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President Donald Trump signed the bill into effect on July 4, 2025, and with it comes impacts on some higher education policies.

• Pell Grant: There will be no adjustments to Pell Grant enrollment requirements. The law maintains the definition of a full-time student at the current 24 credit hours per academic year and Pell Grant eligibility for students less than half-time.
•  Workforce Pell Grant program: The law creates a Workforce Pell Grant program, but excludes these grants from being available to remedial, non-credit, English language learning, or study abroad coursework. Unaccredited providers would be excluded from Work Force Pell eligibility.
• Pell Lifetime Eligibility Usage (LEU): The law retains a previous provision stating that students who receive grants or scholarships covering their entire cost of attendance (COA) would be ineligible to receive a Pell Grant, even if otherwise eligible for the program. 
• Foreign Income and Pell Grant Eligibility: The law requires that foreign income be included in the income calculation for Pell Grant eligibility.
• Loan proration for less-than-full-time enrollment: The law requires institutions to prorate annual loan amounts in direct proportion to the percent of full-time the student is enrolled.

Changes in 2026:

• Asset Exemptions: The law reinstates the exemption of family farm and small business assets from the SAI calculation and expands this asset exemption to family-owned commercial fisheries, with an effective date of July 1, 2026.
• Parent PLUS Loans: new Parent PLUS loan limits: a $20,000 per year cap per dependent student and a $65,000 aggregate limit per dependent student (without regard to amounts forgiven, repaid, canceled, or discharged). These provisions are effective July 1, 2026.
• Repayment Plan options for New Borrowers: Borrowers with new loans made on or after July 1, 2026, can be repaid using only two plans: a new standard repayment plan with fixed monthly payments and fixed terms ranging from 10 to 25 years based on the amount borrowed and the new income-based repayment plan, RAP.
• Pell Grant Eligibility with a High SAI: The law includes a provision that prevents students from receiving Pell Grants if their SAI exceeds twice the maximum Pell Grant award, with an effective date of July 1, 2026.
• Institutional accountability and risk-sharing: For undergraduate programs, the provision compares the median earnings of completer four years after program completion with the earnings of “working adults” with only a high school degree or GED who are not enrolled in higher education. Programs failing to meet this earnings threshold in 2 of 3 years will lose eligibility to participate in the Direct Loan Program, with the option to reapply after 2 years. After one year of failure, institutions have to provide disclosures to students. This measure would become effective on July 1, 2026. 

 

Students can now access all your financial aid messages through the Message Center in your Student Center. This one-stop platform will serve as a reliable source for all future communications related to your financial aid. We highly recommend that you check the Message Center regularly to stay updated on your financial aid status.

To access the Message Center, please follow these three steps:

1. Visit myeagle.hccs.edu or scan the QR code.
2. Select the “Student Sign In” Tile and log in using your HCC student login. If you need help with resetting your password, please call 713.718.8800.
3. Select the Message Center tile, to view all your financial aid-related messages and notifications

 

Financial Aid will be servicing students in-person during the following times.

Alief

• Monday, Tuesday, & Friday | 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
• Wednesday & Thursday | 8:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.

 

Bissonnet

• Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, & Friday | 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

 

Central

• Monday, Tuesday, & Friday | 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
• Wednesday & Thursday | 8:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.

 

Coleman

• Monday, Tuesday, & Wednesday | 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
• Thursday | 9:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
• Friday | Closed

 

Eastside

• Monday, Tuesday, & Friday | 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
• Wednesday & Thursday | 8:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.

 

Katy

• Monday, Tuesday, & Friday | 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
• Wednesday & Thursday | 8:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.

 

Northeast

• Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, & Friday | 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

 

North Forest

• Monday - Friday | 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

 

Northline

• Monday, Tuesday, & Friday | 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
• Wednesday & Thursday | 8:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.

 

Missouri City

• Monday - Friday | 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

 

South

• Monday - Friday | 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

 

Spring Branch

• Monday - Friday | 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

 

West Loop

• Monday, Tuesday, & Friday | 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
• Wednesday & Thursday | 8:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.

 

Students can reach the Financial Aid Office Call Center:

• Monday—Thursday | 8:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
• Friday | 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

 

Students can reach financial aid by phone at: 713-718-2000 option 2.

Please note, we may be experiencing unusually high call volumes so if you are unable to reach us by phone, please view multiple ways to contact us below. 

 

 

Students can connect with a Financial Aid or Cashier's Office representative via the Zoom Lobby for questions on financial aid, payment/payment plans, and billing. 

Connect with a Financial Aid representative via the Zoom Lobby.

ZOOM LOBBY HOURS

• Monday - Thursday | 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
• Friday | 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

 

 

We have a team of financial aid advisors and assistants available to answer your questions in a timely manner. To ensure we adhere to identity verification requirements, we are requiring all students to communicate with the Financial Aid Office using their HCC student email accounts. 

Please use your student email account to email the Financial Aid Office at finaid.district@hccs.edu. To access your student email, please visit: myeagle.hccs.edu and select the email icon/tile.

 

To check your financial aid status and checklist items, please visit the Student Service Center at myeagle.hccs.edu.

• Select the Checklist tile/box to view Financial Aid to-do list Items that will note what documentation or forms you need to submit.
• Select the Financial Aid tile/box to view financial aid award amounts and statuses.