Wichita State announces federal financial aid changes taking effect July 1

WICHITA, Kan. (KWCH) - Wichita State University released details on Wednesday about changes to federal financial aid that will take effect July 1.

“The Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships is closely monitoring federal guidance and working to help students and families understand how these nationwide changes may affect eligibility and borrowing options,“ said the university. ”While the updates are being implemented at the federal level, Wichita State remains committed to providing clear communication and individualized support to students navigating the transition."

Some of the major updates expected to impact both current and future borrowers include:

• Parent PLUS Loans (new borrowers): Annual borrowing will be capped at $20,000, with a lifetime limit of $65,000.  
• Graduate PLUS loans: These loans will no longer be available to new borrowers beginning July 2026.  
• Direct loans: Loan amounts will be reduced for students enrolled in less than full time.  
• Legacy (interim exception) borrowers: Current Parent PLUS and Graduate PLUS borrowers may continue borrowing for up to three academic years if they continue to meet eligibility for legacy status. 
• Students with a Student Aid Index (SAI) at or above twice the maximum Pell Grant amount will no longer qualify.  
• Pell Grant awards may be reduced if other scholarships or grants fully cover a student’s cost of attendance.  
• Annual borrowing limits for professional students will be set at $50,000 with a $200,000 lifetime cap. At Wichita State, this applies only to students enrolled in the clinical psychology Ph.D. program.  
• Part-time students (less than 12 hours for undergraduates and less than nine hours for graduate) will receive less federal aid.   
• Students who drop from full-time to part-time during a semester may be required to immediately repay a portion of their federal loan funds based on the reduced enrollment level.  

Sheelu Surender, assistant vice provost for the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships at Wichita State, said students receiving financial aid are encouraged to review their aid offer closely, so they can fully understand the impact of enrollment reductions before making changes.

“More broadly, the new regulations may result in some students receiving less federal aid overall, and certain loan programs will no longer be available to new borrowers,” said WSU.

For additional details on the federal policy changes, visit the U.S. Department of Education’s One Big Beautiful Bill page.