Application Process

• Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for the current academic year to be automatically considered for federal, state and institutional financial aid programs. Include CVCC’s federal school code 012182 on the application
• Apply for admissions at CVCC.
• The federal processor will send you a confirmation email and a Student Aid Report (SAR) which provides basic information about your eligibility for federal student aid. When the Office of Financial Aid and Veterans Services receives the application, we will send the student an email notification requesting additional information, if needed.
• Once all documents have been received and processed, or if the application comes in without any other forms necessary, the Office of Financial Aid and Veterans Services will email the student a notification of the award letter that contains the offered financial aid award(s) and amount(s).
• Students who elect to use the Pirate Book Pack, may use their Pell Grant to cover their charge.  Student can find more information about the Pirate Book Pack here.
• One financial aid is disbursed to the students account, the Business Office has 14 days to process the refund.
• If your family has experienced any financial difficulties, please contact the Financial Aid Office for personal assistance.

2026-2027 Financial Aid Updates (last updated 08/31/2026)

Overview:  

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OB3) is a federal budget reconciliation package approved by Congress on July 4, 2025, to ensure continued funding for many federal expenditures. While the legislation includes a broad range of topics, policies, and funding changes, this page focuses specifically on the impacts to Federal Student Aid beginning with the 2026-27 academic year, beginning July 1, 2026.

The law includes updates to:

• eligibility and amounts for Pell Grants

• new limits for federal student loans

• loan adjustments for students enrolled less than full-time

• parent plus loan limits

Changes to Pell Grant Eligibility: 

Beginning with the 2026-27 academic year, students will not be able to receive the Pell Grant in the following situations:

A student who receives non-federal grants or scholarships that meet or exceed their full cost of attendance

Example: 

1. If a student’s cost of attendance is $13,000 and they receive a $13,000 outside scholarship, the student would not qualify for a Pell Grant.
2. If a student’s cost of attendance is $13,000 and they receive $6,000 in Pell Grant funding plus a $6,999 scholarship, the student could still qualify because the scholarship amount does not fully cover the cost of attendance.

Students with a Student Aid Index (SAI) equal to or greater than twice the maximum Pell Grant award may no longer qualify for Pell Grant funding.

Example: 

1. Using the current maximum Pell Grant award of $7,395, students with an SAI of $14,790 or higher would not be eligible for a Pell Grant.

Changes to Student Loan Eligibility: 

Starting in the 2026-2027 award year, your Annual Loan Limit will be reduced proportionally if you are enrolled less than full-time (24 credits annually or 12 credits per semester). The maximum amount for one semester is half of your annual loan limit. Annual loan award limits remain the same for undergraduate students.

Example:  

An undergraduate student who is enrolled 6 credit hours in Fall and 6 credit hours in Spring is enrolled 50% each term. Their federal student loans will be prorated to 50% of their annual eligibility. If the student is eligible for $7,500 ($3,750 per term) at full-time for the two semesters combined, then their prorated amount will be reduced to $3,750 ($1,875 per term) to reflect their half-time enrollment.

*You must still be enrolled at least half-time status to qualify for federal student loans. This requirement has not changed.

Dropping or withdrawing from a course may reduce a student’s federal loan eligibility for the following semester. Students should check with the Financial Aid Office before making changes to their class schedule.

Example:

If you enroll in 12 credit hours for the fall semester and drop a 3-hour course, the loan allotment for the following semester will be reduced to 9 credit hours, even if you are enrolled full-time. The new federal guidelines are designed to encourage you to complete courses in which you are borrowing funds and help reduce loan debt as you progress towards completion.

Parent PLUS Loans are now capped:

• Annual Limit: $20,000 per student.
• Lifetime Limit: $65,000 per student.
• Additional guidance on Parent Plus Loan can be found here.

Example: 

If two parents both borrow Parent PLUS Loans for one student, their combined borrowing cannot exceed the annual limit and the lifetime limit.

Note: Guidance from the U.S. Department of Education is still evolving, and this page will be updated as additional information becomes available. Updates can also be found at the link below:

https://studentaid.gov/announcements-events/big-updates