Frequently Asked Questions

Federal law and final regulations change federal student loan limits, Graduate PLUS availability, Parent PLUS limits, loan amounts for students enrolled less than full time, and repayment choices. Pell Grant eligibility also changes for some students. The rules generally apply to periods of enrollment beginning on or after July 1, 2026.

No. Your eligibility depends on your student type, program, enrollment, prior to federal loan history, and whether you qualify for the limited exception described below. UC will use federal records and your UC enrollment information to determine which rules apply.Undergraduate students

A limited exception may allow a student and, in some cases, the student’s parent to remain under pre-July 1, 2026 loan-limit rules for a limited period. In general, the student must have been enrolled in the same program of study at UC as of June 30, 2026, and a Direct Loan for that program must have been disbursed before July 1, 2026. Eligibility lasts only for the student’s expected time to credential: the lesser of three academic years or the published program length remaining as of July 1, 2026. A borrower cannot opt out of the exception. UC must confirm eligibility; students should not assume they qualify based only on having borrowed in the past.

Yes. UC is implementing the federal requirements and current court-related guidance available as of August 1, 2026. Federal guidance and litigation may change how some provisions apply. UC will update this page when material changes occur.

The standard annual limits by undergraduate grade level and dependency status are not changing. However, your actual eligibility can be lower because of your cost of attendance, other aid, remaining aggregate eligibility, enrollment level, or UC and federal eligibility requirements.

Beginning with the 2026–27 award year, federal Direct Loan eligibility for term-based programs must be reduced when a student is enrolled less than full time. UC must evaluate the loan amount using the federal schedule-of-reductions rules and the student’s enrollment when eligibility for a disbursement is determined. This can affect Subsidized, Unsubsidized, and PLUS Loans, including loans for borrowers who qualify for the limited exception. Because the calculation considers the loan period and each term, a simple “credits divided by 12” estimate may not equal the final adjustment. 

It may. If your enrollment changes before a pending disbursement, UC may be required to recalculate your remaining loan eligibility. A reduction can change the amount applied to your bill or the amount of a refund. Review your aid before changing enrollment and contact Enrollment Services if you need help understanding the potential impact.

No. The Federal Pell Grant continues. For 2026–27, the maximum scheduled award is $7,395, but the amount a student receives depends on eligibility and enrollment intensity.

Beginning in 2026–27, a student generally cannot receive Pell if the Student Aid Index is at least twice the maximum Pell award ($14,790 for 2026–27), unless a federal special rule applies. A student is also ineligible when nonfederal grants and scholarships equal or exceed the student’s cost of attendance. Federal formulas now include certain foreign earned income when determining maximum and minimum Pell eligibility. UC will calculate eligibility from the FAFSA and other aid information; students do not need to calculate these rules themselves.

Subject to the limited exception, a student borrower may not receive more than $257,500 in covered federal student loans over the student’s lifetime. The total includes covered undergraduate, graduate, and professional loans, including prior Graduate PLUS Loans. Parent PLUS Loans borrowed by a parent for a dependent student are excluded from the student’s $257,500 limit. Repaying, forgiving, canceling, or discharging a loan generally does not restore room under this limit; amounts returned to the loan program do not count.

Review your enrolled credits and financial aid in Catalyst, consider whether a change would put you below full time or half time, and contact Enrollment Services before making a change if you rely on loans to cover your bill or living expenses. Never assume an accepted award or expected refund is final after enrollment changes.

No. Parent PLUS remains available for eligible parents of dependent undergraduate students, but new federal annual and aggregate limits apply unless the student and parent qualify for the limited exception.

For periods of enrollment beginning on or after July 1, 2026, the combined Parent PLUS amount that all parents may borrow for one dependent student is generally limited to $20,000 per academic year and $65,000 total for that student. The annual amount also cannot exceed the student’s cost of attendance minus other financial assistance.

No. The $20,000 annual limit and $65,000 aggregate limit apply per dependent student across all parent borrowers, not separately to each parent.

Generally, no. Amounts repaid, forgiven, canceled, or discharged still count toward the aggregate limit. Loan funds returned to the federal loan program do not count.

Possibly. Current federal guidance provides that a parent may qualify when the dependent student was enrolled in the program at UC as of June 30, 2026, and either the student or the parent had a Direct Loan for that program disbursed before July 1, 2026. UC must confirm the exception and the remaining expected time to credential.

A dependent undergraduate may still be considered for the additional Unsubsidized Loan amount allowed after a Parent PLUS denial, if all federal requirements are met. Reaching the $65,000 Parent PLUS aggregate limit is not the same as an adverse-credit denial and does not, by itself, create eligibility for the additional Unsubsidized Loan amount.

Review scholarships and grants, family resources, UC payment-plan options, and other financing carefully. Compare total cost, interest, fees, repayment protections, and whether a private loan requires a creditworthy cosigner. Borrow only what is needed, and do not assume a private loan offers federal borrower protections.

Generally, no. Graduate PLUS is not available for periods of enrollment beginning on or after July 1, 2026, unless the student qualifies for the federal limited exception for the same UC program.

A graduate student who does not qualify for the limited exception may generally borrow up to $20,500 per academic year in Direct Unsubsidized Loans, with a $100,000 graduate aggregate limit. Undergraduate borrowing does not count toward the $100,000 graduate aggregate limit, but covered undergraduate borrowing does count toward the separate $257,500 lifetime student-loan limit.

During the approved exception period, a graduate student generally remains under the pre-July 1, 2026 rules: a $20,500 annual Direct Unsubsidized Loan limit, the prior $138,500 Subsidized and Unsubsidized aggregate limit that includes undergraduate borrowing, and potential Graduate PLUS eligibility up to cost of attendance minus other aid. The exception ends at the end of the expected time to credential or earlier if the student withdraws or otherwise ceases enrollment in that program.

No. Federal guidance does not allow a borrower who qualifies for the limited exception to opt out in order to receive a different annual limit. A student may always request less than the amount offered.

The limited exception is tied to the program of study in which you were enrolled as of June 30, 2026. Beginning a different graduate program generally does not carry the exception into the new program and may end eligibility connected to the prior program. Ask UC to review your situation before relying on Graduate PLUS or prior loan limits.

The federal schedule of reductions applies to Direct Loans in term-based programs, including graduate borrowers and borrowers who qualify for the limited exception. Your annual eligibility may therefore be lower than the published maximum.

Start with your UC financial aid offer and program budget. Explore assistantships, scholarships, employer tuition assistance, savings, payment plans, and reduced living expenses before considering private education loans. Compare private-loan interest rates, fees, cosigner terms, deferment options, and loss of federal repayment or forgiveness protections.

A professional student who does not qualify for the limited exception may generally borrow up to $50,000 per academic year in Direct Unsubsidized Loans, with a $200,000 professional aggregate limit. Covered undergraduate, graduate, and professional loans also count toward the separate $257,500 lifetime student-loan limit.

Under current federal guidance and UC implementation, students in UC’s M.D., J.D., and Pharm.D. programs who are subject to the new rules are awarded under the professional-student limits. Eligibility remains subject to cost of attendance, other aid, federal aggregate limits, enrollment, and all other requirements.

An eligible M.D. student subject to the new rules may receive up to the $50,000 professional annual Direct Unsubsidized Loan limit and the $200,000 professional aggregate limit. A student who qualifies for the limited exception remains under the applicable prior rules during the approved exception period. UC will determine the correct status from federal and institutional records.

An eligible J.D. student subject to the new rules may receive up to the $50,000 professional annual Direct Unsubsidized Loan limit and the $200,000 professional aggregate limit. A student who qualifies for the limited exception remains under the applicable prior rules during the approved exception period.

An eligible Pharm.D. student subject to the new rules may receive up to the $50,000 professional annual Direct Unsubsidized Loan limit and the $200,000 professional aggregate limit. A student who qualifies for the limited exception remains under the applicable prior rules during the approved exception period.

Current federal court-related guidance temporarily treats qualifying MSN programs as professional programs. Because that designation may change as litigation proceeds, UC has established an institutional program-level Direct Loan limit of $20,500 per academic year for MSN programs. The limit applies consistently across the program and UC will not increase it on an individual student basis. UC will notify affected students and update this page if the federal designation or UC’s implementation changes.

The federal treatment of MSN programs results from interim court-related guidance that may change. UC is using its federal authority to establish a consistent program-level limit while the issue remains unsettled. The M.D., J.D., and Pharm.D. programs are being awarded under the higher professional limits based on current federal program designations and UC implementation.

Generally, no, for periods of enrollment beginning on or after July 1, 2026. A student who qualifies for the limited exception may retain Graduate PLUS eligibility during the approved exception period, subject to federal and UC requirements. The UC MSN program-level limit applies as described above.

Yes. The federal schedule of reductions applies to Direct Loans for less-than-full-time enrollment in term-based programs. The published annual limit is a maximum, not a guaranteed award.

Yes. Borrowers who receive a new Direct Loan on or after July 1, 2026 generally have access to the new Tiered Standard Repayment Plan and the Repayment Assistance Plan (RAP). Options for borrowers with only earlier loans can differ, and transitions involving older income-driven plans continue through June 30, 2028. Because repayment eligibility depends on loan history and loan type, use the federal Loan Simulator or contact your loan servicer for an individualized comparison.

RAP is a federal income-driven repayment plan. Payments are based on adjusted gross income, generally range from 1% to 10% of income, have a $10 minimum, and may be reduced by $50 per dependent. The plan includes an unpaid-interest benefit when the required payment is made on time, a limited matching principal benefit, and potential forgiveness after 360 qualifying monthly payments. Terms and eligibility are federal and may be updated.

For UC award and enrollment questions, contact Enrollment Services at 513-556-1000 or enrollmentservices@uc.edu. For repayment estimates and federal loan history, use StudentAid.gov and the federal Loan Simulator. For program cost questions, review your program’s published tuition and cost-of-attendance information.