Grad students may borrow $20,500 a year and professional students $50,000
What the document says“a graduate student, who is not a professional student, may borrow in any academic year or its equivalent shall be $20,500; and”
The section adds a new paragraph (4) to section 455(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 setting, from July 1, 2026, an annual cap on Federal Direct Unsubsidized Stafford loans of $20,500 for a graduate student who is not a professional student and $50,000 for a professional student. A graduate student is one in a program awarding a graduate credential other than a professional degree, and a professional student is one in a program awarding a professional degree as defined in section 668.2 of title 34, Code of Federal Regulations.
What the document actually says“a graduate student, who is not a professional student, may borrow in any academic year or its equivalent shall be $20,500; and”
A grad student may borrow up to $20,500 in a year. That is a grad student who is not a pro student.
A pro student may borrow up to $50,000. The rule starts on July 1, 2026. The section says what each term means.
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