About the Federal Student Loan Limits Calculator
This federal student loan limits calculator tells you the most you can borrow in Direct Subsidized and Unsubsidized Loans for the 2026-27 academic year and beyond, and how much of your lifetime (aggregate) limit you have left. Choose your grade level, whether you are a dependent or independent student, your enrollment intensity and how much you have already borrowed, and it applies the official annual limits, the subsidized cap and the aggregate limits — then reports the maximum you can take out this year.
The rules changed on July 1, 2026 under Public Law 119-21 (the 2025 budget reconciliation law). Undergraduate limits are unchanged, but Grad PLUS loans ended for new borrowing, graduate students are now limited to $20,500 a year and $100,000 in total, professional students (law, medicine, dentistry and similar degrees) to $50,000 a year and $200,000, and every student faces a $257,500 lifetime cap. Parent PLUS loans are capped at $20,000 a year and $65,000 in total per dependent student, and annual limits are reduced for students enrolled less than full time.
Students who were enrolled in a program and had received a Direct Loan for it by June 30, 2026 keep the old limits — including Grad PLUS and uncapped Parent PLUS — for the lesser of three academic years or the rest of their program. Select “Interim exception” if that applies to you. Your school can set lower limits, and you can never borrow more than your cost of attendance minus other aid.
With the default inputs, the maximum direct loans this year is $5,500.00. Change any value above to recalculate instantly.
How to use the federal student loan limits calculator
- 1Choose the new rules, or the interim exception if you were enrolled and borrowing for your program by June 30, 2026.
- 2Pick your grade level or graduate/professional program.
- 3For undergraduates, choose dependent or independent and say whether your parents were denied Parent PLUS.
- 4Set your enrollment intensity and enter how much you have already borrowed.
- 5Read the maximum for this year and how much aggregate eligibility remains.
Formula and method
Each student has an annual Direct Loan limit set by grade level and dependency status (undergraduates) or by graduate versus professional program (from July 1, 2026). For undergraduates, part of that annual limit may be subsidized — $3,500, $4,500 or $5,500 by year — and the rest is unsubsidized. Dependent students whose parents are denied a Parent PLUS loan get the higher independent limits. Below full-time enrollment the annual limit is reduced in proportion to enrollment intensity, as the 2025 law directs.
The amount you can actually borrow this year is the smaller of that annual limit and what remains of your aggregate limit. Undergraduate aggregates are $31,000 (dependent, max $23,000 subsidized) or $57,500 (independent). Under the new rules, graduate students may add $100,000 and professional students $200,000 on top of undergraduate loans, within a $257,500 lifetime cap; under the interim exception the old $138,500 graduate aggregate (including undergraduate loans) applies. Capitalized interest does not count toward aggregates, and your school may set lower limits.
- Annual limit
- Statutory yearly maximum for your level and status
- Enrollment %
- Enrollment intensity (100% = full time)
- Aggregate limit
- Maximum total principal you may owe across all years
- Lifetime cap
- $257,500 for all Direct Loans except Parent PLUS (new rules)
Worked examples
Dependent first-year undergraduate, full time
A dependent freshman can borrow up to $5,500 in Direct Loans, of which up to $3,500 can be subsidized, toward a $31,000 aggregate. Under the new rules the student’s parents may borrow up to $20,000 a year in Parent PLUS.
Independent senior who has already borrowed $50,000
The annual limit for an independent third-year-plus undergraduate is $12,500, but only $57,500 − $50,000 = $7,500 of aggregate eligibility remains, so $7,500 is the most this student can borrow this year (up to $5,500 subsidized).
Professional student with $180,000 of grad loans and $40,000 of undergrad loans
Professional students can borrow $50,000 a year, but only $200,000 − $180,000 = $20,000 of the professional aggregate is left (the $257,500 lifetime cap would allow $37,500). So this year’s maximum is $20,000.
Half-time graduate student under the new rules
The $20,500 graduate annual limit is reduced in proportion to enrollment, so a half-time student can borrow $10,250. Grad PLUS is no longer available to cover the rest.
Continuing grad student under the interim exception
Under the old limits the $138,500 graduate aggregate includes undergraduate loans, so $138,500 − $31,000 − $100,000 = $7,500 is left. Grad PLUS remains available up to the cost of attendance during the interim period.
Frequently asked questions
What are the federal student loan limits for 2026-27?+
Dependent undergraduates can borrow $5,500, $6,500 or $7,500 a year (years 1, 2, 3+) and independent undergraduates $9,500, $10,500 or $12,500. Graduate students can borrow $20,500 a year and professional students $50,000 a year in Direct Unsubsidized Loans.
Is Grad PLUS going away?+
Yes for new borrowing. Public Law 119-21 ends Grad PLUS loans for periods of instruction beginning on or after July 1, 2026. Students already enrolled and borrowing for their program by June 30, 2026 can keep using it for up to three more academic years or until they finish, whichever is shorter.
What is the new Parent PLUS limit?+
From July 1, 2026, parents may borrow at most $20,000 a year and $65,000 in total per dependent student, counting all parents together, and the total is not restored by repayment. Previously Parent PLUS could cover the full cost of attendance minus other aid.
What is the lifetime federal student loan limit?+
Under the new rules, a student may borrow no more than $257,500 in federal student loans over their lifetime, not counting Parent PLUS loans taken out as a parent. Amounts repaid or forgiven still count toward this cap.
Who counts as a professional student?+
A student in a program that awards a professional degree as defined in 34 CFR 668.2 — for example pharmacy, dentistry, veterinary medicine, chiropractic, law, medicine, optometry, osteopathic medicine, podiatry and theology. The Education Department’s 2026 rulemaking on the new limits may refine this list, so confirm your program’s classification with your school. Other graduate programs fall under the $20,500 graduate limit.
Do part-time students get lower loan limits?+
Yes. The 2025 law requires annual loan limits to be reduced in direct proportion to how far a student is below full-time enrollment, using a schedule published by the Education Department. A half-time student, for example, is limited to about half the full-time amount, and students enrolled less than half time cannot get Direct Loans at all.
Results are estimates for educational purposes and are not financial advice. Rates, fees and terms vary — confirm with your lender or a licensed advisor before making decisions.