Important Information:
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) introduces new federal student loan limits for new borrowers whose loan period begins on or after July 1, 2026. For the most recent updates, click here. All information on this page is subject to change as additional guidance is released by the U.S. Department of Education.
The maximum amount you can borrow each year in Direct Subsidized and Unsubsidized Loans depends on your program and year of study (grade level) and on whether you are a dependent or independent student. The actual loan amount you are eligible to receive for an academic year is determined by Brock and may be less than the maximum amounts shown in the tables below.
Loan amounts listed below are in USD.
Annual loan limits for dependent undergraduates
| YEAR | SUBSIDIZED | UNSUBSIDIZED | TOTAL |
| FIRST YEAR | $3,500 | $2,000 | $5,500 |
| SECOND YEAR | $4,500 | $2,000 | $6,500 |
| THIRD YEAR AND BEYOND | $5,500 | $2,000 | $7,500 |
Annual loan limits for independent undergraduates and graduate/professional students
| YEAR | SUBSIDIZED | UNSUBSIDIZED | TOTAL |
| FIRST YEAR - UG | $3,500 | $6,000 | $9,500 |
| SECOND YEAR - UG | $4,500 | $6,000 | $10,500 |
| THIRD YEAR AND BEYOND - UG | $5,500 | $7,000 | $12,500 |
| GRADUATE | $0 | $20,500 | $20,500 |
Subsidized and unsubsidized aggregate loan limits
| STUDENT CATEGORY | TOTAL |
| DEPENDENT UNDERGRADUATE | $31,000 - no more than $23,000 of this amount may be in subsidized loans. |
| INDEPENDENT UNDERGRADUATE | $57,500 - no more than $23,000 of this amount may be in subsidized loans. |
| GRADUATE/PROFESSIONAL | $100,000 (Not currently or previously a professional student) or $200,000 (Graduate student who is or has been a professional student - amounts include previously borrowed as a graduate student). |
Parent PLUS Loans
| Loan Type | Annual Limit | Aggregate Limit |
| Parent PLUS Loan | $20,000 per student | $65,000 per student |
Notes:
- Beginning July 1, 2026, a lifetime federal student loan limit of $257,500 applies to combined undergraduate and graduate/professional borrowing. This includes the following Direct and Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) Program loan types: subsidized loans, unsubsidized loans, and PLUS loans for graduate or professional students (regardless of any amounts paid or discharged).
- The aggregate loan limits include Subsidized Federal Stafford Loans and/or Unsubsidized Federal Stafford Loans you may have previously received under the Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) program. As a result of legislation that took effect on July 1, 2010 no further loans are being made under the FFEL program.
- Effective for periods of enrollment beginning after June 30, 2012, graduate and professional students are no longer eligible to receive Direct Subsidized Loans. The $65,500 subsidized aggregate loan limit for graduate and professional students includes subsidized loans that a graduate or professional student may have received for periods of enrollment that began before July 1, 2012 or for prior undergraduate study.
