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Student Finance & Debt · #169

Extra-Semester
Funding Gap Planner

Under 50% of students finish in four years and only about 63% finish in six. A fifth year or extra semester hits four federal and institutional cliffs at once: the Pell 600% lifetime limit, federal loan aggregate caps, a scholarship semester cutoff, and the SAP 150% maximum timeframe rule. This models which cliff binds first, semester by semester, and ranks the cheapest order to fill whatever gap remains.

Data: 2025–26 federal aggregate loan limits (dependent $31,000 / independent $57,500 undergraduate); Pell Lifetime Eligibility Used cap 600% (statutory, HEA); SAP 150% maximum timeframe (federal minimum standard). All figures overridable. Check your school's financial aid office and your own award letters for exact numbers.

▲ The Four Cliffs Pell grants stop once you have used 600% of your Lifetime Eligibility Used (LEU): full-time enrollment typically consumes 50% per semester, so roughly six years of full-time Pell use. Federal loan aggregates cap total borrowing at $31,000 (dependent) or $57,500 (independent) for undergraduates. Most institutional and outside scholarships cap the number of semesters they pay for. And Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) cuts off all federal aid, Pell and loans together, once attempted credit hours exceed 150% of your program's published length.
Program & Enrollment STEP 1
Sets the federal loan aggregate cap used below.
Approximate. Your school's Pell % used can differ slightly by term length.
Pell Lifetime Eligibility Used STEP 2
On your Student Aid Report / studentaid.gov account. 600% is the statutory maximum.
Federal Loan Aggregate STEP 3
Split evenly across two semesters below.
Scholarship Semester Cap STEP 4
SAP 150% Maximum Timeframe STEP 5
150% max = program length × 1.5, overridable if your school uses a different figure.
Cost of Attendance STEP 6
Tuition + fees + living, per semester still owed.
Illustrative estimate, not financial aid advice. Pell %, loan aggregate, scholarship, and SAP figures vary by school and change over time. Confirm exact numbers with your financial aid office and studentaid.gov before making enrollment decisions.
First Binding Cliff
--
The funding source that runs out soonest
Semester Gap First Appears
--
First semester with unmet cost of attendance
Total Funding Gap
--
Summed across all remaining semesters
SAP Status
--
Gates Pell and federal loans together
Semester-by-Semester Breakdown
Semester Pell Federal Loan Scholarship SAP OK Aid Available COA Gap
Policy Mandate v2.0
Gap-Fill Inputs STEP 1
Auto-filled from the Cliff Calculator once you run it.
Auto-filled. Unused headroom can fund a summer term.
Extra credits your school lets you take at no added tuition, per semester with a gap.
Auto-filled from the Cliff Calculator.
Section 127 covers up to $5,250/yr tax-free. See AL-53 for the true after-tax value.
Gap Before Free/Low-Cost Fills
--
Covered by Free/Low-Cost Sources
--
Remaining Gap → Private Loan
--
Gap-Fill Priority Stack, Cheapest First
Private Loan Scenarios for the Remaining Gap
Scenario Rate Monthly Payment (10-yr) Total Paid Total Interest
Policy Mandate v2.0