2025 Reconciliation Package
What Regis Students Need to Know
On July 4, 2025, President Trump signed into law a new Federal Reconciliation Package, also referred to as the "Big Beautiful Bill." This legislation introduces several policy changes that could impact both current and future financial aid and student loan repayment plans. Below, we've answered some key questions to help you understand what this means for you as a student at Regis University. We'll continue to update this information as additional guidance becomes available from the U.S. Department of Education.
The "Big Beautiful Bill" refers to the legislative proposal from President Trump, primarily aimed at extending 2017 tax cuts and implementing significant spending changes.
This Reconciliation Bill does not make any changes to the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) application process or to federal financial aid funds for the 2025-26 academic year.
This Reconciliation Package is not a Budget Request for annual financial aid funds.
The Bill includes changes to federal student loans and borrowing limits, as well as changes to student loan repayment effective July 1, 2026.
Yes. It’s possible that you may see changes to your financial aid and eligibility for funds, particularly student loans, as we move into the 2026-27 academic year. Some changes may be due to this reconciliation package. However, financial aid eligibility may change annually due to changes to your income as reported on your FAFSA. Additionally, there are legacy provisions in this bill that may allow students to continue to qualify for current student loan options in order to complete their current program of study.
As this Reconciliation package is both new and very large, we are waiting for additional information and clarification from the U.S. Department of Education.
The 2026-27 FAFSA should be available on October 1, 2025, and we encourage all continuing students to renew their FAFSA as quickly as possible, but no later than our March 1 priority deadline.
You are not required to begin repayment on your student loans until 6 months after you’ve graduated or dropped below half-time. At that time, your loan servicer(s) should reach out to you directly to set up a repayment plan. You are responsible for repayment, even if you don’t hear from your loan servicer. You can find your loan history, loan servicer, and loan servicer contact information by logging into your account at studentaid.gov.
When we begin preparations for the 2026-2027 academic year, you can expect additional information regarding how these changes will impact your 2026-2027 financial aid award offer.
What's Coming in 2026: Federal Loan Changes and Limits
Beginning July 1, 2026, Parent PLUS loans will be capped at $20,000 per year per dependent student and $65,000 total per dependent student, regardless of amounts forgiven, repaid, canceled or discharged.
The Graduate PLUS program will be eliminated on July 1, 2026. Current borrowers will be able to continue borrowing for their current program of study under a Legacy Provision:
If a borrower has a Graduate PLUS 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.
Yes. The law caps the annual graduate 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.
Yes. There will be a $257,500 borrowing cap on all federal student loans, excluding Parent PLUS loans.
The new annual, aggregate, and lifetime federal loan limits take effect on July 1, 2026. 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.