{"id":41,"date":"2006-06-16T20:32:52","date_gmt":"2006-06-16T20:32:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nicholls.edu\/financial-aid\/loans\/"},"modified":"2026-04-08T15:45:19","modified_gmt":"2026-04-08T15:45:19","slug":"loans-2","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.nicholls.edu\/financial-aid\/types-of-financial-aid\/loans-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Loans"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>You must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and any other forms required to complete your file if you are interested in applying for a Federal Stafford Loan. For an explanation on the types of loans available, go to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nicholls.edu\/financial-aid\/types-of-financial-aid\/\">Types of Financial Aid<\/a>.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><strong>Important changes to federal student loan regulations that will take effect beginning Fall 2026 due to recent federal legislation.<\/strong><br \/>\nHere is a simple summary of what\u2019s changing:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Loan amounts tied to enrollment \u2013 Your loan eligibility will now match your enrollment level. You will no longer be able to enroll part-time and receive a full-time loan amount.<\/li>\n<li>Grad PLUS loans are being eliminated \u2013 New graduate students will no longer be able to use Grad PLUS loans which previously allowed borrowing up to the full cost of attendance.<\/li>\n<li>New borrowing caps \u2013 Graduate students will be limited to $20,500 per year with a $100,000 lifetime maximum in federal loans.<\/li>\n<li>Repayment and forgiveness changes \u2013 Income-driven repayment and loan forgiveness options may be more limited or require longer repayment periods.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>What this means for you:<\/strong><br \/>\nFederal loans will be more limited and closely tied to your enrollment, so you may need to plan ahead for additional funding sources such as assistantships, scholarships, or other options.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p>Annual loan limits depend on your length of enrollment, year in school, and dependency status. You will be considered for the maximum amount of loans that you qualify for. You can never borrow more than the cost of education, less other financial aid received. Please note that the combined subsidized and unsubsidized Stafford annual eligibility is as follows:<\/p>\n<h4><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">Annual Stafford Loan Limits for Dependent Students<\/span><\/h4>\n<table style=\"width: 100%\" border=\"0\" cellpadding=\"5\" align=\"center\">\n<thead>\n<tr style=\"background-color: #a7a7a7\" align=\"center\" valign=\"middle\">\n<td><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\"><strong>Grade Level<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\"><strong>Annual Amount<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\"><strong>Important Note<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>Freshman<\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align: center\">$5,500<\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align: center\">$3,500 Maximum Subsidized<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Sophomore<\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align: center\">$6,500<\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align: center\">$4,500 Maximum Subsidized<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Junior\/Senior<\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align: center\">$7,500<\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align: center\">$5,500 Maximum Subsidized<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<h4><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">Annual Stafford Loan Limits for Independent Students<\/span><\/h4>\n<table style=\"width: 100%\" border=\"0\" cellpadding=\"5\" align=\"center\">\n<thead>\n<tr style=\"background-color: #a7a7a7\" align=\"center\" valign=\"middle\">\n<td><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\"><strong>Grade Level<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\"><strong>Annual Amount<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\"><strong>Important Note<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>Freshman<\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align: center\">$9,500<\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align: center\">$3,500 Maximum Subsidized<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Sophomore<\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align: center\">$10,500<\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align: center\">$4,500 Maximum Subsidized<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Junior\/Senior<\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align: center\">$12,500<\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align: center\">$5,500 Maximum Subsidized<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Graduate<\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align: center\">$20,500<\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align: center\">Unsubsidized Loans Only<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>All students who meet the eligibility criteria, regardless of income, may be eligible to receive a Federal Stafford Loan. You will first be considered for a Subsidized Federal Stafford Loan. The Federal government pays the interest on this loan while you are in school.<\/p>\n<p>If you are not eligible for the Subsidized Federal Stafford Loan, you will then be considered for the Unsubsidized Federal Stafford Loan. You pay the interest for this loan while you are enrolled in school. Interest can be paid monthly, quarterly, or can be added to the loan principal (capitalized).<\/p>\n<p>Both the Subsidized and Unsubsidized Federal Stafford Loans are subject to an origination fee. All fees will be deducted from loan proceeds prior to disbursement.<\/p>\n<p>Federal PLUS Loans are loans that parents borrow for dependent children. PLUS Loans are not based on income, but the parent borrower must undergo a credit check. Complete the Parent PLUS Loan Application at www.studentaid.gov.<\/p>\n<p>Private Loans are based on your credit history and have higher interest rates.\u00a0 For more information, please visit our webpage, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nicholls.edu\/financial-aid\/loans\/private\">Private Loans<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>You must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and any other forms required to complete your file if you are interested in applying for a Federal Stafford Loan. For an explanation on the types of loans available, go to Types of Financial Aid. Important changes to federal student loan regulations that will [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":0,"parent":455,"menu_order":20,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"default","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"default","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"set","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-41","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.2 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Loans - Financial Aid<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nicholls.edu\/financial-aid\/types-of-financial-aid\/loans-2\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Loans - Financial Aid\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"You must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and any other forms required to complete your file if you are interested in applying for a Federal Stafford Loan. For an explanation on the types of loans available, go to Types of Financial Aid. Important changes to federal student loan regulations that will [&hellip;]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.nicholls.edu\/financial-aid\/types-of-financial-aid\/loans-2\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Financial Aid\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-04-08T15:45:19+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nicholls.edu\\\/financial-aid\\\/types-of-financial-aid\\\/loans-2\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nicholls.edu\\\/financial-aid\\\/types-of-financial-aid\\\/loans-2\\\/\",\"name\":\"Loans - Financial Aid\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nicholls.edu\\\/financial-aid\\\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2006-06-16T20:32:52+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-04-08T15:45:19+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nicholls.edu\\\/financial-aid\\\/types-of-financial-aid\\\/loans-2\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nicholls.edu\\\/financial-aid\\\/types-of-financial-aid\\\/loans-2\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nicholls.edu\\\/financial-aid\\\/types-of-financial-aid\\\/loans-2\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nicholls.edu\\\/financial-aid\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Types of Financial Aid\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nicholls.edu\\\/financial-aid\\\/types-of-financial-aid\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"Loans\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nicholls.edu\\\/financial-aid\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nicholls.edu\\\/financial-aid\\\/\",\"name\":\"Financial Aid\",\"description\":\"\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nicholls.edu\\\/financial-aid\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Loans - Financial Aid","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.nicholls.edu\/financial-aid\/types-of-financial-aid\/loans-2\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Loans - Financial Aid","og_description":"You must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and any other forms required to complete your file if you are interested in applying for a Federal Stafford Loan. For an explanation on the types of loans available, go to Types of Financial Aid. Important changes to federal student loan regulations that will [&hellip;]","og_url":"https:\/\/www.nicholls.edu\/financial-aid\/types-of-financial-aid\/loans-2\/","og_site_name":"Financial Aid","article_modified_time":"2026-04-08T15:45:19+00:00","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Est. reading time":"3 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.nicholls.edu\/financial-aid\/types-of-financial-aid\/loans-2\/","url":"https:\/\/www.nicholls.edu\/financial-aid\/types-of-financial-aid\/loans-2\/","name":"Loans - Financial Aid","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.nicholls.edu\/financial-aid\/#website"},"datePublished":"2006-06-16T20:32:52+00:00","dateModified":"2026-04-08T15:45:19+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.nicholls.edu\/financial-aid\/types-of-financial-aid\/loans-2\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.nicholls.edu\/financial-aid\/types-of-financial-aid\/loans-2\/"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.nicholls.edu\/financial-aid\/types-of-financial-aid\/loans-2\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.nicholls.edu\/financial-aid\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Types of Financial Aid","item":"https:\/\/www.nicholls.edu\/financial-aid\/types-of-financial-aid\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Loans"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.nicholls.edu\/financial-aid\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.nicholls.edu\/financial-aid\/","name":"Financial Aid","description":"","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.nicholls.edu\/financial-aid\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"}]}},"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"Financial Aid","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/www.nicholls.edu\/financial-aid","push-errors":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nicholls.edu\/financial-aid\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/41","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nicholls.edu\/financial-aid\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nicholls.edu\/financial-aid\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nicholls.edu\/financial-aid\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nicholls.edu\/financial-aid\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=41"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.nicholls.edu\/financial-aid\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/41\/revisions"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nicholls.edu\/financial-aid\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/455"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nicholls.edu\/financial-aid\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=41"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}