Federal Impacts on Financial Aid
On July 4, 2025, the Trump administration signed the Big Beautiful Bill Act into law, which has some direct impacts on federal student aid. While it is expected that these impacts will go into effect July 1, 2026, specifics on implementation are still pending and may require future negotiations. The National Association of Student Aid Administrators (NASFAA) has provided a comprehensive breakdown (pdf) of the bill’s impacts on federal student aid.
Our team will continue to monitor these federal impacts and will provide updates on this webpage, as necessary.
Carnegie Mellon remains committed to meeting full demonstrated financial need for undergraduate students and to affordability initiatives like the CMU Pathway Program.
Will my current financial aid or aid offer for 2025-2026 be impacted?
No. Any financial aid you've already received and your financial aid offer for the 2025-2026 academic year will not be impacted or changed. You can access your aid offer in your My Student Aid portal.
Will the financial aid application process change?
No. At this time, the FAFSA is still required for undergraduate and graduate students who want to apply for federal financial aid. Undergraduate students must also submit a CSS Profile to be considered for any institutional (Carnegie Mellon) aid. Review Carnegie Mellon's financial aid application process.
What financial aid funds will be impacted by the bill?
The bill primarily impacts graduate and parent loans. Effective July 1, 2026, the Graduate PLUS loan has been eliminated. If a borrower has a Grad PLUS loan made before July 1, 2026, while enrolled in a credentialed program, the borrower can continue to borrow from the program for three academic years or the remainder of their expected time to credential, whichever is less. Additionally, annual and aggregate loan limits have been updated for unsubsidized graduate loans and Parent PLUS Loans.
To learn more about these impacts and others, we encourage you to review NASFAA’s comprehensive chart (pdf).
Will Carnegie Mellon institutional aid (grants/scholarships) be affected?
No. The bill does impact some federal financial aid, but does not impact Carnegie Mellon institutional aid.
How could this impact my financial aid for future years?
The impacts of the bill will be a case-by-case basis depending on your situation. For example, graduate students and parents borrowing federal loans may be impacted. Additionally, if your Student Aid Index (SAI) is more than twice the amount of a maximum Pell Grant, then your Pell Grant will be impacted. Your SAI can be found on your FAFSA Submission Summary.
When do the changes go into effect?
Many of the changes are expected to go into effect July 1, 2026; however, future negotiations and implementation could impact that date.
How should I plan for the future?
We encourage you to review NASFAA's comprehensive chart (pdf) on the bill’s impacts, including changes to loan repayment.
If you will be impacted by the bill and are concerned about meeting the cost of your education, then private loans may still be a borrowing option. Learn more about private loans.
Will other Department of Education changes impact my aid in any way?
The Trump administration is reducing the workforce of the Department of Education. While we do not expect this to lead to a reduction in financial aid for students, it could lead to administrative delays, which Carnegie Mellon will mitigate as best as possible.
Carnegie Mellon will continue to monitor any federal impacts and will provide updates that may impact students and families on this webpage.