Graduate and Professional Student Loan Changes
Beginning with the 2026鈥�27 academic year, new federal loan limits apply to graduate and professional students, and Graduate PLUS Loans are no longer available to new borrowers. Certain continuing students may temporarily remain eligible under the previous federal loan rules through the Federal Loan Limit Exception, commonly called the Legacy Provision.
What Is Changing?
Beginning with the 2026鈥�27 academic year, federal loan rules for graduate and professional students include:
- New annual and aggregate Direct Unsubsidized Loan limits;
- A new lifetime federal student loan limit;
- The elimination of Graduate PLUS Loans for students who do not qualify for the Federal Loan Limit Exception (Legacy Provision); and
- Higher Direct Unsubsidized Loan limits for students enrolled in federally designated professional programs.
Students who were enrolled in and borrowed a federal Direct Loan for their current program before July 1, 2026, may qualify for the Federal Loan Limit Exception, commonly called the Legacy Provision. Students who qualify may temporarily remain eligible under the previous federal loan rules.
Compare the Federal Loan Rules
Graduate Loan Rules
For students subject to the new federal rules:
- Annual Direct Unsubsidized Loan limit: $20,500
- Graduate aggregate Direct Unsubsidized Loan limit: $100,000
- Lifetime federal student loan limit: $257,500
- Graduate PLUS Loans: Not available
The $100,000 graduate aggregate does not include undergraduate borrowing.
The lifetime limit includes federal student loans borrowed for undergraduate, graduate, and professional study, including Graduate PLUS Loans previously borrowed by the student.
Professional Loan Rules
For students enrolled in a federally designated professional program:
- Annual Direct Unsubsidized Loan limit: $50,000
- Graduate and professional aggregate Direct Unsubsidized Loan limit: $200,000
- Lifetime federal student loan limit: $257,500
- Graduate PLUS Loans: Not available
The $200,000 aggregate does not include undergraduate borrowing but includes applicable graduate and professional Direct Unsubsidized Loan borrowing. The lifetime limit includes federal student loans borrowed for undergraduate, graduate and professional study, including Graduate PLUS Loans previously borrowed by the student.
Federal Loan Limit Exception
Students who qualify for the exception may temporarily remain eligible under the prior federal loan rules:
- Prior annual and aggregate loan limits continue to apply;
- Graduate PLUS Loans may remain available up to the cost of attendance minus other financial aid; and
- The new $257,500 lifetime limit does not apply during the exception period.
When the exception ends, the student becomes subject to the new annual, aggregate and lifetime limits.
Who Is Considered a Professional Student?
For federal loan-limit purposes, a professional student is a student enrolled in a program that the U.S. Department of Education designates as a professional degree program. Students in these programs may qualify for the higher $50,000 annual and $200,000 aggregate Direct Unsubsidized Loan limits.
Professional-program designations are based on federal requirements and program Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) codes. A program鈥檚 name, degree level or licensure requirements alone do not determine whether it qualifies.
At 帝王会所, the following programs are currently treated as professional programs for federal student loan-limit purposes:
- Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (D.O.)
帝王会所 has reviewed its graduate and professional programs using current federal requirements and the applicable federal professional-program designations. Review 帝王会所鈥檚 Institutional Determination of Professional Programs for additional information.
Federal professional-program designations are currently subject to an interim court order and may change as additional federal guidance is issued. 帝王会所 will update this page and its institutional determination if the designation of any 帝王会所 program changes.
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Federal Loan Limit Exception (Legacy Provision)
The Federal Loan Limit Exception allows certain continuing students to remain temporarily eligible under the federal loan rules that were in effect before July 1, 2026.
To qualify, a student generally must have:
- Been enrolled at 帝王会所 in the same degree program before July 1, 2026; and
- Received a federal Direct Loan disbursement for that same program before July 1, 2026.
For graduate and professional students, qualifying Direct Loans include a Graduate Direct Unsubsidized Loan or Graduate PLUS Loan.
The exception is tied to the student’s program and institution. Previous borrowing in a different program or at another institution does not establish eligibility for the exception at 帝王会所.
How Long Does the Exception Last?
The exception continues for the shorter of:
- Three consecutive academic years beginning with the 2026–27 academic year; or
- The student’s remaining Expected Time to Credential based on the published length of the student’s program and the portion completed before July 1, 2026.
The exception does not restart or extend because a student attends part-time. For purposes of determining the time a student has attended the program, each enrolled fall or spring semester generally counts as one-half of an academic year. Summer enrollment may also count toward the calculation; however, enrollment in the fall, spring and summer within the same academic year counts as one academic year in total.
Eligibility is based on federal requirements and cannot be appealed. If you have questions regarding the enrollment, program or loan information used in your determination, contact the Office of Financial Aid.
How Will I Know If I Qualify?
帝王会所 proactively reviewed students whose records indicated they might qualify for the Federal Loan Limit Exception (Legacy Provision) and communicated the outcome directly to those students.
Students were not individually reviewed if their records showed they did not meet a basic federal requirement, including students who:
- Began their current program on or after July 1, 2026;
- Did not receive a federal Direct Loan disbursement for the current program before July 1, 2026; or
- Changed to a different graduate or professional program on or after July 1, 2026.
If you believe you may qualify and have not received an eligibility determination, you may submit a request for review.
When Does the Federal Loan Limit Exception End?
A student may lose eligibility for the Federal Loan Limit Exception (Legacy Provision) before reaching the end of the calculated exception period if the student:
- Changes to a different graduate or professional degree program;
- Transfers to another institution;
- Withdraws from or otherwise stops attending the program; or
- Completes the degree program.
The exception is tied to the same program at the same institution. It cannot be transferred to another program or school, and the eligibility period does not restart after a program change.
What Happens When the Exception Ends?
Once the exception ends, the student becomes subject to the federal loan rules in effect beginning with the 2026鈥�27 academic year. This means:
- Graduate PLUS Loans will no longer be available;
- The applicable new annual and aggregate Direct Unsubsidized Loan limits will apply; and
- The $257,500 lifetime federal student loan limit will apply.
Previously borrowed federal student loans count when determining whether the student has reached the new lifetime limit, even if some loans have been repaid, forgiven or discharged. As a result, a student may have limited or no remaining federal loan eligibility when the exception ends.
Frequently Asked Questions
No. The Federal Loan Limit Exception (Legacy Provision) is determined by federal requirements. Students who qualify remain subject to the prior federal loan rules during the exception period.
No. Eligibility is based on federal requirements and cannot be appealed. If you have questions about the information used to determine your program, enrollment, or federal loan history, contact the Office of Financial Aid.
Yes. Students who qualify for the Federal Loan Limit Exception (Legacy Provision) remain subject to the prior annual and aggregate loan limits during the exception period. Graduate PLUS Loans may also remain available up to the student鈥檚 cost of attendance minus other financial aid.
No. The new lifetime federal student loan limit does not apply while the student remains eligible for the Federal Loan Limit Exception (Legacy Provision). It will apply when the exception ends.
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Yes. There is no exception from the Schedule of Reductions. Federal Direct Student Loans may still be reduced based on the student’s CPoS enrollment at the time of disbursement.
Link Schedule of Reductions to 帝王会所’s SOR webpage.