Quick single-term calculator
Estimate one term's max Sub/Unsub without configuring the full SOR.
Student & Loan Period
Grade, dependency, and the single Annual Financial Need that drives Sub/Unsub split.
SOR % denominator
$
Sub baseline $3,500 · Unsub baseline $2,000
$
$
$
Grad/Professional only
Final SOR eligibility amounts are gross Direct Loan amounts. They are not net of loan fees.
Computed baselines:Sub baseline $3,500·Unsub baseline $2,000· from $3,500 Sub + $2,000 Unsub = $5,500 combined limit
Per-term Enrollment
Half-time cliff = FT ÷ 2. Below half-time → ineligible (no disbursement).
| Term | FT | Enrolled | Paid Sub | Paid Unsub | Refund S/U | COA cap S/U |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall ½ @ 6.0 | ||||||
| Spring ½ @ 6.0 | ||||||
| Term 3 ½ @ 6.0 |
Calculation rules
View
Distribution
Advanced rules
Results
Per-term Calculation Matrix
Academic Year 100%3 eligible
| Calculation | Fall eligible | Spring eligible | Term 3 eligible | AY Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
FT credits Term full-time credit hours | 12 | 12 | 12 | 36 |
Enrolled credits Student enrolled credit hours | 12 | 12 | 12 | 36 |
Term % Term enrollment %: enrolled ÷ FT (informational only; SOR uses the Academic Year %). | 100% | 100% | 100% | - |
Enrollment Intensity (EI) % Per-term EI: (enrolled + carried below-half-time credits) ÷ FT | 100% | 100% | 100% | - |
Step-3 Share Sub Annual Sub ÷ eligible terms (or proportional) | $1,166 | $1,167 | $1,167 | $3,500 |
Step-3 Share Unsub | $666 | $667 | $667 | $2,000 |
Calc Sub (Step 5) Share × min(term %, 100%) + balance-forward | $1,166 | $1,167 | $1,167 | $3,500 |
Calc Unsub (Step 5) | $666 | $667 | $667 | $2,000 |
Net Paid Sub Already paid − refund (locks in disbursement mode) | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Net Paid Unsub | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Final Sub Disbursement after COA cap & adjustments | $1,166 | $1,167 | $1,167 | $3,500 |
Final Unsub | $666 | $667 | $667 | $2,000 |
Per-term Cap (Sub) Reduced Annual Sub ÷ eligible terms (static) | $1,167 | $1,167 | $1,167 | - |
Per-term Cap (Unsub) | $667 | $667 | $667 | - |
Logic Walkthrough
ED 5-Step Process1
Initial Maximum Annual Loan Limit
Annual Need $10,000 is split using the effective statutory caps (Sub $3,500 + Unsub $2,000 = Combined $5,500). Sub takes the lesser of need and the Sub cap; Unsub fills the remaining combined-limit headroom (NOT remaining need).
Sub:
min($3,500, $3,500) = $3,500Unsub:
$5,500 - $3,500 = $2,0002
SOR % (Academic Year reduction factor) → Annual Loan Limit
SOR % = (12 + 12 + 12) ÷ 36
= 100.00% → rounded = 100%
= 100.00% → rounded = 100%
Annual Sub limit:
$3,500 × 100% = $3,500Annual Unsub limit:
$2,000 × 100% = $2,000✓ Student is full-time for the AY: no SOR reduction is required.
3
Per-term Share of the Annual Limit
Equal model: pool ÷ N eligible terms. Whole dollars; the last term absorbs any remainder.
Sub payout per term:
$3,500 ÷ 3 = $1,166 (last term absorbs +$2)Unsub payout per term:
$2,000 ÷ 3 = $666 (last term absorbs +$2)Resulting split: Fall Sub $1,166 / Unsub $666 · Spring Sub $1,167 / Unsub $667 · Term 3 Sub $1,167 / Unsub $667.
| Term | Share Sub | Share Unsub |
|---|---|---|
| Fall | $1,166 | $666 |
| Spring | $1,167 | $667 |
| Term 3 | $1,167 | $667 |
4
Per-term Enrollment % × Share = Disbursement
Term enrollment % = enrolled ÷ term full-time credits (can exceed 100%). Disbursement = share × min(term %, 100%); any overflow or lapsed share carries forward to remaining eligible terms with headroom.
- Fall: 12 ÷ 12 = 100% (100% used). Sub $1,166 × 100% = $1,166; Unsub $666 × 100% = $666. Final: $1,166 Sub / $666 Unsub.
- Spring: 12 ÷ 12 = 100% (100% used). Sub $1,167 × 100% = $1,167; Unsub $667 × 100% = $667. Final: $1,167 Sub / $667 Unsub.
- Term 3: 12 ÷ 12 = 100% (100% used). Sub $1,167 × 100% = $1,167; Unsub $667 × 100% = $667. Final: $1,167 Sub / $667 Unsub.
| Term | Term enrollment % | Enrollment Intensity (EI) % | Calc Sub | Calc Unsub | Final Sub | Final Unsub |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | 100% | 100% | $1,166 | $666 | $1,166 | $666 |
| Spring | 100% | 100% | $1,167 | $667 | $1,167 | $667 |
| Term 3 | 100% | 100% | $1,167 | $667 | $1,167 | $667 |
Version history
Changelogv41Loan-period scope, Single-term mode, COA/OFA caps, Grad PLUS grandfatheringShow
- Added a clear loan period scope option so schools can choose annual or multi-term treatment, or a true single-term loan calculation.
- Added single-term loan calculation support. When Single-term is selected, the calculator uses the single-term portion of borrower eligibility and does not apply Equal or Proportional multi-term distribution logic.
- Improved handling for less-than-half-time terms. LTHT terms can still count in the annual SOR calculation when appropriate, but final payout stays $0 for terms where the student is not eligible for a disbursement.
- Fixed one-eligible-term annual scenarios, such as 12 / 3 / 3 or 3 / 15, so the eligible term receives the correct reduced annual amount without being reduced a second time by a proportional split.
- Added stronger COA and other-aid limits before SOR is applied. The calculator now prevents Sub, Unsub, and Grad PLUS from exceeding remaining COA-based eligibility.
- Updated final Direct Loan outputs to whole dollars and clarified that displayed SOR eligibility amounts are gross loan amounts, not net of loan fees.
- Added Grad PLUS support for grandfathered scenarios, including COA-based Grad PLUS eligibility and SOR distribution across terms.
- Restored and verified summer, winter, and additional-term toggles so optional modules and extra terms activate correctly when selected.
- Added denominator controls for required versus optional modules, so schools can include or exclude optional summer or winter modules from the full-time academic-year denominator when appropriate.
- Improved paid-history handling. If a student was already paid and later enrollment changes, the calculator subtracts prior paid amounts and calculates only the remaining allowable payout.
- Added clearer warnings and status messages so users can see when SOR is active, when Single-term mode is active, when no payable term exists, or when the selected loan-period scope needs review.
- Improved usability notes and visual cues, including clearer COA guidance, a more visible Equal versus Proportional selector, and cleaner default setup values for demonstrations and client use.