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Accepting Aid Offers in PAWS

Federal Student Aid Changes for 2026-2027 for Incoming Freshmen 

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R.1), signed into law on July 4, 2025, enacts changes for Federal Student Aid. These changes will be effective for the 2026-2027 academic year and do not impact the current 2025-2026 academic year. The Office of Financial Aid is closely monitoring the changes. This page will be updated as more information becomes available. 

  • Parent PLUS Loan Annual & Aggregate Limit 

Eligible parents can borrow up to $20,000 per student per year, with a maximum lifetime limit of $65,000. 

  • Mandatory Loan Proration

Students enrolled less than full-time (12 credit hours that count towards their degree) will have their federal loans prorated to match their enrollment. This applies to students enrolled in any degree program who borrow any type of Federal Direct Student Loan and are not enrolled full-time. 

It is unclear whether the proration rule applies to the entire school year or on a semester-by-semester basis. We will update guidance as we receive clarification on how this rule will be administered. 

  • Federal Pell Grant

Students who receive grants or scholarships from non-federal sources covering their entire cost of attendance (COA) are ineligible to receive a Pell Grant. 

Follow the steps below to accept or decline your federal aid offers in PAWS:
1. Go to https://www.southalabama.edu/services/logins/students/ and select 'PAWS'.
2. Log in (if prompted) using your JagNet credentials.
3. Click on 'Student Services and Financial Aid'.
4. Click on 'Financial Aid'.
5. Select the applicable aid year from the drop down menu near the top of the page.
6. Click on 'Award Offer'.
 
PLUS Loans (Parent and Graduate) will remain in an offered status until the application has been received from https://studentaid.gov. If you have federal aid in an offered status other than PLUS Loans, you must take action on the offer by continuing with the steps listed below:
 
7. Federal financial aid funds other than Pell Grants and PLUS Loans must be accepted or declined. You may accept a partial amount by selecting 'Modify' and indicating the amount.
8. Click 'Submit' at the bottom of the page.
9. Review and acknowledge the Terms and Conditions of the aid by checking 'I acknowledge these Terms and Conditions'. If you do not accept, your federal aid WILL NOT DISBURSE.
10. Click 'Accept Award'.
11. After you accept your offer(s), select the Home tab to confirm if you have any remaining 'Unsatisfied Requirements'.

 

  • Any amounts accepted will be divided evenly among the terms included in your offer. All aid in offered status will be withdrawn if not accepted within 30 days.
  • Any educational assistance (scholarships, third party payments, etc.) received aside from federal aid may result in an adjustment to your federal aid eligibility.
  • The College Financing Plan, which includes your Cost of Attendance (COA) along with other information, is available in PAWS. 
  • Please note that your COA is an estimate and is not your bill.
  • Check PAWS and your JagMail on a regular basis for updates and changes so that you will be aware of the regulations and your responsibilities as a financial aid recipient.
  • All federal aid is subject to congressional allocations and sequester and can be reduced or canceled due to lack of federal appropriations.


    Need to update your housing status after receiving your aid offer? 

    If your housing plans for 2026-2027 have changed since receiving your aid offer notification, follow the steps below to update your plans:

    1. Log into the Verification Portal using your JagNet credentials;

    2. Confirm the 4 key identifiers from the FAFSA (first name, last name, date of birth and social security number);

    3. Click the Manage Requests box in the upper right hand corner of the page and select the blue plus sign for 'Update to Housing Plans' for 2026-2027; 

    4. Complete the Web Form. 

     

    PLEASE NOTE: This is not a request for on-campus housing. Any questions regarding on-campus housing should be directed to USA Housing.