Federal Student Loan Limits for 2026-27: Every Cap in One Place
How much you can borrow in federal student loans depends on three things: your level (undergraduate, graduate, professional, or parent), your dependency status, and whether you qualify for the interim exception that preserves the pre-2026 rules for continuing students. The tables below cover all of it, with every figure rendered from the statutory limits and verified against the Department of Education’s 2026 loan-limits guidance1.
If you are unsure which set of tables applies to you, the legacy borrower checker answers it in three questions.
Limits for New Borrowers (Effective July 1, 2026)
Undergraduates
Undergraduate limits did not change. Dependent students whose parent is denied a Parent PLUS loan for adverse credit borrow at the independent limits; that fallback has its own page.
| Year | Dependent students | Independent students (and dependent students after a qualifying PLUS denial) |
|---|---|---|
| First year | $5,500 | $9,500 |
| Second year | $6,500 | $10,500 |
| Third year and beyond | $7,500 | $12,500 |
| Aggregate | $31,000 | $57,500 |
Graduate and Professional Students
Grad PLUS is eliminated for new borrowers. Unsubsidized Direct Loans are the only federal graduate loan.
| Graduate students | Professional students | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual unsubsidized | $20,500 | $50,000 |
| Aggregate | $100,000 | $200,000 |
| Grad PLUS | Eliminated | Eliminated |
Certain health professions programs are treated at the graduate or professional tier on a program-by-program basis; see health professions loan limits.
Parent PLUS
| Per dependent student | |
|---|---|
| Annual | $20,000 |
| Aggregate | $65,000 |
The aggregate counts all PLUS borrowing on that student’s behalf across all parents and all schools, without regard to amounts repaid1.
The Lifetime Maximum
Across everything a student ever borrows in federal student loans, the lifetime maximum is $257,500. It excludes Parent PLUS loans taken on the student’s behalf, and unlike the aggregates above, repaying loans never frees up room under it. That distinction confuses nearly everyone and has its own page.
Legacy Limits (Interim Exception)
Students enrolled in their program on June 30, 2026 who had received a Direct Loan for that program before July 1, 2026 keep the old rules during their expected time to credential, the lesser of three academic years or their remaining published program length1. For them:
| Graduate students | Professional students | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual unsubsidized | $20,500 | $20,500 |
| Aggregate (sub + unsub) | $138,500 | $138,500 |
| Grad PLUS | Up to cost of attendance minus other aid | Up to cost of attendance minus other aid |
Legacy Parent PLUS borrowing likewise remains up to cost of attendance minus other aid, and legacy undergraduate limits match the unchanged tables above. The exception cannot be opted out of, and it ends permanently on withdrawal, program change, or loss of enrolled status1. The full mechanics are on Grad PLUS vs unsubsidized.
What Happens at the Limit
Hitting an annual limit means waiting for the next academic year; hitting an aggregate or the lifetime maximum means federal borrowing for that level is finished. A program priced above what these tables allow produces a funding gap by design, and the gap has an ordered set of answers: reprice the school, add grant and employer money, use a payment plan, slow down, and only then borrow privately. That sequence, with the math, is on when federal loans are not enough, and the funding gap calculator tells you the size of the problem in one minute.
Rates are a separate question from limits: the 2026-27 fixed rates are 6.52% undergraduate, 8.07% graduate, and 9.07% PLUS, and how those rates get set is its own page.
This page is educational and is not financial advice, a loan offer, or a solicitation of credit. CollegeNPC.com is not a lender and does not take loan applications. Rates, fees, and eligibility criteria are set by lenders and change; verify current terms directly with any lender and with studentaid.gov before borrowing. The U.S. Department of Education and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau both advise using federal student aid before considering private loans. Advertisements for loan products may appear on this page; see our advertising disclosure.
Limits effective July 1, 2026 under Public Law 119-21 (RISE final rule, 91 FR 23768). Tables, interim exception criteria, and Parent PLUS aggregate treatment verified against U.S. Department of Education, Federal Student Aid, “Frequently Asked Questions - Loan Limits” (May 20, 2026), fsapartners.ed.gov, retrieved August 15, 2026. ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎