Unless otherwise specified in this part, loans made to borrowers under this part shall have the same terms, conditions, and benefits, and be available in the same amounts, as loans made to borrowers, and first disbursed on June 30, 2010, under sections 1078, 1078–2, 1078–3, and 1078–8 of this title.
Subparagraph (A) shall not apply to an individual enrolled in course work specified in paragraph (3)(B) or (4)(B) of section 1091(b) of this title.
Subject to paragraph (8) and notwithstanding any provision of this part or part B, for any period of instruction beginning on or after July 1, 2026, a graduate or professional student shall not be eligible to receive a Federal Direct PLUS Loan under this part.
The term “graduate student” means a student enrolled in a program of study that awards a graduate credential (other than a professional degree) upon completion of the program.
In this paragraph, the term “professional student” means a student enrolled in a program of study that awards a professional degree, as defined under section 668.2 of title 34, Code of Federal Regulations (as in effect on July 4, 2025), upon completion of the program.
Subject to paragraph (8) and notwithstanding any provision of this part or part B, beginning on July 1, 2026, for each dependent student, the total maximum annual amount of Federal Direct PLUS loans that may be borrowed on behalf of that dependent student by all parents of that dependent student shall be $20,000.
Subject to paragraph (8) and notwithstanding any provision of this part or part B, beginning on July 1, 2026, for each dependent student, the total maximum aggregate amount of Federal Direct PLUS loans that may be borrowed on behalf of that dependent student by all parents of that dependent student shall be $65,000, without regard to any amounts repaid, forgiven, canceled, or otherwise discharged on any such loan.
Subject to paragraph (8) and notwithstanding any provision of this part or part B, beginning on July 1, 2026, the maximum aggregate amount of loans made, insured, or guaranteed under this subchapter that a student may borrow (other than a Federal Direct PLUS loan, or loan under section 1078–2 of this title, made to the student as a parent borrower on behalf of a dependent student) shall be $257,500, without regard to any amounts repaid, forgiven, canceled, or otherwise discharged on any such loan.
Notwithstanding any provision of this part or part B, in any case in which a student is enrolled in a program of study of an institution of higher education on less than a full-time basis during any academic year, the amount of a loan that student may borrow for an academic year or its equivalent shall be reduced in direct proportion to the degree to which that student is not so enrolled on a full-time basis, rounded to the nearest whole percentage point, as provided in a schedule of reductions published by the Secretary computed for purposes of this subparagraph.
Notwithstanding the annual loan limits established under this section and, for undergraduate students, under this part and part B, beginning on July 1, 2026, an institution of higher education (at the discretion of a financial aid administrator at the institution) may limit the total amount of loans made under this part for a program of study for an academic year that a student may borrow, and that a parent may borrow on behalf of such student, as long as any such limit is applied consistently to all students enrolled in such program of study.
In this paragraph, the term “program length” means the minimum amount of time in weeks, months, or years that is specified in the catalog, marketing materials, or other official publications of an institution of higher education for a full-time student to complete the requirements for a specific program of study.
Notwithstanding the preceding paragraphs of this subsection, for Federal Direct Stafford Loans and Federal Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loans for which the first disbursement is made on or after July 1, 2006, and before July 1, 2013, the applicable rate of interest shall be 6.8 percent on the unpaid principal balance of the loan.
Notwithstanding the preceding paragraphs of this subsection, with respect to any Federal Direct PLUS loan for which the first disbursement is made on or after July 1, 2006, and before July 1, 2013, the applicable rate of interest shall be 7.9 percent on the unpaid principal balance of the loan.
Notwithstanding the preceding paragraphs of this subsection, any Federal Direct Consolidation Loan for which the application is received on or after July 1, 2013, shall bear interest at an annual rate on the unpaid principal balance of the loan that is equal to the weighted average of the interest rates on the loans consolidated, rounded to the nearest higher one-eighth of one percent.
Notwithstanding any other provision of this part [1] with respect to loans for which the first disbursement of principal is made before July 1, 2012,,[2] the Secretary is authorized to prescribe by regulation such reductions in the interest rate or origination fee paid by a borrower of a loan made under this part as the Secretary determines appropriate to encourage on-time repayment of the loan. Such reductions may be offered only if the Secretary determines the reductions are cost neutral and in the best financial interest of the Federal Government. Any increase in subsidy costs resulting from such reductions shall be completely offset by corresponding savings in funds available for the William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan Program in that fiscal year from section 1087h of this title and other administrative accounts.
Prior to publishing regulations proposing repayment incentives with respect to loans for which the first disbursement of principal is made before July 1, 2012, the Secretary shall ensure the cost neutrality of such reductions. The Secretary shall not prescribe such regulations in final form unless an official report from the Director of the Office of Management and Budget to the Secretary and a comparable report from the Director of the Congressional Budget Office to the Congress each certify that any such reductions will be completely cost neutral. Such reports shall be transmitted to the authorizing committees not less than 60 days prior to the publication of regulations proposing such reductions.
Notwithstanding any other provision of this part, the Secretary is prohibited from authorizing or providing any repayment incentive not otherwise authorized under this part to encourage on-time repayment of a loan under this part for which the first disbursement of principal is made on or after July 1, 2012, including any reduction in the interest or origination fee rate paid by a borrower of such a loan, except that the Secretary may provide for an interest rate reduction for a borrower who agrees to have payments on such a loan automatically electronically debited from a bank account.
The borrower of a loan made under this part may change the borrower’s selection of a repayment plan under paragraph (1), or the Secretary’s selection of a plan for the borrower under paragraph (2), as the case may be, under such terms and conditions as may be established by the Secretary.
The Secretary may provide, on a case by case basis, an alternative repayment plan to a borrower of a loan made under this part who demonstrates to the satisfaction of the Secretary that the terms and conditions of the repayment plans available under paragraph (1) are not adequate to accommodate the borrower’s exceptional circumstances. In designing such alternative repayment plans, the Secretary shall ensure that such plans do not exceed the cost to the Federal Government, as determined on the basis of the present value of future payments by such borrowers, of loans made using the plans available under paragraph (1).
Paragraphs (1) through (4) of this subsection shall only apply to loans made under this part before July 1, 2026.
A borrower is required to pay each outstanding loan of the borrower made under this part under the same selected repayment plan, except that a borrower who selects the Repayment Assistance Plan and also has an excepted loan that is not eligible for repayment under such Repayment Assistance Plan shall repay the excepted loan separately from other loans under this part obtained by the borrower.
Notwithstanding subparagraphs (A) through (D), beginning on July 1, 2026, the Secretary shall require a borrower who has received an excepted loan made on or after such date (including such a borrower who also has an excepted loan made before such date) to repay each excepted loan, including principal and interest on those excepted loans, under the standard repayment plan under subparagraph (A)(i). The borrower shall be entitled to accelerate, without penalty, repayment on such loans.
The Secretary may obtain such information as is reasonably necessary regarding the income of a borrower (and the borrower’s spouse, if applicable) of a loan made under this part that is, or may be, repaid pursuant to income contingent repayment, for the purpose of determining the annual repayment obligation of the borrower. Returns and return information (as defined in section 6103 of title 26) may be obtained under the preceding sentence only to the extent authorized by section 6103(l)(13) of title 26. The Secretary shall establish procedures for determining the borrower’s repayment obligation on that loan for such year, and such other procedures as are necessary to implement effectively income contingent repayment.
A repayment schedule for a loan made under this part and repaid pursuant to income contingent repayment shall be based on the adjusted gross income (as defined in section 62 of title 26) of the borrower or, if the borrower is married and files a Federal income tax return jointly with the borrower’s spouse, on the adjusted gross income of the borrower and the borrower’s spouse.
A borrower who chooses, or is required, to repay a loan made under this part pursuant to income contingent repayment, and for whom adjusted gross income is unavailable or does not reasonably reflect the borrower’s current income, shall provide to the Secretary other documentation of income satisfactory to the Secretary, which documentation the Secretary may use to determine an appropriate repayment schedule.
Income contingent repayment schedules shall be established by regulations promulgated by the Secretary and shall require payments that vary in relation to the appropriate portion of the annual income of the borrower (and the borrower’s spouse, if applicable) as determined by the Secretary.
The balance due on a loan made under this part that is repaid pursuant to income contingent repayment shall equal the unpaid principal amount of the loan, any accrued interest, and any fees, such as late charges, assessed on such loan. The Secretary may promulgate regulations limiting the amount of interest that may be capitalized on such loan, and the timing of any such capitalization.
The Secretary shall establish procedures under which a borrower of a loan made under this part who chooses or is required to repay such loan pursuant to income contingent repayment is notified of the terms and conditions of such plan, including notification of such borrower, that if a borrower considers that special circumstances, such as a loss of employment by the borrower or the borrower’s spouse, warrant an adjustment in the borrower’s loan repayment, the borrower may contact the Secretary, who shall determine whether such adjustment is appropriate, in accordance with criteria established by the Secretary.
A borrower of a loan made under this part who meets the requirements of subparagraph (B) shall be eligible for a deferment, during which periodic installments of principal need not be paid, and interest shall not accrue.
A borrower of a loan made under this part, who at the time such individual applies for such loan, has an outstanding balance of principal or interest owing on any loan made, insured, or guaranteed under part B of this subchapter prior to July 1, 1993, shall be eligible for a deferment under section 1077(a)(2)(C) of this title or section 1078(b)(1)(M) of this title as such sections were in effect on July 22, 1992.
A borrower who receives a loan made under this part on or after July 1, 2027, shall not be eligible to defer such loan under subparagraph (B) or (D) of paragraph (2).
A borrower who receives a loan made under this part on or after July 1, 2027, may only be eligible for a forbearance on such loan pursuant to section 1078(c)(3)(B) of this title that does not exceed 9 months during any 24-month period.
A borrower of a loan made under this part may consolidate such loan with the loans described in section 1078–3(a)(4) of this title, including any loan made under part B and first disbursed before July 1, 2010. To be eligible for a consolidation loan under this part, a borrower shall meet the eligibility criteria set forth in section 1078–3(a)(3) of this title.
A married couple, or 2 individuals who were previously a married couple, and who received a joint consolidation loan as such married couple under subparagraph (C) of section 1078–3(a)(3) of this title (as such subparagraph was in effect on June 30, 2006), may apply to the Secretary, in accordance with subparagraph (C) of this paragraph, for each individual borrower in the married couple (or previously married couple) to receive a separate Federal Direct Consolidation Loan under this part.
Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, a married couple, or 2 individuals who were previously a married couple, who are in default on a joint consolidation loan may be eligible to receive a separate Federal Direct Consolidation Loan under this part in accordance with this paragraph.
Except as provided in clause (ii), to receive separate consolidation loans under this part, both individual borrowers in a married couple (or previously married couple) shall jointly apply under subparagraph (A).
A Federal Direct Consolidation Loan offered to a borrower under this part on or after July 1, 2026, may only be repaid pursuant to a repayment plan described in clause (i) or (ii) of subsection (d)(7)(A) of this section, as applicable, and the repayment schedule of such a Consolidation Loan shall be determined in accordance with such repayment plan.
Notwithstanding any other provision of State or Federal law, the Secretary shall specify in regulations which acts or omissions of an institution of higher education a borrower may assert as a defense to repayment of a loan made under this part, except that in no event may a borrower recover from the Secretary, in any action arising from or relating to a loan made under this part, an amount in excess of the amount such borrower has repaid on such loan.
The common financial reporting form required in section 1090(a)(1) of this title shall constitute the application for loans made under this part (other than a Federal Direct PLUS loan). The Secretary shall develop, print, and distribute to participating institutions a standard promissory note and loan disclosure form.
Proceeds of loans to students under this part shall be applied to the student’s account for tuition and fees, and, in the case of institutionally owned housing, to room and board. Loan proceeds that remain after the application of the previous sentence shall be delivered to the borrower by check or other means that is payable to and requires the endorsement or other certification by such borrower.
The Secretary shall establish periods for the payments described in paragraph (1) in a manner consistent with payment of Federal Pell Grants under subpart 1 of part A of this subchapter.
Payments and refunds shall be reconciled in a manner consistent with the manner set forth for the submission of a payment summary report required of institutions participating in the program under subpart 1 of part A, except that nothing in this paragraph shall prevent such reconciliations on a monthly basis.
All transaction histories under this part shall be maintained using the same system designated by the Secretary for the provision of Federal Pell Grants under subpart 1 of part A of this subchapter.
Using funds received by transfer to the Secretary under section 2174 of title 10 or section 3078 of title 33 for the payment of interest on a loan made under this part to a member of the Armed Forces or an officer in the commissioned officer corps of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, respectively, the Secretary shall pay the interest on the loan as due for a period not in excess of 36 consecutive months. The Secretary may not pay interest on such a loan out of any funds other than funds that have been so transferred.
After the conclusion of the employment period described in paragraph (1), the Secretary shall cancel the obligation to repay the balance of principal and interest due as of the time of such cancellation, on the eligible Federal Direct Loans made to the borrower under this part.
The term “eligible Federal Direct Loan” means a Federal Direct Stafford Loan, Federal Direct PLUS Loan, or Federal Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loan, or a Federal Direct Consolidation Loan.
The Secretary shall take such steps as may be necessary to ensure that monthly Federal Direct Loan statements and other publications of the Department do not contain more than four digits of the Social Security number of any individual.
Notwithstanding any other provision of this part and in accordance with paragraphs (2) and (4), interest shall not accrue for an eligible military borrower on a loan made under this part for which the first disbursement is made on or after October 1, 2008.
In the case of any consolidation loan made under this part that is disbursed on or after October 1, 2008, interest shall not accrue pursuant to this subsection only on such portion of such loan as was used to repay a loan made under this part for which the first disbursement is made on or after October 1, 2008.
An individual who qualifies as an eligible military borrower under this subsection may receive the benefit of this subsection for not more than 60 months.
Each institution of higher education with which the Secretary has an agreement under section 1087c of this title, and each contractor with which the Secretary has a contract under section 1087f of this title, shall, with respect to loans under this part and in accordance with such regulations as the Secretary shall prescribe, comply with each of the requirements under section 1083 of this title that apply to a lender with respect to a loan under part B.
With respect to a borrower of a loan made under this part, for each month for which such a borrower makes an on-time applicable monthly payment required under paragraph (1)(A) and such monthly payment is insufficient to pay the total amount of interest that accrues for the month on all loans of the borrower repaid pursuant to the Repayment Assistance Plan under this subsection, the amount of interest accrued and not paid for the month shall not be charged to the borrower.
A borrower who chooses, or is required, to repay a loan under this subsection, and for whom adjusted gross income is unavailable or does not reasonably reflect the borrower’s current income, shall provide to the Secretary other documentation of income satisfactory to the Secretary, which documentation the Secretary may use to determine repayment under this subsection.
The term “adjusted gross income”, when used with respect to a borrower, means the adjusted gross income (as such term is defined in section 62 of title 26) of the borrower (and the borrower’s spouse, as applicable) for the most recent taxable year, except that, in the case of a married borrower who files a separate Federal income tax return, the term does not include the adjusted gross income of the borrower’s spouse.
In the case of a borrower with an applicable monthly payment amount calculated under clause (i) that is less than $10, the applicable monthly payment of the borrower shall be $10.
In the case of a borrower whose total outstanding balance of principal and interest on all of the loans of the borrower that are repaid pursuant to the Repayment Assistance Plan is less than the applicable monthly payment calculated pursuant to clause (i) or (ii), as applicable, then the applicable monthly payment of the borrower shall be the total outstanding balance of principal and interest on all such loans.
For the purposes of this paragraph, the term “dependent” means an individual who is a dependent under section 152 of title 26.