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Effective July 1st, 2026 – Federal Direct Loans must be prorated based on the number of eligible hours enrolled.

Previously, undergraduate students only needed to be considered half-time (6+ hours) to receive full loan eligibility.  A student will receive their full amount of loan eligibility if they enroll for a total of 24+ eligible hours for Fall and Spring semesters combined. 

How to calculate Annual percentage of loan eligibility for less than full time enrollment:

Less than full-time formula for Annual Loan Limit % = (# of eligible hours for academic year / 24) x 100

This adjustment rule applies to all undergraduate Direct Loan borrowers (Subsidized and Unsubsidized) 

Since this rule only impacts student borrowing, the Federal Direct Parent PLUS Loan is not subject to these adjustments for less-than-full-time study. 

Example 1 – Uneven credits (15 Fall / 9 Spring) – Annual Total enrollment = 24 hours

First-year dependent undergraduate student enrolls in 15 credits in the fall and is planning to enroll in 9 credits in the spring. 24 credits hours are considered full-time for the academic year.

Step 1: Annual loan limit (maximum eligibility) = $3,500 Subsidized; $2,000 Unsubsidized

Step 2: Determine percentage of Annual loan limit eligible based upon total eligible hours for the academic year.  (24/24) x 100 = 100%

Step 4: Calculate what percentage for each term a student may receive.

• (15/12) x 100 = 125% Fall
• (9/12) x 100 = 75% Spring
• Full annual loan limit = $5,500 ($3,500 sub and $2,000 unsub)
• Maximum 50% of annual loan limit per term
• Cannot award more than 50% of the full annual loan limit in the first term. Therefore, additional 25% is added to the spring term.

Step 5: Calculate dollar amount based upon percentage eligible from Step 4.

• $1,750 x 1.00 = $1,750 Subsidized for Fall
• $1,000 x 1.00 = $1,000 Unsubsidized for Fall
• $1,750 x (0.75 + 0.25 (from Fall)) = $1,750 Subsidized for Spring
• $1,000 x (0.75 + 0.25 (from Fall)) = $1,000 Unsubsidized for Spring 

Example 2 – Total credits less than 24

Third-year dependent undergraduate student enrolls in 12 credits for the fall and is expected to enroll in 9 credits for the spring.  24 credits is full time for the academic year.

Step 1: Annual loan limit (maximum eligibility) = $5,500 Subsidized; $2,000 Unsubsidized

Step 2: Determine percentage of Annual loan limit eligible based upon total eligible hours for the academic year.  (21/24) x 100 = 88%

Step 4: Calculate what percentage for each term a student may receive.

• (12/12) x 100 = 100% Fall
• (9/12) x 100 = 75% Spring
• Full annual loan limit = $7,500 ($5,500 sub and $2,000 unsub)
• Maximum 50% annual loan limit per term

Step 5: Calculate dollar amount based upon percentage eligible from Step 4.

• $2,750 x 1.00 = $2,750 Subsidized for Fall
• $1,000 x 1.00 = $1,000 Unsubsidized for Fall
• $1,750 x 0.75 = $2,063 Subsidized for Spring
• $1,000 x 0.75 = $750 Unsubsidized for Spring

Changes beginning July 1^st, 2026

• Annual Limit: $20,000 per student
• Aggregate Limit: $65,000 per student
• legacy” Provision: Students with any existing Direct Loan (including PLUS) may continue borrowing for up to 3 years or until current program completion (or program change) under the pre-July 1 rules for the Parent PLUS program.

FAQ – Legacy Borrowers and New Borrowers for Parent PLUS Loans

Q - I am a parent of a current student who has received Parent PLUS Direct Loans at Â鶹¾«Æ·ÔÚÏß²¥·Å. Can I continue borrowing from this program?

A – Yes, you would be considered a Legacy Borrower and therefore may continue using this loan program for 3 years or until the student completes their program under the old rules. 

Q - What is a legacy borrower"?

A - A legacy borrower is a parent of a current Â鶹¾«Æ·ÔÚÏß²¥·Å student who has received a disbursement of any Federal Direct Loan (i.e., Subsidized, Unsubsidized, or Parent PLUS) before July 1, 2026. 

Q - What happens to my legacy borrower status if my student withdraws from a semester or takes a semester off?

A - Legacy borrowers will lose eligibility to continue using the Federal Parent PLUS Direct Loan program under the pre-July 1, 2026, rules if their student: 

• Takes a fall or spring semester off
• Enrolls in a fall or spring semester and fully Withdraws partially through it
• Summer is excluded from the continuous enrollment requirement, so a borrower will not lose eligibility for not taking classes in the summer. 

Q - My student is new and beginning at Â鶹¾«Æ·ÔÚÏß²¥·Å in the Fall 2026 semester. How much can I borrow from the Federal Parent PLUS Direct Loan program? 

A - Students may receive no more than $20,000 in an award year, which is the Fall – Summer terms.  Students may receive no more than $65,000 in total (aggregate) during the time they are pursuing their undergraduate degree.

Effective July 1^st, 2026 

Federal Graduate Direct Loans must be prorated based on the number of eligible hours enrolled.  Previously, students only needed to be considered half-time (5+ hours) to receive full graduate loan eligibility.  A student will receive their full amount of loan eligibility if they enroll for 18+ eligible hours for Fall and Spring semesters combined due to 18 enrolled hours is considered full-time for graduate students in an academic year.

How to calculate Annual percentage of loan eligibility for less than full time enrollment.

• Less than full-time formula for loan eligibility

Annual Loan Limit % = (# of eligible hours for academic year / 18) x 100

This adjustment rule applies to all Graduate Direct Loan borrowers 

Example – Uneven credits (9 / 6)

Graduate student enrolls in 9 credits in the fall and is expected to enroll in 6 credits in the spring. 18 credits is full-time for the academic year.

Step 1: Annual loan limit (maximum eligibility) = $20,500

Step 2: Determine percentage of Annual loan limit eligible based upon total eligible hours for the academic year.  (15/18) x 100 = 83%

Step 3: 2 terms = 50% academic year loan limit per term

Step 4: Calculate what percentage for each term a student may receive.

• (9/9) x 100 = 100% Fall semester
• (6/9) x 100 = 67% Spring semester
• Full annual loan limit = $20,500
• Maximum 50% of annual loan limit per term

Step 5: Calculate dollar amount based upon percentage eligible in Step 4.

• $10,250 x 1.00 = $10,250 Fall semester
• $10,250 x 0.67 = $6,868 Spring semester

Changes beginning July 1^st, 2026

• This program is to be eliminated for new borrowers.
• For students currently enrolled in a graduate or professional degree program prior to July 1^st, 2026, they will be considered “Legacy” students. A legacy student may still receive Grad PLUS loans until they graduate from their current program or 3 years.  If the student stops attending or changes to another program, they will no longer be eligible.