S. 5626 — Higher Education Grant Flexibility Act of 2026

This section deems a student's enrollment in an approved reduced course load—or at least 5 credits, whichever is greater—to constitute full-time enrollment for calculating cost of attendance and Federal Pell Grant amounts when the student has a disability and the reduced load is a reasonable accommodation under the Rehabilitation Act or the Americans with Disabilities Act. The determination does not affect calculations of Pell Grant semester eligibility.

This section deems a student with a disability enrolled in an approved reduced course load—or at least 5 credits, whichever is greater—to be enrolled full-time for calculating cost of attendance under section 472(a)(2)–(14) when determining Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant amounts. Section 472(b) does not apply to such students.

This section deems a teacher candidate with a disability enrolled in an approved reduced course load—or 5 credits, whichever is greater—as full-time for purposes of calculating TEACH Grant amounts under section 472(a). It exempts such candidates from the cost-of-attendance rules in section 472(b).

This section provides that amendments made by this section take effect as if included in section 703 of division FF of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, and subject to the effective date of section 701(b) of the FAFSA Simplification Act, as amended.