Biden Signs CADETS Act Raising Age Limit for Student Incentive Payments

WASHINGTON, June 3, 2026 — President Biden signed Public Law 118-7 into law on June 3, enacting the Changing Age-Determined Eligibility To Student Incentive Payments Act, or CADETS Act.

The law affects students enrolled in the six state maritime academies and the United States Merchant Marine Academy who receive Student Incentive Payments administered by the Maritime Administration. The program currently serves several hundred cadets annually with monthly payments that offset tuition, room, board and training costs in exchange for a post-graduation service obligation in the merchant marine or armed forces.

The statute raises the upper age limit for eligibility from 25 to 30 years old. The new age cap takes effect immediately upon enactment. Prior law disqualified applicants who turned 26 before completing their course of study; the CADETS Act permits students to enter or remain in the program until their 31st birthday.

Downstream, the Maritime Administration must update its eligibility regulations, application forms and academy agreements within the next several months to reflect the new age threshold. State maritime academies will revise recruitment materials and admissions timelines to target the expanded 26-30 cohort.

The change also extends the pool of potential recipients for federal incentive funding already appropriated under the annual Maritime Administration budget, requiring no new congressional appropriation.

This marks the first statutory adjustment to the Student Incentive Payment age limit in more than two decades. The underlying bill passed both chambers without recorded opposition in roll-call votes.

Primary sources: Public Law 118-7 (govinfo.gov)