FAFSA 2025-2026 no longer showing grad student loan eligibility amount - system change?
Just submitted my FAFSA for the 2025-2026 year and noticed something weird at the confirmation screen. In previous years, the confirmation page clearly stated I was eligible for the maximum grad student loan of $20,500. This time, it only says I'm not eligible for Pell Grants (duh, I'm a grad student) and that I "might be eligible for other grants and scholarships." No mention of loans at all! Has the FAFSA system changed how they display loan eligibility information? I'm 100% certain previous years explicitly mentioned my loan eligibility amount right on that final screen. Anyone else notice this change? Should I be concerned my loan eligibility has somehow changed?
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Sebastián Stevens
I noticed the EXACT same thing! I just submitted mine last week and was confused when I didn't see the loan eligibility amount that usually shows up. I assumed it was just a glitch in the new system since they completely revamped everything for this application cycle. I ended up calling my school's financial aid office and they confirmed my loan eligibility hasn't changed - it's still the standard $20,500 for grad students. They said it's just a display change on the FAFSA end.
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Angelina Farar
•That's such a relief to hear! I was worried something had changed with my eligibility. So weird they would remove that info from the confirmation screen though. It was actually helpful to see it there.
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Bethany Groves
Financial aid advisor here - this is indeed a change in the updated FAFSA system for 2025-2026. The Department of Education modified the completion confirmation screens to focus primarily on grant eligibility rather than loans. Your loan eligibility as a graduate student remains unchanged at $20,500 in Direct Unsubsidized loans annually, regardless of what the confirmation screen displays. The actual loan eligibility determination is made by your school based on your SAI (Student Aid Index) from your FAFSA, your cost of attendance, and other factors. The confirmation page information has been simplified but doesn't affect your actual eligibility.
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KingKongZilla
•wait so does that mean undergrads dont see their loan amounts anymore either? my daughter is filling hers out this weekend and im trying to figure out how much we need to pay vs what she can get in loans
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Bethany Groves
•That's correct - undergraduates also won't see specific loan amounts on the confirmation screen anymore. The FAFSA system now only provides general eligibility information. Your daughter will need to wait for her official financial aid package from her school to see specific loan amounts. This typically comes 1-3 weeks after the FAFSA is processed, depending on the school.
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Rebecca Johnston
OMG I thought I was going crazy!!! I just did mine and was freaking out because I didn't see ANY loan info. I literally spent 2 hours going through all my tax information trying to figure out if I made some huge error that disqualified me somehow. This FAFSA redesign is so confusing.
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Angelina Farar
•Seriously! Why would they remove information that was actually helpful? The new FAFSA system has been nothing but problems from what I've seen.
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Nathan Dell
Does anyone know if we still need to complete a separate loan application after the FAFSA? I remember in previous years there was an extra step to actually request the loans after FAFSA was processed. I'm in my final year of grad school and can't afford any delays in funding.
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Bethany Groves
•Yes, you still need to complete the Direct Loan Master Promissory Note (MPN) and entrance counseling if you haven't done so already. If you've previously received federal loans for your graduate program, you likely don't need to complete these steps again. However, you should check with your school's financial aid office to confirm your specific requirements, as some schools have additional steps in their loan acceptance process.
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Maya Jackson
I spent 3 hours trying to get someone on the phone at Federal Student Aid about this exact issue last week! Kept getting disconnected or endless hold times. Finally used Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get through to an actual human. They have this service that holds your place in line and calls you when an agent is available. Saved me hours of frustration. They confirmed it's just a display change and doesn't affect actual eligibility. You can see how it works in their video: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ
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Angelina Farar
•Thanks for the tip! I might need this if I have any other issues. The FSA phone lines are impossible lately.
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Rebecca Johnston
•Omg thank you for sharing this!!! I've been trying to get through to them about my verification issues for DAYS!!
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Tristan Carpenter
The whole new FAFSA system is TRASH!!! First they delay the release by months, then the website crashes constantly, now they're removing useful information from the confirmation screens? I've been in school for 6 years and every single year the process gets WORSE not better. I'm so sick of this. I literally cannot afford my last semester if there are any delays in my loans processing.
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Amaya Watson
•same. the new SAI calculation is confusing too. my expected contribution went up by like 4k even tho my income is basically the same?? make it make sense
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Tristan Carpenter
•EXACTLY! Nothing about this system makes any sense anymore. I'm convinced they're intentionally making it confusing so fewer people complete it successfully. Less applications = less aid they have to give out.
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Sebastián Stevens
Have you checked your Student Aid Index (SAI) score? That's the new number that replaced the old EFC. It should be visible in your FAFSA confirmation email or when you log into studentaid.gov. That number is what schools use to determine your exact aid package.
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Angelina Farar
•Just checked - my SAI is visible in my account. It's similar to last year's EFC. I guess that means my loan eligibility should be the same? Still wish they'd just tell us directly on the confirmation screen like before.
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Zainab Ahmed
As a first-time grad student applicant, this thread is incredibly helpful! I was planning to submit my FAFSA this weekend and would have definitely panicked when I didn't see loan amounts on the confirmation screen. It's really frustrating that they removed helpful information during an already stressful process. Does anyone know roughly how long it takes for schools to send out the actual financial aid packages after FAFSA processing? I'm trying to plan my timeline for fall enrollment decisions.
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Jake Sinclair
•Welcome to the grad school FAFSA world! From my experience, most schools send out aid packages within 2-4 weeks after your FAFSA is processed, but it can vary a lot by institution. Some schools are super quick (like 1-2 weeks) while others take up to 6 weeks, especially during peak application season. I'd recommend checking with your specific school's financial aid office for their timeline - they usually have this info on their website or you can call them directly. Also, make sure to submit your FAFSA as early as possible since some aid is first-come, first-served. Good luck with your applications!
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Santiago Martinez
•@Zainab Ahmed Just to add to what Jake said - definitely prioritize submitting your FAFSA ASAP! I made the mistake of waiting until closer to the deadline my first year and some schools had already allocated their limited funding. Also, even though the confirmation screen doesn t'show loan amounts anymore, you can still log back into your studentaid.gov account later to check your SAI and any updates. The whole process is definitely more confusing now, but try not to stress too much - the actual loan eligibility rules haven t'changed, just how they display the info. You ve'got this!
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Liam O'Reilly
I'm so glad I found this thread! I was literally about to call my school's financial aid office in a panic because I thought something went wrong with my application. I've been filing the FAFSA for 3 years now for my grad program and always relied on seeing that loan eligibility confirmation at the end. It's honestly pretty poor user experience design to remove information that students have come to expect and rely on, especially without any clear communication about the change. Thanks everyone for confirming this is just a display issue and not an actual eligibility problem!
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Samantha Hall
•I completely agree about the poor user experience! As someone who's new to navigating FAFSA for graduate school, it's really confusing when they change things without any explanation. I was actually considering calling the financial aid office too before finding this thread. It seems like they could have at least put a note on the confirmation page saying something like "loan eligibility information will be provided by your school" instead of just removing it entirely. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - it's saved me a lot of worry and probably a frustrating phone call!
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Jamal Wilson
Just adding my voice to confirm this is happening to everyone! I submitted my FAFSA for 2025-2026 two weeks ago and had the exact same experience - no loan eligibility amount shown on the confirmation screen, which definitely freaked me out initially. I'm a second-year PhD student and have been relying on those Direct Unsubsidized loans, so seeing nothing about loans was alarming. After reading this thread and calling my university's financial aid office, they confirmed it's just a system display change and my $20,500 annual loan eligibility is still intact. Really wish the Department of Education had communicated this change better - would have saved a lot of students unnecessary stress! For anyone still worried, definitely reach out to your school's financial aid office for peace of mind.
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