This information applies to you if you're currently enrolled in an undergraduate program and will continue to be enrolled during the 2026-2027 academic year. Information on this page is subject to change as further federal regulations and guidance are issued throughout the 2025-2026 academic year.
What's Staying the Same
Undergraduate Loan Limits
- Annual: $5,500-$10,500 (based on year and dependency status)
- Total: $31,000 (dependent) or $57,500 (independent)
What's Changing
Pell Grant Eligibility
- Certain Assets Excluded: Family businesses (fewer than or equal to100 employees), family farms, and commercial fishing operation assets will be excluded
- Foreign Income Included: Income from foreign sources will be added to adjusted gross income (AGI) on FAFSA
- Student Aid Index (SAI) limitation: Students with SAI greater than or equal to $14,790 (2x the current maximum Pell award) will not be eligible for the Pell Grant
- Other grants and scholarships limitation: Students with total grants and scholarships from non-federal sources greater than or equal to the total estimated cost of attendance will not be eligible for the Pell Grant
- There are no exceptions for this provision
Parent PLUS Loan Limits
- Annual: $20,000 per year, per student
- Total: $65,000 per student
Reduced Annual Loan Limits for Part-Time Enrollment
Please pay special attention to the information provided below.
- If you enroll in fewer than 12 credits for the semester, the amount you can borrow/will be disbursed for the semester will be reduced
- Withdrawals after disbursement occurs may affect the current and/or next semester's eligible disbursement amount
- Example: A dependent freshman with an annual limit of $5,500 with an expected enrollment of 12 credits in the fall and 12 credits in the spring
- The student is eligible for $2,750 over the course of the fall ($5,500/2)
- The student drops down/withdraws to 9 credits after the fall disbursement has been made
- No adjustment necessary for fall awards
- The same student enrolls in 12 credits for the spring with no withdrawals
- The annual schedule of the reduction formula must be applied
- 9 completed credits in fall/12 credits in spring=21 annual credits
- 21 credits/24 annual full-time credits = Eligible for 87.5% ($4,812.50) of the $5,500 annual max loan award, and the spring award must be adjusted
- Subtract $2,750 already received in the fall semester
- Final spring total disbursement amount is $2,062.50 ($4,812.50-$2,750.00)
- Example: A dependent freshman with an annual limit of $5,500 with an expected enrollment of 12 credits in the fall and 12 credits in the spring
- There are no exceptions for this provision. The Financial Aid Office is closely monitoring Department of Education guidance and publications for updates related to this provision. How this will affect your disbursements can be discussed by contacting the Financial Aid Office, as individual course schedules affect disbursement amounts. Your initial offer letter may only include grants and scholarships until we receive finalized workflow guidance from the North Carolina Community College System Office. A-B Tech is still participating in the Direct Loan program for 2026-2027, and loan awards should be finalized and in place prior to any Fall 2026 payment deadlines. Please note that this may result in you receiving a revised offer letter closer to the start of the academic year.
Exception for Current Students ("Legacy" or "Grandfather" Provisions)
Your parent(s) may continue borrowing Parent PLUS Loans under prior limits for up to three academic years (or the remainder of your academic program, whichever is less) if -
- You are enrolled as of June 30, 2026, and
- You or your parent(s) previously borrowed a federal loan for your academic program, and
- You remain in the same academic program through graduation