New borrowers will have an annual limit of $20,000 and an aggregate limit of $65,000 per dependent student.
- Parents who borrowed a PLUS Loan in 2025-2026 or before can continue to borrow under current limits for 3 years (if the student remains continuously enrolled) or until the student graduates, whichever comes first.
Annual Loan Amount Proration for Less than Full-Time Enrollment: Students enrolled less than full-time must have their annual loan limit reduced proportionally.
Student Loan Repayment Options: Repayment options will be streamlined into two plans: a new tiered standard repayment plan and a new income-driven repayment plan called the Repayment Assistance Plan (RAP).
*Note: Not all Maricopa Community Colleges offer Parent PLUS Loans.
Students must be enrolled in a minimum of 6 semester credit hours to be eligible for loan funds. Those enrolled less than full-time would only be eligible for a portion of the annual loan limit. Full-time status is defined as 12 or more semester credits per term.
The amount of Direct Subsidized Loans and Direct Unsubsidized Loans you’re eligible to receive can decrease based on changes in your academic year enrollment. Your institution will notify you of any changes in your eligibility.
Full-Time Enrollment Example: You are a student enrolled in 12 credits for the fall term and expect to also enroll in 12 credits for the spring term. At 12 credits each term, you are eligible for 100% of the annual loan limit of $3500 subsidized loan as a first-time, first-year student. This would be offered to you as: $1750 fall and $1750 spring ($3500 for the year).
Part-Time Enrollment Example: You are a student enrolled in 6 credits for the fall term and expect to also enroll in 6 credits for the spring term. At 6 credits each term, you would be eligible for 50% of the annual subsidized loan limit of $3500 as a first-time, first-year student. This would be offered to you as $875 fall and $875 spring ($1750 for the year).
Please note: Students can also request additional unsubsidized loans, which will also be subject to the new annual loan proration rules.
Loan Enrollment Intensity
Your annual federal loan amount is based on your Course Applicable credits and how those credits are distributed between the Fall and Spring semesters.
- Course Applicable credits are courses that apply toward your declared degree, academic plan, or certificate program. Learn more about Course Applicability
- If you enroll in fewer than 12 Course Applicable credits (full-time) in a semester, your loan amount may be adjusted based on your enrollment intensity.
- Example: If you have fewer Course Applicable credits in Fall and more actual or anticipated Course Applicable credits in Spring, more of your annual loan eligibility may be allocated to Spring.
- Loan amounts are determined based on your eligible enrollment at the time of disbursement.
- Once a loan has been disbursed, the loan amount for that term cannot be adjusted if you later add or change classes.
- If you drop, withdraw from, or reduce your Course Applicable credits after disbursement, your future loan amount may be reduced. For example, a decrease in your Fall enrollment could result in a reduced Spring loan amount.
- If you add classes after your Fall loan has been disbursed, the additional credits may affect your Spring loan amount; however, this is not guaranteed because other factors are considered when calculating future loan eligibility.
Plan ahead: Review your borrowing needs.
Budget carefully: Consider updated Loan limits when planning for future semesters.
Stay informed: Watch for official updates from the U.S. Department of Education.
For official updates, visit One Big Beautiful Bill Act Updates
Frequently Asked Questions
If you successfully submitted your 2026-2027 FAFSA with your college's school code and received a confirmation email from Federal Student Aid, your application has been received.
You can log in to your FAFSA account at StudentAid.gov to review the status of your application. If your 2026-2027 FAFSA shows as processed and your college school code is listed, no additional action is needed at this time.
Maricopa Community Colleges will begin processing 2026-2027 FAFSA information as soon as system updates are complete. Students will receive an email when their FAFSA has loaded in our system, and should continue checking their Maricopa email and To Do List items for updates.
No. If your FAFSA has already been successfully submitted, you should not submit a second application unless Federal Student Aid specifically instructs you to do so.
You must have your Social Security number, correct name, and birthdate in your official student record, and be admitted to the college you listed on your FAFSA. If you did not include your Social Security number on your admissions application, you’ll need to add it by following the steps below:
- Log in to the Student Center using your MEID and password
- Go to the Profile tab
- Navigate to Citizenship Data
- Click on the numbered hyperlink under the SSN row.
- A pop-up box will appear where you can view or change your SSN.
- Enter the correct SSN and click Save.
If you have attempted to update your SSN once, you will not be able to do it again. You’ll need to follow these steps below:
- Student Information Update
- The Student Update Form is located in: Student Center > My Student Forms > Admissions & Records Forms > Student Update Form (Tab on the left)
- Students may use this form to update their Legal Name, Date of Birth, Social Security Number, and Legal Sex.
If you have been instructed to contact your college’s Financial Aid Office to complete additional steps to determine your financial aid package, you must wait until the 2026-2027 FAFSA records have been loaded into our system. You will receive an email, and Task List Item(s) will populate in your student center with further instructions on how to complete your financial aid file.
No. Students do not need to wait for their financial aid award to enroll in classes.
Students who have completed a 2026-2027 FAFSA will be sent an email notification that Maricopa Community Colleges has received your FAFSA. Your classes are being held and are secure while we process your financial aid.
Students with a “No Enrollment Cancellation” hold placed on their account will not receive tuition-due communications from the college they are enrolled in. In addition, you will receive an email notification that your classes are being held and are secure while we process your financial aid.
It depends. If your financial aid award covers your entire amount due, your payment plan will no longer draw payments from your account; if it does not, your monthly payment will be adjusted to cover only the remaining balance. Your Payment plan installments are still due on the 5th of each month.
You must complete a Consortium Agreement if you are taking courses at multiple colleges in the same semester and would like the courses to be considered in your financial aid award. Any courses listed on the agreement must be applicable to your program of study. It is the student’s responsibility to pay tuition at any college where they are not receiving Financial Aid.
Once your college begins loading 2026-2027 FAFSA records, you can:
- Log in to the Student Center using your MEID and password
- Click on My Student Forms
- Click on Financial Aid Forms to open the Financial Aid Forms page
- From there, you will be able to view and complete the AY27 Consortium Agreement
The Student Aid Index (SAI) is the number calculated from information reported on the FAFSA and is used to determine a student's eligibility for federal student aid.
If additional information or documentation is required, your college will notify you through your official Maricopa student email and/or Student Center task list.
Book advances will begin to post to your student account if students have grant awards populated. If you have enough grant funds to cover your tuition and fees, you may qualify to receive a book advance.
If you are only receiving student loans, one you accept the loan amounts in your Student Center and complete your Master Promissory Note and/or Entrance Counseling. You will need to “Opt In” for your Book Advance on your Student Center under the Financial Account tile.
Many courses use web based Open Educational Resources for books and/or have books at the College Library for students.
Federal Pell Grant and other grant awards for the 2026-27 academic year will begin to appear in your Student Center the week of August 17 for eligible students.
If you would like to request a federal student loan, please complete the Award Revision Form in the My Student Forms Tile in your Student Center.
- Log in to your Student Center using your MEID and password
- Click on My Student Forms
- Click on Financial Aid Forms
- From there, you will be able to view and complete any required Financial Aid forms
Once we receive your request, the Financial Aid Office will review your loan eligibility, determine the amount you may qualify to borrow, and update your financial aid offer. You will then see the loan in your Student Center.
You will then need to:
- Accept the loan amounts in your Student Center.
- Monitor your To Do List for additional requirements, such as Master Promissory Note and/or Entrance Counseling.
Please keep in mind that submitting a request does not guarantee you will receive a student loan. Your eligibility and loan amount are determined by federal requirements, including your enrollment level, cost of attendance, annual and aggregate loan limits, and other eligibility factors.
If you are not interested in borrowing a federal student loan, please visit our Ways to Pay webpage for information about other payment options. If you choose not to accept a federal student loan, you are responsible for paying your tuition balance.