Schedule of Reductions
(Beginning 2026-2027)
Beginning Fall 2026, Direct Student Loan amounts will be reduced for students who are enrolled less than full-time over the academic year, as required by federal financial aid regulations.
Important: This information reflects current federal regulations and may change as additional guidance is issued by the U.S. Department of Education. This page will be updated as new information becomes available.
Full-Time Academic Year
The full-time status for the academic year remains 24 credit hours (typically 12 credits in fall and 12 credits in spring).
- Students enrolled in 24 credit hours during the academic year are eligible for their full annual federal loan limit.
- Students enrolled in fewer than 24 credit hours will have their annual loan eligibility reduced in proportion to their enrollment.
Example
If full-time is 24 credit hours (12 for fall term and 12 for spring term) and a dependent
freshman student enrolls in 18 credit hours (6 for fall and 12 for spring) for the
academic year:
18 ÷ 24 = 75%
The student will receive 75% of their annual federal loan eligibility.
Loans Subject to Enrollment-Based Reduction
The following federal loans are subject to this reduction:
- Direct Subsidized Loans (undergraduate)
- Direct Unsubsidized Loans (undergraduate)
Example
2025–2026 (Current Rules)
A student enrolled in 6 credit hours each semester is eligible for the full $5,500 annual loan limit.
- Fall: $2,750
- Spring: $2,750
2026–2027 (New Rules)
The same student enrolled in 18 credit hours for the academic year (6 in the fall and 12 in the spring) is enrolled at 75% of full-time (18÷24 = 0.75 X 100 = 75%).
Annual loan eligibility:
$5,500 × 75% = $4125
Then for the fall term, the loan will be proportionally disbursed based on the number of credit hours taken in that term.
Disbursement:
- Fall: $1,375 (enrolled 6 hours out of 12 hours = 50% or 2750 X 0.50 = 1375)
- Spring: $2,750
Additional Information
- Students must still be enrolled in at least 6 credit hours to receive federal student loans.
- Changes to enrollment after loan disbursement (such as dropping or withdrawing from classes) may require your loans to be adjusted and could result in a balance owed to the college.
- Contact the Financial Aid Office before making schedule changes that may affect your federal aid.
