2026-2027 Federal Financial Aid Changes

Students who receive grants or scholarships from non-federal sources covering their entire cost of attendance (COA) are ineligible to receive a Pell Grant, even if otherwise eligible for the program.

Eliminated as of July 1, 2026, impacts the 2026-2027 aid year and beyond.

Legacy Provision: If a borrower has a Federal Direct Loan made before July 1, 2026, while enrolled in a program of study, the borrower can continue to borrow from the program for 3 academic years or the remainder of their expected time to credential, whichever is less.

*WOU does not currently have “professional” level programs.*

Effective July 1, 2026 impacts the 2026-2027 aid year and beyond

Caps the annual loan limits at $20,500 for graduate students and $50,000 for professional students. The aggregate limit is capped at $100,000 for graduate students and $200,000 for professional students, and does not include amounts borrowed as an undergraduate. (Borrowers who are both graduate and professional students at some point in their educational careers may only borrow up to $200,000 in total for graduate and professional school).

Legacy Provision: If a borrower has a Federal Direct Loan made before July 1, 2026, while enrolled in a program of study, the current loan limits continue to apply” for 3 academic years or the remainder of their expected time to credential, whichever is less. Please reference this flow chart of Graduate/Professional student loan borrowing limits.

A professional student is a student enrolled in a program of study that awards a professional degree upon completion of the program. *WOU does not currently have “professional” level programs.*

A professional degree is a degree that signifies both completion of the academic requirements for beginning practice in a given profession, and a level of professional skill beyond that normally required for a bachelor’s degree; is generally at the doctoral level, and requires at least six academic years of postsecondary education coursework for completion, including at least two years of postbaccalaureate level coursework; generally requires professional licensure to begin practice; and includes a four-digit program CIP code in the same intermediate group as the following fields: Pharmacy (Pharm.D.), Dentistry (D.D.S. or D.M.D.), Veterinary Medicine (D.V.M.), 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.), and Clinical Psychology (Psy.D. or Ph.D.).

A professional student may not receive Title IV aid as an undergraduate student for the same period of enrollment, and must be enrolled in a program leading to a professional degree.

Note: current loan limits include the additional unsubsidized borrowing limits for health professions programs that were eligible to participate in the HEAL program.

Effective July 1, 2026, impacts the 2026-2027 aid year and beyond

$257,500 lifetime borrowing limit on all federal student loans, excluding borrowed Parent PLUS loan amounts (in the case of a dependent student who had Parent PLUS borrowed on their behalf for education expenses).

Legacy Provision: If a borrower has a Federal Direct Loan made before July 1, 2026, while enrolled in a credentialed program, the borrower can continue to borrow under current loan limits for 3 academic years or the remainder of their expected time to credential, whichever is less.

Effective for loans made for the 2026-27 award year.

Requires institutions to prorate annual loan amounts in direct proportion to the percent of full-time status the student is enrolled.