Student Aid

Changes in Student Aid

One Big Beautiful Bill Act

Changes to federal financial aid eligibility and Direct Loan programs are scheduled to take effect on July 1, 2026.  The information provided here reflects our current understanding of evolving federal standards. It is not official guidance and should not be regarded by students as definitive. For official and up-to-date information, students should refer directly to announcements listed at StudentAid.gov. 

Undergraduate Student Changes

  • Students with an SAI that is equal to or greater than twice the amount of the maximum Pell Grant award will no longer be eligible for the Pell Grant during that academic year. 
  • Students who receive scholarships or grants that exceed their total cost of attendance (COA) will lose their Pell grant eligibility for that academic year. 
  • The net worth of certain family farms and small businesses will be excluded from the Student Aid Index (SAI) calculation 
  • Foreign income will be included in the adjusted gross income (AGI) when determining Pell grant eligibility. 
  • Schools are required to prorate loan amounts based on enrollment. 
  • Parent PLUS Loans will be capped at $20,000 per student, per year, with a $65,00 lifetime limit per dependent student. 
    • Legacy Provision 
      • Existing Parent PLUS borrowers who have borrowed for their students before July 1, 2026, may continue with the current limits for 3 more years or until the student’s program ends, whichever is less. 

Graduate Student Changes 

  • Schools are required to prorate loan amounts based on enrollment 
  • Graduate PLUS Loans  
    • The Graduate PLUS loan is eliminated for some graduate/professional students  
    • Legacy Provision 
      • Borrowers who have received a loan for a program that has already started as of June 30, 2026, may continue to borrow a Graduate PLUS loan for 3 academic years or the remainder of their credential, whichever is less.   
      • Borrowers who withdrew or otherwise ceased enrollment in their program of study would no longer be eligible to borrow a Graduate PLUS Loan. 
  • Graduate Unsubsidized Loan Limits  
    • Graduate students can continue to borrow up to $20,500 of unsubsidized loans annually 
    • The new maximum unsubsidized loan lifetime borrowing limit for graduate students is $100,000. This does not include amounts borrowed as an undergraduate student.   
    • Legacy Provision  
      • Borrowers who received a loan for a program that has already started as of June 30, 2026, will be exempt from the above borrowing caps and may continue to borrow at the current limit for up to 3 years as they complete their program. 
      • Borrowers who withdraw or otherwise cease enrollment in their program of study will be subject to the new lifetime unsubsidized loan limit of $100,000. 
  • Federal Loan Program Lifetime Loan  
    • The maximum lifetime aggregate limit per student in $257,500. This includes all federal student loans except for a Parent PLUS loan.  
    • Legacy Provisions 
      • Borrowers who received a loan for a program that has already started as of June 30, 2026, will be exempt from the above borrowing caps for up to 3 years as they complete their program. 
      • Borrowers who withdraw or otherwise cease enrollment in their program of study will be subject to the new lifetime limits. 

 

Please Note: Certain information regarding professional programs and student loan eligibility was intentionally omitted, as it does not pertain to any degrees currently offered at Lamar University. 

If you have questions pertaining to the information on this page and would like to schedule an appointment with a Student Aid Counselor, contact our office. 

Professional Degree Programs

Our office is aware of information that is circulating around on the internet and other media sources that has caused a bit of confusion regarding Federal Aid eligibility for some programs, particularly nursing.

The U.S. Department of Education recently released a list of programs classified as professional degree programs for federal loan purposes.

New List of Professional Degree Programs

  • Pharmacy (Pharm.D)
  • Veterinary  (D.V.M)
  • Dentistry (D.D.S. or D.M.D.)
  • Chiropractic (D.C. or D.C.M)
  • Law (L.L.B. or J.D)
  • Medicine (M.D.)
  • Optometry (O.D.)
  • Osteopathic medicine (D.O)
  • Podiatry (D.P.M., D.P., or Pod.D.)
  • Theology (M.Div., or M.H.L)
  • Clinical Psychology (Psy.D. or Ph.D.)

Previous List of Professional Degree Programs

  • Pharmacy (Pharm.D)
  • Veterinary  (D.V.M)
  • Dentistry (D.D.S. or D.M.D.)
  • Chiropractic (D.C. or D.C.M)
  • Law (L.L.B. or J.D)
  • Medicine (M.D.)
  • Optometry (O.D.)
  • Osteopathic medicine (D.O)
  • Podiatry (D.P.M., D.P., or Pod.D.)
  • Theology (M.Div., or M.H.L)

While nursing programs are not included on this list, please note that this is not a change from previous guidance. Nursing programs, whether undergraduate or graduate, have never been considered professional degree programs under the definition used for federal student aid. Though not listed as a professional degree, it’s important to note that nursing degree programs remain eligible for federal student aid.