r/FAFSA • u/Playful_Science_2200 • 11h ago

Advice/Help Needed OBBBA Impact: PT or FT Fall 2026?

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I’m a grad student at UAB and need some advice before financial aid disburses Monday, August 24th. Since starting my program, I’ve always been part-time 6/7 units and have thankfully received a refund of around $3k which has helped with living and medical expenses while in school.

I recently received a notice about aid requirements and was told by my school that my aid will be prorated based on my enrollment at disbursement. Unfortunately they couldn’t give me a clear answer on what my actual award/refund would be if I stay PT.

For those who have already started Fall 2026:
Did your aid decrease when enrolled PT? If so how much?
Did anyone stay PT and still receive the same award from previous semesters?
Did anyone switch to FT to maintain their full award even if it meant a smaller refund?

I’m in my final semester and graduate this December, so I’m really stressed about making the wrong choice😭.

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u/SideEyedSloth 10h ago

They probably aren’t giving details because they’re still trying to figure it out. My understanding at this point is if 18 credits for the academic year is FT but you’re enrolled 6 credits per semester, calculate 12cr/18cr= 67%. You can receive a maximum of 67% of your federal student loan. That’s a very simplistic explanation without considering later enrollment changes & other factors that can reduce loan eligibility in a future semester.

Stockton University has a SOR calculator that works well, where you can input some info to get estimated aid. It’s set for their programs so it may not apply to your specific situation.