How much can you borrow in federal student loans?

    Pick your level, year and dependency status to see your 2026–27 Direct Loan limits, including the graduate and Parent PLUS caps that started on July 1, 2026. Add a college to see what is left to cover.

    Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition

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    Your details

    What will you study?

    Professional means degrees like law (J.D.), medicine (M.D., D.O.), dentistry, pharmacy or veterinary medicine.

    Which year of college?

    Year in school, based on credits completed, not calendar years.

    Dependent or independent?

    Most students under 24 are dependent. The FAFSA decides this from a few questions.

    Full-time or part-time?

    From July 1, 2026, part-time students get a proportionally smaller annual limit.

    Compare with a college (optional)

    Uses the college's verified average net price.

    Popular:

    Estimate from the 2026–27 federal rules

    Most you can borrow in 2026–27

    $5,500

    in federal Direct Loans this year, up to $3,500 of it subsidized.

    How this year's limit splits

    Subsidized
    up to $3,500
    Need-based. No interest while you are in school.
    Unsubsidized
    up to $2,000
    Interest builds from the first payout.

    A parent can also borrow up to $20,000 a year in Parent PLUS Loans (their loan, with a credit check). It is not reduced for part-time enrollment.

    Subsidized Loans also need demonstrated financial need; your college sets the exact split.

    This year against your total limits

    Total for undergraduate study

    $5,500 of $31,000

    Across all undergraduate years ($23,000 of it subsidized at most).

    Lifetime cap, all levels

    $5,500 of $257,500

    Every federal loan you borrow as a student, even after some is repaid. Parent PLUS loans do not count.

    What this means for you

    • This is a ceiling, not an offer. Your college can lend only up to its cost of attendance minus your other aid, and may set lower limits for some programs.
    • 2026–27 loans carry a fixed 6.52% rate (undergraduate direct subsidized and unsubsidized).
    • If a parent applies for Parent PLUS and is turned down, you can borrow at the higher independent-student limits.
    • to see how much of its average net price these loans would cover.

    Read more: Subsidized, Unsubsidized and Parent PLUS loans.

    Next steps

    Payments if you borrow the total limit Can I afford this college?

    What changed on July 1, 2026

    Under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Undergraduate annual and total limits did not change.

    • Grad PLUS ends for new borrowersGraduate and professional students without the interim exception can no longer take Grad PLUS loans.
    • Graduate cap: $20,500 a year, $100,000 totalCounts only Subsidized and Unsubsidized Loans borrowed as a graduate student.
    • Professional cap: $50,000 a year, $200,000 totalFor degrees such as law (J.D.), medicine (M.D., D.O.), pharmacy, dentistry and veterinary medicine.
    • Parent PLUS: $20,000 a year, $65,000 per studentPreviously up to the cost of attendance minus other aid, with no total cap.
    • Lifetime cap: $257,500All federal loans a student borrows (not Parent PLUS), even after some are repaid.
    • Part-time borrowing is reducedAnnual Direct Loan limits shrink in proportion to how far below full-time a student enrolls. Parent PLUS is not reduced.

    The 2026–27 rules, in plain English

    Every rule and amount comes from the U.S. Department of Education or Federal Student Aid. Checked November 5, 2026.

    1. Undergraduate limits did not change

      A dependent first-year can borrow $5,500 (up to $3,500 subsidized), rising to $7,500 from the third year. Independent students, and dependent students whose parents are denied a Parent PLUS loan, can borrow $9,500 to $12,500.

    2. What changed on July 1, 2026

      New graduate borrowers are capped at $20,500 a year and $100,000 in total; professional students at $50,000 and $200,000. Grad PLUS ended for new borrowers. Parent PLUS is capped at $20,000 a year and $65,000 per student, and every student has a $257,500 lifetime cap.

    3. Part-time and the college's own cap

      From 2026–27, annual Direct Loan limits shrink in proportion to how far below full-time you enroll. Separately, a college can never lend more than its cost of attendance minus your other aid.

    Worked example

    1. A dependent first-year student at a college with an average net price of $18,000 a year can borrow up to $5,500 in Direct Loans.
    2. That leaves $12,500 to cover from savings, work, other aid or a Parent PLUS loan (up to $20,000 a year).
    3. Borrowing the maximum every year adds up to $27,000 over four years, within the $31,000 total limit.

    Assumptions and limits

    • Limits are federal ceilings for one academic year. Your college sets your actual offer and can lend less.
    • Subsidized Loans also require financial need; the tool shows the most that can be subsidized.
    • Graduate figures are for borrowers without the interim exception. Students enrolled in a program with a Direct Loan before July 1, 2026 keep the old limits for up to three academic years.
    • The college comparison uses the College Scorecard average net price for aided first-year students (in-state students at public colleges), not your own price.

    Worked out from the published 2026–27 federal rules. Your aid office sets your actual award, and your loan servicer sets your payments.

    Official sources

    Financial aid glossary Sticker vs net price by state Plain-text version for AI assistants

    Next step: put it in one report

    The tool stays free. The optional report puts your own numbers in one document. Pricing details

    Aid & Loan Plan$14 once

    A PDF that applies the 2026–27 federal aid rules to you and up to three colleges: Pell Grant, loan limits, the gap left and repayment.

    What the plan includes See a sample report

    Guides that use this tool

    Step-by-step explanations of the figures, written from the same federal data.

    Frequently asked questions

    Short answers about how the numbers work.

    How much can a freshman borrow in federal student loans in 2026–27?

    A dependent first-year undergraduate can borrow up to $5,500, of which up to $3,500 can be subsidized. An independent first-year can borrow up to $9,500.

    What is the total federal loan limit for undergraduates?

    $31,000 for dependent students and $57,500 for independent students, with no more than $23,000 subsidized in either case.

    What are the new graduate student loan limits?

    For new borrowers from July 1, 2026: graduate students can borrow $20,500 a year and $100,000 in total; professional students (such as law and medicine) $50,000 a year and $200,000 in total. Only loans borrowed as a graduate or professional student count toward these totals.

    Are Grad PLUS loans ending?

    Yes, for new borrowers from July 1, 2026. Students who were enrolled in a program and had received a Direct Loan for it before that date can keep borrowing under the old rules, including Grad PLUS, for up to three academic years or the rest of the program, whichever is shorter.

    How much can parents borrow with a Parent PLUS loan now?

    Up to $20,000 a year and $65,000 in total per dependent student, and never more than the cost of attendance minus other aid. Before July 1, 2026, there was no fixed cap.

    Do part-time students get lower loan limits?

    Yes, from 2026–27. The annual Subsidized and Unsubsidized limits are reduced in proportion to how far below full-time you are enrolled, rounded to the nearest whole percent. Parent PLUS loans are not reduced.

    Is there a lifetime limit on federal student loans?

    Yes. From July 1, 2026, a student can borrow no more than $257,500 in federal loans in total, counting undergraduate, graduate and Grad PLUS loans but not Parent PLUS, and even if some has been repaid.

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