AACOM Releases Summary of New Federal Student Loan Final Rule

Published May 18, 2026

By AACOM Government Relations

Financial Aid Higher Education OME Advocate

AACOM released a summary of the U.S. Department of Education (ED)’s Reimagining and Improving Student Education (RISE) Final Rule, which implements major federal student loan changes enacted under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. The summary outlines key provisions affecting graduate and professional students, including the phaseout of Grad PLUS loans, new borrowing limits and important clarifications related to grandfathering, dual-degree programs and continuous enrollment requirements.

AACOM has provided recurring updates on legislative and regulatory developments related to this issue. Although this rule is now final, we will continue monitoring and reporting on related initiatives, including the bicameral congressional resolution introduced by Democratic lawmakers to rescind the rule. Additional student financial aid updates and resources are available on AACOM’s student financial aid resources webpage.