Students borrowing a Federal Direct Student Loan, including subsidized and/or unsubsidized, are subject to maximum allowable loan limits.
The maximum amount you can borrow is determined by your class level and dependency status. The combined total that you may borrow through Federal Direct Subsidized and/or Unsubsidized Loans can’t exceed your Cost of Attendance (COA) minus other financial aid or the maximum annual amount allowable by law—whichever is less.
Undergraduate Students
Annual Maximum Loan Limit
This limit restricts the total amount of direct student loans that you may borrow annually.
The annual maximum loan amount an undergraduate student may borrow must be prorated when the student is enrolled less than full-time
| Dependent Students | Independent Students | |
| Freshman (0-29 credit hours) | $5,500 (no more than $3,500 subsidized) | $9,500 (no more than $3,500 subsidized) |
| Sophomore (30-59 credit hours) | $6,500 (no more than $4,500 subsidized) | $10,500 (no more than $4,500 subsidized) |
| Junior/Senior (60+ credit hours) | $7,500 (no more than $5,500 subsidized) | $12,500 (no more than $5,500 subsidized) |
Aggregate Maximum Loan Limit
This limit restricts the amount of direct student loans that may be borrowed over your college career.
The higher maximum loan limit for independent students reflects a combination of Federal Direct Subsidized and Unsubsidized Stafford Loans. The annual maximum Subsidized Loan Stafford eligibility is limited to the dependent eligibility for each class level.
| Student Type | Amount |
| Dependent Student | $31,000 (no more than $23,000 subsidized) |
| Independent Student | $57,500 (no more than $23,000 subsidized) |
Parent PLUS Loan Limits (Effective 2026-2027)
Parent PLUS Loans offered to undergraduate students will have a new annual academic year limit of $20,000, and an aggregate (lifetime) limit of $65,000 per student in college.
Legacy Provisions for Parents
Parents who borrowed in 2025-2026 or before* can continue to borrow under current limits for 3 years (2026-2027, 2027-2028, and 2028-2029) or until their student graduates—whichever comes first.
*Limited guidance provided thus far indicates that undergraduate students will remain eligible for legacy provisions if they change their major.
Students will lose eligibility for any remaining extended eligibility for Parent PLUS Loans at 2025-2026 limits if they withdraw from or are not enrolled in 2026-2027, 2027-2028, or 2028-2029 . For example, if a student is enrolled through fall 2027, but does NOT enroll in spring 2028, they would not be eligible for the extended eligibility when returning to their program in fall 2028.
Graduate and Professional Students
New graduate and professional students starting with the 2026-2027 year will no longer be able to borrow Federal Direct Graduate PLUS Loans beginning July 1, 2026.
Current students that enrolled in a graduate/professional program for the 2025-2026 year or before may continue to borrow Graduate PLUS Loans for up to 3 more years (2026-2027, 2027-2028, and 2028-2029), or until graduating from their current program of study*—whichever comes first. This means graduate/professional students will not be eligible to utilize Graduate PLUS Loans after 2025-2026 if they change degree level (masters to doctoral), program (masters in Law to masters in business, doctoral in engineering to doctoral in physics, medicine to doctoral, etc.), or concentration within degree. Students need to have borrowed a Direct Loan (Unsubsidized OR Graduate PLUS) to be considered eligible to borrow a Graduate PLUS Loan for up to 3 academic years after 2025-2026.
Students will lose eligibility for any part of the remaining 3 years of eligibility if they withdraw from or take a term away from their program.
Annual Maximum Loan Limit Legacy* Students (*borrowed in 2025-2026 or before)
| Graduate/Professional | $20,500 |
| Medicine/Veterinary Medicine | $40,500 |
Aggregate Maximum Loan Limit Legacy* Students (*borrowed in 2025-2026 or before)
| Graduate/Professional | $138,500 (no more than $65,500 subsidized) |
| Medicine/Veterinary Medicine | $224,000 (no more than $65,500 subsidized) |
Annual Maximum Loan Limit (New Student Borrowers in 2026-2027 and after)
| Graduate | $20,500 |
| Law/Medicine/Veterinary Medicine (Professional) | $50,000 |
Aggregate Maximum Loan Limit (New Student Borrowers in 2026-2027 and after)
| Graduate | $100,000 (does not include undergraduate borrowing) |
| Law/Medicine/Veterinary Medicine (Professional) | $200,000 (does not include undergraduate borrowing) |
Lifetime Aggregate Limit for Student Borrowers
Direct Subsidized and Unsubsidized loan limits for undergraduate students remain unchanged, but will count towards a new total federal aggregate cap of $257,500