Here you can download forms, review our code of conduct, browse frequently asked questions, and access financial aid resources. You can also use this site to get recent updates and news related to financial assistance.
2026-27 FAFSA Reminder
You can file the 2026-27 FAFSA form online at studentaid.gov using your FSA ID login credentials to electronically sign as early as October 1, 2025, using your 2024 tax information.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Financial Aid by email at fa@sva.edu.
Financial Aid Loan Entrance Counseling
The federally mandated financial aid loan entrance counseling is required for all students receiving a Federal Direct Stafford Loan or a Federal Direct Graduate PLUS Loan for the first time at SVA. If a student has received a Stafford Loan at a previous institution, they do not need to complete the entrance counseling here at SVA.
Students must complete the entrance counseling before any loan proceeds may be received. The entrance counseling is an information session explaining the student’s rights and responsibilities regarding these loan programs.
Please refer to your SVA email account for correspondence from our office regarding your applicable entrance requirements.
Should you have any questions please contact us by email at fa@sva.edu.
Exit Counseling Schedule
The federally mandated Exit Counseling session(s) are required for all students who received a Federal Direct Stafford Loan and/or a Federal Direct Graduate PLUS Loan at SVA.
The Exit Counseling sessions provide important information that you need as you prepare to repay your federal student loan(s).
Please refer to your SVA email account for correspondence from our office regarding your applicable exit requirements.
It is imperative you complete all required exit counseling sessions in order to be cleared for commencement.
Should you have any questions please contact us by email at fa@sva.edu.
Special or Unusual Circumstances
SVA Financial Aid recognizes that changes may be experienced in the financial situation or a unique situation in the household. While the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) determines financial aid eligibility based on data from two years prior, the process exists to re-evaluate a student’s aid based on certain significant changes.
What changes are not applicable?
- Job loss due to cause or personal choice
- Standard living expenses (i.e., utilities, car payments)
- Mortgage payments
- Personal debt
- Bankruptcy
What changes might be applicable?
Change to Student Aid Index (SAI)
NOTE: A change to the SAI could result in a change of eligibility for need-based awards. However, it is not guaranteed. Possible changes may include:
- Loss or change of employment (those due to cause or personal choice are not applicable)
- Child Support change
- Death of parent or spouse
- Excessive medical expenses (must exceed 11% of adjusted gross income)
- One-time taxable income (IRA distribution, pension distribution, etc.)
Change to Cost of Attendance (COA)
NOTE: A change to the COA does not result in a change to need-based awards. It simply increases the total budget (known as the COA) which allows for an increase to PLUS and/or private loans only. Possible changes may include:
- Childcare expenses for a dependent child of a student
- One-time purchase of a computer for educational use
How do I apply for special or unusual circumstances?
If you meet one of the significant changes outlined in the Change to Student Aid Index (SAI) or the Change to Cost of Attendance (COA) sections above, simply contact your assigned financial aid advisor to schedule an appointment.
News & Updates
2026-2027 Federal Loan Update
This document has been updated since the original publication and reflects SVA’s current understanding of the new requirements as of April 24, 2026. This information is subject to change.
Congress passed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) in July 2025, which introduced several changes affecting federal student loan amounts, effective July 1, 2026, for the 2026-2027 award year. This update includes adjustments to loan amounts for less than full-time enrollment and changes to overall borrowing limits, and how these changes may apply to you.
Loan Proration for Less than Full-Time Enrollment
Types of Federal Loan Borrowers, effective July 1, 2026
- New Borrower– A student with no federal loans disbursed (student or parent) for their current SVA program prior to July 1, 2026.
- Legacy Borrower– A student who received a federal loan (student or parent) prior to July 1, 2026, for a program in which they were enrolled as of June 30, 2026, who continues enrollment in the same degree program. This status can be maintained for the lesser of three academic years or the portion of the program of study remaining to complete, as calculated by SVA as of July 1, 2026. A student may lose their legacy status before this point if they withdraw, take an academic break that is not recognized for financial aid purposes, change credential level, or change graduate programs.
Federal Loans Available to Legacy Borrowers
Legacy borrowers may continue to access existing loan program funding levels and provisions for the duration stated above, except for Graduate Plus loan borrowers. Graduate Plus loan borrowers are limited to borrowing $125,000 per academic year under SVA borrowing limits, effective July 1, 2026. Legacy borrowers are subject to the new proration requirements for less than full-time enrollment, with the exception of Parent Plus loan borrowers.
Federal Loans Available to New Borrowers
New regulations regarding borrowing limits under the Direct Loan program for borrowers who do not meet the legacy requirements are effective July 1, 2026, which include the following adjustments:
Undergraduate Direct Subsidized and Unsubsidized Loan annual borrowing amounts remain the same, except for the new proration for less than full-time enrollment
New lifetime loan limits and aggregate borrowing limits per credential level now apply; aggregate limits apply to credential level borrowing, and lifetime limits apply to overall combined borrowing
Repayment, refund, discharge, or cancellation of the loan after disbursement does not restore access under the new caps
Direct Parent PLUS Loan is limited to $20,000 per student per academic year, with a maximum of $65,000 lifetime limit per student, regardless of the parent who borrows, and this loan is not subject to the less-than-full-time proration.
Direct Graduate PLUS Loan is no longer available to graduate students
For graduate students, the annual Direct Unsubsidized Loan limit of $20,500 remains the same, but a new aggregate limit for graduate-level borrowing is $100,000, which includes all prior graduate-level borrowing, but not undergraduate loans. This loan is subject to the less-than-full-time proration.
New Borrowers are subject to a total lifetime federal student loan combined cap of $257,500 (excluding Parent PLUS Loans), which includes all loans borrowed before and on or after July 1, 2026. However, SVA students are limited to a lifetime limit of $157,500 because SVA does not offer professional programs for which the additional $100,000 aggregate limit applies
Within the $157,500 overall limit, the aggregate limits apply of $57,500 for undergraduate borrowing and $100,000 for graduate-level borrowing
Comparison of Key Changes to Federal Student Loans Effective July 1, 2026
