Course information

October 7, 2025   1 PM Eastern

This Practice Management webinar, was approved for CE Credit and will be available for CE through December 31, 2025. There have been lots of questions as to the impact on financial aid and student loans as a result of "The One, Big, Beautiful Bill Act." Here's a brief synopsis...

For families with Class of 2026 High School graduates it's important to plan for new student loan limits:

• Parent PLUS loans are capped at $20,000/year, $65,000 lifetime.
• Graduate loans are capped at $20,500/year, $100,000 lifetime.
• Federal student loan limits will remain unchanged.
• Private loans or savings will likely be needed to fill the gap.
• File FAFSA because it keeps federal loan and aid eligibility open.
• Let's plan to search for more free scholarship money!

For families with students entering college in Fall 2025 or who are already a college student, you will have “legacy borrower” protections until your student receives their degree or 3 years out

Stay the Course with FAFSA

• Existing loan programs (including Grad PLUS) remain available for current undergrads/grad students until their program ends or until 2029 at the latest.
• Filing FAFSA annually keeps them eligible for maximum federal aid under old rules.

Plan for Transition

• If a student will continue to grad school beyond July 2026, anticipate new borrowing caps and start scholarship searches early.
• Families may need to pivot toward private lenders sooner.

Monitor Repayment Plan Simplification

• The hardship requirement for income-driven repayment (IBR/RAP) is gone — so students with existing federal loans should file FAFSA, borrow as needed, and know they can later select an income-based repayment option without the extra eligibility hurdle.

CSS Profile Families

• FAFSA changes don’t affect CSS Profile directly — but some private colleges may adjust their own aid formulas in response to shrinking federal loan availability. Continue submitting both financial aid applications.