Financial Aid Changes on the Horizon That May Affect Phillips 66 Employees

Healthcare Provider Update: Healthcare Provider for Phillips 66 Phillips 66 offers healthcare coverage through multiple providers, primarily Aetna and Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS), depending on the employee's home ZIP code. Employees also have access to a Kaiser HMO option if they live in designated areas of California or Washington. The medical plans include comprehensive coverage for various healthcare services, including preventive care, regular checkups, mental health, and substance use disorder treatments. Potential Healthcare Cost Increases in 2026 Healthcare costs for Phillips 66 employees can be expected to rise significantly in 2026, reflecting broader trends impacting the Affordable Care Act (ACA) marketplace. As major insurers are filing for rate increases that may exceed 60% in certain states, Phillips 66 employees could face steep hikes in out-of-pocket premiums, especially if federal subsidies are not extended. The combination of escalating medical costs and the potential loss of enhanced subsidies means many employees may see their premium costs increase substantially, leaving them with difficult choices regarding their healthcare coverage amidst these changing economic conditions. Click here to learn more

As of March 2026, the outbreak of conflict in Iran and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz have pushed global oil prices up 10%, lifting energy stocks like Phillips 66 on increased free-cash-flow projections. For employees of this diversified downstream operator, the current environment represents a strategic window of opportunity to sit down with a financial advisor and ensure your retirement plan is positioned to capture these gains while protecting against the volatility that inevitably follows geopolitical shocks.

• Fewer questions . The bill significantly reduces the overall number of questions on the FAFSA, including eliminating questions about drug convictions and Selective Service status.
  
  
• Changes to cost of attendance . The bill makes several changes to the definition of 'cost of attendance' in an attempt to standardize the term among colleges and make it more favorable for Phillips 66 employees. For example, the allowance for room and board will be split into separate allowances for housing and meals, with the allowance for meals based on three meals a day and the housing allowance for students living in college housing based on the average or median housing charge (not the lowest charge), whichever is greater. Colleges can no longer set the housing allowance to zero for dependent students who live at home with their parents, and colleges must include an allowance for loan fees for federal student and parent loans. Colleges will be required to disclose all the elements of the cost of attendance on their website.
  
  
• Expanded income protection allowance . The 'income protection allowance,' which shelters a portion of income from the FAFSA, will generally be more favorable for parents and students. Also, the income protection allowance will no longer be reduced based on the number of children in college.
  

Global oil markets have experienced exceptional volatility in Q1 2026, with Brent crude briefly touching $112/barrel before easing to approximately ~$99/barrel in late March, driven by the escalating Strait of Hormuz supply crisis.

For Phillips 66 employees approaching retirement or evaluating a job change, the current elevated value of energy sector investments within their 401(k) plan warrants a review of rollover timing, particularly given the potential for continued commodity price volatility as geopolitical negotiations proceed.

A well-timed rollover from a Phillips 66 401(k) into a diversified IRA can reduce concentration risk in energy sector holdings while preserving the tax-deferred compounding benefits that make retirement accounts one of the most powerful long-term wealth-building tools available.

Changes to untaxed income and benefits . For purposes of the FAFSA formula, the definition of 'untaxed income and benefits' has been streamlined and several types of untaxed income and benefits have been omitted, including child support (this will be considered an 'asset' instead), workers' compensation, veterans' benefits, and any money paid on the student's behalf. In addition, income from a federal work-study job, the American Opportunity tax credit, and the Lifetime Learning credit will not be counted as 'income.'

Multiple children in college at the same time loses preferential treatment . Having multiple children in college at the same time was formerly a benefit for Phillips 66 employees because the EFC is typically cut in half (or divided by three or four, depending on how many children in the family are in college). However, starting in the 2023-2026 school year, the number of children in a family attending college at the same time on at least a half-time basis will no longer be a relevant data point. The FAFSA will still collect this information, but it will no longer divide a parent's assessment by the number of children in college. As an employee at Phillips 66, this change has the potential to significantly reduce the amount of financial aid offered to your children if you have multiple children in college at the same time.

Expanded Simplified Needs Test . The Simplified Needs Test, an alternate formula within the FAFSA that exempts certain families from having to report their assets (i.e., only income is counted to determine aid eligibility), has been renamed Applicants Exempt from Asset Reporting. In addition, there will be multiple ways to qualify for Phillips 66 employees, including a higher income threshold that will be raised from $50,000 to $60,000.

Expanded Pell Grant . The bill widens the net of students eligible for a Pell Grant, and allows them to use basic information, like adjusted gross income and family size, to see if they qualify.

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Goodbye EFC terminology . The Student Aid Report generated by the FAFSA will no longer refer to the end calculation as the Expected Family Contribution, or EFC. Instead, this figure will be called the Student Aid Index, or SAI. The purpose of the name change is to more accurately reflect what this number represents — a yardstick for aid eligibility rather than a guarantee of what families will pay, because families often pay more than their EFC amount.

The 2023-2026 FAFSA that will include these changes will be available to file beginning October 1, 2022. This will give the U.S. Department of Education time to implement the changes. The 2022-2023 FAFSA, which will be available to file on October 1, 2021, will follow the current definitions and rules.

Employer help with student loan repayment starting in 2021
The bill extends a provision allowing Phillips 66 employees to pay up to $5,250 of employees' student loans per year on a tax-free basis for another five years. This provision, included in the Consolidated Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, would have expired at the end of 2020.

Expanded Lifetime Learning credit starting in 2021
Beyond financial aid, the relief bill increases the income limits necessary to qualify for the Lifetime Learning credit, an education tax credit worth up to $2,000 per year for courses taken throughout one's lifetime to acquire or improve job skills.

Starting in 2021, a full credit will be available to single-filer Phillips 66 employees with a modified adjusted gross income (MAGI) below $80,000 and joint filers with a MAGI below $160,000 (the credit phases out for single filers with incomes between $80,000 and $90,000 and joint filers with incomes between $160,000 and $180,000). These are the same income limits used for the American Opportunity credit. To accommodate an expanded Lifetime Learning credit, Congress repealed the deduction for qualified college tuition and fees tax year 2026 and beyond.

For more information
The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, contains other provisions that affect the FAFSA, making Financial Aid Awareness Month even more important this year. For more information on the FAFSA for Phillips 66 employees, along with news and updates, visit the official FAFSA website.