Data / Federal rules / 2026-08556

Reimagining and Improving Student Education-Federal Student Loan Program Final Regulations

The Education Department published this final rule in the Federal Register on May 1, 2026. It took effect on July 1, 2026.

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What the agency says

The Secretary amends the regulations for the Federal student loan programs authorized under title IV of the Higher Education Act (HEA) of 1965, as amended (the title IV, HEA programs) to implement the statutory changes to the title IV, HEA programs included in Public Law 119-21, the Working Families Tax Cuts Act signed into law by President Trump on July 4, 2025. The Department previously referred to the Working Families Tax Cuts Act as the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act," including in the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking published on January 30, 2026. These changes include establishing new loan limits for graduate students, professional students, and parents, and phasing out the Graduate PLUS (Grad PLUS) Program. The Working Families Tax Cuts Act also simplifies the current broken and confusing myriad of Federal student loan repayment plans by phasing out the existing Income- Contingent Repayment (ICR) plans, creating a new Tiered Standard repayment plan option, and establishing a new income-driven repayment plan known as the Repayment Assistance Plan. The Working Families Tax Cuts Act also enables borrowers in default who have previously rehabilitated a defaulted loan a second chance to rehabilitate their loan(s) and resume repayment.

Key facts

Document number: 2026-08556
Type: Final rule
Action: Final rule
Agency: Education Department
Published: May 1, 2026
Takes effect: July 1, 2026
Dates: This final rule is effective on July 1, 2026.
Docket: Docket ID ED-2025-OPE-0944
Regulation ID (RIN): 1840-AD98
Code of Federal Regulations: 34 CFR 674; 34 CFR 682; 34 CFR 685
Topics: Administrative practice and procedure; Colleges and universities; Education; Reporting and recordkeeping requirements; Student aid
Pages: 134

The document on federalregister.gov PDF

Other documents from the Education Department

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Impact Aid Programs 2026-20687	Final rule	Oct 8
Recodification of Title IX Rules 2026-19929	Final rule	Sep 29
Final Waiver and Extension of the Project Period With Funding-Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as Amended, Title VI, Part B, Native Hawaiian Education 2026-17353	Final rule	Aug 25
Education Department General Administrative Regulations 2026-17239 · significant	Proposed rule	Aug 24
Final Waiver and Extension of the Project Period With Funding for Arts in Education National Program 2026-17006	Final rule	Aug 20
Accreditation, Innovation, and Modernization: The Secretary's Recognition of Accrediting Agencies: Institutional Eligibility Under the Higher Education Act of 1965, as Amended, Student Assistance General Provisions 2026-17001	Proposed rule	Aug 20
Rescinding Portions of the Department of Education Title VI Regulations To Align With the Statutory Text and Conform to Executive Order 14281 2026-15019 · significant	Final rule	Jul 24
Final Waivers and Extensions of the Project Periods With Funding for the Native American Career and Technical Education Program (NACTEP) 2026-15009	Final rule	Jul 24

Everything from the Education Department · Rules on administrative practice and procedure · Rules on colleges and universities · Rules on education · Published in May 2026

Read from the Federal Register API, last updated 2026-10-23. The document on federalregister.gov is the official record; dates and dockets can change through later corrections. Free to reuse with credit to SpecStream under CC BY 4.0.