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    • Federal Direct Loans

    To apply for a federal student loan, you must first complete and submit a . Based on the results of your FAFSA form, your college or university will send you a financial aid award offer, which may include federal student loans. Your school will tell you how to accept all or a part of the loan.
    Before you receive your loan funds, you will be required to:

    • complete , a tool to ensure you understand your obligation to repay the loan; and
    • sign a , agreeing to the terms of the loan.

    Federal Direct Loans are an investment in your future and provides you with options to secure financial assistance to assist with higher education costs.

    Federal Direct Loan Programs


    Federal Loan Program
    Yearly Awards
    Criteria

    Federal Direct Loan (subsidized and unsubsidized)

     

    A federal loan program that is awarded upon completion of the FAFSA. Repayment begins six months after graduation or cessation of enrollment.

       - First-Year
         0-28 credits

    $3,500 sub, $2,000 unsub

    Independent students or Parent Plus loan denials may receive up to an additional $4,000 in unsubsidized as a first-year or sophomore.

       - Sophomore
         29-58 credits

    $4,500 sub, $2,000 unsub

     

       - Junior/Senior
         59-90 credits
         91+ credits

    $5,500 sub, $2,000 unsub

    Independent students or Parent Plus loan denials may receive up to an additional $5,000 in unsubsidized as a junior or senior.

       - Graduate*

    $20,500 unsub for graduate programs
    $50,000 unsub for professional programs

    The total loan amount is determined by student's total cost of attendance in addition to the program the student is enrolled.聽 See note below about the new changes.

    Federal PLUS Loan**

    Up to $20,000 per year for each dependent student

    A loan for parents of dependent undergraduate students. See note below regarding the new changes to PLUS Loans.

    Federal Graduate PLUS Loan***

    Eliminated

    The GRAD PLUS Loan was eliminated for the 2627 academic year with the passage of the OBBBA.

    *The OBBBA defined two types of graduate students.聽 The first is a graduate student who is not enrolled in a professional program as defined by the Act.聽 The second is a professional graduate student that is enrolled in a professional program as defined in the Act as starting with a unique CIP code.聽 Professional degrees are largely limited to: Pharmacy (Pharm.D.), Dentistry (D.D.S. or D.M.D.), Veterinary Medicine (D.V.M.), Chiropractic (D.C. or D.C.M.), Law (L.L.B. or J.D.), Medicine (M.D.), Optometry (O.D.), Osteopathic Medicine (D.O.), Podiatry (D.P.M., D.P., or Pod.D.), Clinical Psychology (Psy.D. or Ph.D.), and Theology (M.Div., or M.H.L.)

    **The passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act revised the annual and aggregate limits of the Federal Parent PLUS Loan.聽 The annual limit is $20,000 for any new borrower on behalf of a dependent student up to a $65,000 aggregate limit.聽 Students whose parents have borrowed a PLUS Loan prior to July 1, 2026 are grandfathered into the old annual and aggregate limits for up to three years to complete their program.

    ***Student who have borrowed the Graduate PLUS Loan prior July 1, 2026 will be able to still utilize the GRAD PLUS Loan up to three years in order to complete their program.

    Interest Rates
    Federal Direct Student Loan interest rates are determined each spring for new loans being made for the upcoming award year (defined as July 1 through June 30).  Each loan will have a fixed interest rate for the life of the loan.  You can find more information about current federal student loan interest rates at

    Origination Fee
    There is an origination fee deducted from your loan before you receive the funds.  For more information about current origination fees, please visit

    The One Big Beautiful Bill 鈥� effective July 1, 2026

    The One Big Beautiful Bill resulted in numerous changes to the Federal Direct Loan Programs.聽 The chart below outlines in summary the new regulations effective July 1, 2026.

    Comparison of Federal Direct Loans changes before July 1, 2026 and after July 1, 2026

    Before
    Loan Type
    After

    Graduate or professional students may borrow up to $20,500 annually

    Direct Unsubsidized Loans

    Graduate students may borrow up to $20,500 annually, $100,000 aggregate.聽 Professional students may borrow up to $50,000 annually, $200,000 aggregate.

    Students may borrow up to the Cost of Attendance minus other financial assistance

    Grad PLUS

    Grad PLUS is eliminated

    Parents may borrow up to the COA minus OFA (per dependent)

    Parent PLUS

    Parents may borrow $20,000 annually or $65,000 in aggregate (per dependent)

    $138,500 in subsidized and unsubsidized loans (including undergraduate loans)

    Lifetime Aggregate Limit

    $257,500 in Title IV loans (including Grad Plus) without regard to amounts repaid, forgiven, canceled or otherwise discharged.

    Not prorated for less than full-time students:limit remains the same regardless of enrollment status

    Less than Full-Time Annual Limit

    Less than full-time students may only borrow an amount proportional to their enrolled credit hours relative to full-time credit hours

    Learn more about these loans and how to apply at the official .

    Federal Direct Loan Servicers

    What does a federal loan servicer do?
    Federal loan servicers are companies assigned by the U.S. Department of Education to handle billing, repayment plans, and customer service for federal student loans.

    Key Responsibilities of Servicers

    • Billing and Payments: Processing monthly payments.
    • Repayment Plans: Assisting with enrollment in income-driven repayment (IDR) plans.
    • Loan Consolidation: Processing federal loan consolidation applications.
    • Deferment/Forbearance: Handling requests to temporarily pause payments.
    • Military Benefits: Processing specialized benefits for service members. 

    Who are the current federal loan servicers for the U.S. Department of Education?

    Loan Servicer
    Contact Information
    Aidadvantage 800-722-1300
    Edfinancial 855-337-6884
    MOHELA 888-866-4352
    Nelnet 888-486-4722
    ECSI 888-549-3274
    Default Resolution Group

    Who is my federal loan servicer?
    How to Find Your Servicer

    1. Log in to StudentAid.gov: Your dashboard will display your servicer's name.
    2. Review Loan Documents: Check emails or letters sent from the Department of Education.
    3. Call Federal Student Aid: Contact the FSA Information Center at 1-800-433-3243

    Loan Consolidation

    Federal loan consolidation combines multiple federal student loans into a single Direct Consolidation Loan, simplifying repayment into one monthly payment with a fixed interest rate based on the weighted average of the original loans. It is free, often requires no credit check, and can help borrowers exit default, though it may result in paying more interest over a longer term and losing benefits like grace periods or interest rate discounts.

    Key Aspects of Federal Loan Consolidation

    • Application Process: Consolidation is free through .
    • Loan Eligibility: Most federal loans are eligible, including Direct Loans, Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) Program loans, and sometimes Perkins Loans. Private loans cannot be included.
    • Interest Rate: The new fixed interest rate is calculated based on the weighted average of the interest rates on the loans being consolidated, rounded up to the nearest 1/8th of 1%.
    • Repayment Options: Borrowers can gain access to income-driven repayment (IDR) plans that might not have been available for their original loans.
    • Impact on Forgiveness: Consolidating can reset payment counts for Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) or IDR plans. However, limited, temporary, or new regulations might allow for retention of some counts. 
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