Volume	3
Academic	Calendars,	Cost	of	Attendance,	and
Packaging
Introduction
This	volume	of	the	Federal	Student	Aid	(FSA)	Handbook	discusses	the	academic	calendar,	payment	period,	and
disbursement	requirements	for	awarding	aid	under	the	Title	IV	student	financial	aid	programs,	determining	a	student9s
cost	of	attendance,	and	packaging	Title	IV	aid.
Throughout	this	volume	of	the	Handbook,	the	words	"we,"	"our,"	and	"us"	refer	to	the	United	States	Department	of
Education	(the	Department).	The	word	"you"	refers	to	the	primary	audience	of	the	Handbook,	school	financial	aid
administrators.	In	other	volumes	of	the	Handbook	we	use	"institution,"	"school,"	and	"college"	interchangeably,	unless	a
more	specific	meaning	is	provided.	In	this	volume	we	consistently	use	the	term	"school."	<HEA=	refers	to	the	Higher
Education	Act	of	1965,	as	amended.	Title	IV	refers	to	the	student	financial	aid	programs	authorized	under	Title	IV	of	the
HEA.
We	appreciate	any	comments	that	you	have	on	this	volume	as	well	as	the	other	volumes	of	the	
FSA	Handbook.	We	revise
the	text	based	on	questions	and	feedback	from	the	financial	aid	community,	so	please	reach	out	to	us	about	how	to
improve	the	Handbook	through	the	<Contact	Customer	Support=	feature	in	our	Partner	Connect9s	Help	Center	clicking	on
<FSA	Handbook=	under	the	Topic	section.
Changes	for	2025-2026
There	are	no	major	changes	in	
Volume	3	for	2025-2026.	However,	we	have	made	minor	additions	and	clarifications	to
existing	guidance	in	a	few	areas,	as	noted	below.
Chapter	1
In	Appendix	B,	we	have	added	guidance	on	determining	enrollment	intensity	for	Pell	Grant	recipients	who	are	enrolled	in
subscription-based	programs.
Chapter	2
We	have	revised	the	discussion	of	<Allowable	Costs=	to	clarify	that	for	Pell	Grant	recipients	with	an	enrollment
intensity	below	50%,	the	cost	of	attendance	(COA)	is	still	based	on	the	full-year	costs	for	a	full-time	student.	In	this
same	section,	we	have	also	removed	text	noting	that	the	FAFSA	Simplification	Act	made	certain	changes	to	COA
components.	These	changes	are	no	longer	new	and	were	previously	incorporated	into	the	2023-2024	FSA	Handbook.
Under	<Tuition	and	Fees,=	we	have	added	health	insurance	premiums	that	are	charged	to	all	students	as	an
additional	example	of	a	cost	that	may	be	included	in	this	COA	component.
We	have	revised	the	text	under	<Costs	of	Obtaining	a	License,	Certification,	or	First	Professional	Credential=	to	clarify
that	the	guidance	in	this	section	pertains	to	credentials	that	are	required	for	a	student	to	practice	or	participate	in
the	occupation	the	program	is	preparing	the	student	to	enter,	and	have	added	bar	exam	fees	as	an	example	of	one
of	the	types	of	costs	that	may	be	included	in	this	COA	component.
Under	<Periods	of	Non-Attendance,=	we	have	added	language	to	clarify	that	a	period	of	non-attendance	is	a	period
during	which	the	student	is	not	enrolled	and	is	not	otherwise	engaged	in	any	activity	that	is	a	requirement	of	the
student9s	program	of	study.
Chapter	3
Under	<Packaging	Aid	for	Certain	Dependents	of	Deceased	Servicemembers	or	Public	Safety	Officers	(Pell	Grant	Special
Rule),=	we	have	removed	the	note	explaining	that	the	Pell	Grant	Special	Rule	replaced	the	Iraq	and	Afghanistan	Service
Grant	(IASG)	and	Children	of	Fallen	Heroes	(CFH)	provisions.	This	change	is	no	longer	new	for	2025-2026.
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