S. 5626: Higher Education Grant Flexibility Act of 2026

This bill would change how certain federal student aid programs treat students with disabilities who are approved for a reduced course load as a reasonable accommodation.

What changes for students

Under current rules, students taking fewer credits may be treated as less than full-time, which can affect the amount of aid they receive. This bill would require schools to treat an eligible student with a disability who has an approved reduced course load as full-time for certain federal aid calculations, as long as the student is taking at least 5 credits (or the equivalent), whichever is greater.

Programs affected

• Federal Pell Grants: A qualifying student would be treated as full-time when calculating the grant amount. The bill also says one existing Pell Grant rule tied to a specific cost-of-attendance adjustment would not apply to these students.

• Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants (FSEOG): The same full-time treatment would apply when calculating the student’s grant amount.

• TEACH Grants: The same full-time treatment would apply when calculating the student’s grant amount.

Who would qualify

The bill applies only to a student or teacher candidate with a disability, as defined under the Americans with Disabilities Act, who has been approved for a reduced course load as a reasonable accommodation under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act or the ADA.

Limits on the change

The bill says this special full-time treatment would be used for figuring out grant amounts, but not for calculating Pell Grant semester eligibility under a separate rule.

Effective date

The bill would take effect as though it had been included in prior FAFSA simplification legislation, subject to the effective dates already set in related law.

Relevant Companies

None found.