How much can I borrow from the Federal Direct Loan Program?

Modified on Tue, Jul 5, 2022 at 8:09 PM

After submitting the FAFSA, your financial aid award letter will indicate if you’ve received a Federal Direct loan, and how much. You'll need to accept, decline, or revise (reduce) the loan through your Lesley Self-Service account. Lesley University determines the loan type(s), if any, and the actual loan amount you are eligible to receive each academic year.

There are also limits on the dollar amount of subsidized and unsubsidized loans you may borrow each academic year (annual loan limits), and the combined amount you may borrow during undergraduate and graduate study (aggregate loan limits). The amount you're eligible to receive each academic year may be less than the annual loan limit. These limits vary depending on:

what year you are in school and
whether you are a dependent or an independent student.

If you're a dependent student and your parents aren't eligible for a Direct Plus Loan, you may be able to receive more Direct Unsubsidized Loan funds.

The following chart shows annual and aggregate limits for subsidized and unsubsidized loans:

Year	Dependent Students (except students whose parents are unable to obtain PLUS Loans)	Independent Students (and dependent undergraduate students whose parents are unable to obtain PLUS Loans)
First-Year Undergraduate Annual Loan Limit	$5,500 No more than $3,500 of this amount may be in subsidized loans.	$9,500 No more than $3,500 of this amount may be in subsidized loans.
Second-Year Undergraduate Annual Loan Limit	$6,500 No more than $4,500 of this amount may be in subsidized loans.	$10,500 No more than $4,500 of this amount may be in subsidized loans.
Third-Year and Beyond Undergraduate Annual Loan Limit	$7,500 No more than $5,500 of this amount may be in subsidized loans.	$12,500 No more than $5,500 of this amount may be in subsidized loans.
Graduate or Professional Students Annual Loan Limit		$20,500 (unsubsidized only)
Subsidized and Unsubsidized Aggregate Loan Limit	$31,000 No more than $23,000 of this amount may be in subsidized loans.	$57,500 for undergraduates No more than $23,000 of this amount may be in subsidized loans. $138,500 for graduate or professional students No more than $65,500 of this amount may be in subsidized loans. The graduate aggregate limit includes all federal loans received for undergraduate study.

If the total loan amount you receive over the course of your education reaches the aggregate loan limit, you won't be eligible to receive additional loans. But, if you repay some of your loans to bring your outstanding loan debt below the aggregate loan limit, you could then borrow again, up to the amount of your remaining eligibility under the aggregate loan limit. More info on loans is available on the Federal Student Aid website.