News & Announcements
Federal Loan Updates for 2026-2027
Significant changes to federal direct loans were recently enacted through the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OB3). These changes will affect how graduate and professional students finance their education for the 2026-2027 academic year:
- Elimination of Direct Graduate PLUS Program
- Changes to loan limits and aggregate loan limits
- Proration of loans based in full-time or part-time enrollment
- Changes to Loan Repayment
If you have not borrowed a Federal Direct Loan in 2025-2026 but would like to, please contact our office: [email protected]
Student Loan Repayment Webinar Recordings
If you missed Dr. Jeffrey E. Hanson's sessions for graduating students student loan repayment, we have the recordings available through Box for students to watch or rewatch.
The webinar focused on developing a strategic plan for managing loan repayment successfully, including information about:
• Understanding the unique nature of federal student loans and the role of "opportunity cost" in deciding how to approach loan repayment strategically—it may not be best to pay off this debt as fast as possible or to refinance it with a private loan to get a lower interest rate!
• Knowing how to select the payment plan that best achieves your goals given what you can afford to pay each month.
• Determining what options are available if you cannot afford to make a loan payment when one is due.
• Taking advantage of loan forgiveness programs when you qualify for them.
• Evaluating the pros and cons of refinancing federal student loans with a private loan or consolidating with the Federal Direct Consolidation Loan.
• Managing loan repayment so that you are successful in repaying your loans while at the same time achieving your other personal, professional and financial goals.