Entrance and Exit Counseling

All Federal Subsidized and Federal Unsubsidized Direct Loans are borrowed through the Federal Direct Lending program. If you are a new or returning student, you will have to complete the following to receive a Federal Direct loan or Federal PLUS loan:

Additional Information

One Big Beautiful Bill Update Dec. 3, 2025

The following information is provided to assist students and families in planning for upcoming proposed changes to loan limits by program. Additional updates will be posted as information becomes available. A Frequently Asked Questions section is included at the bottom of this page including resources and information. You can also use the Financial Student Aid Simulator to get an estimate of how much federal financial aid you can expect to receive.

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBB) was signed into law on July 4, 2025, and contained several provisions impacting federal student aid, including Federal Student Loan repayment plans, Federal Student Loan limits, Federal Parent PLUS Loans, and Federal Graduate PLUS Loans. All changes are scheduled to go into effect July 1, 2026.

FAFSA & Financial Aid Eligibility Changes

FAFSA Changes Effective July 1, 2026 

  • Family farms and family-owned small businesses will no longer be counted as assets (reverting to rules before FAFSA Simplification)
  • Family Farm – Farms on which the family resides
  • Small Business – 100 or fewer full-time (or full-time equivalent) employees
  • Family-owned commercial fisheries are now also exempt from asset reporting 

Foreign Income Reporting 

  • Foreign income must now be included in the Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) for Pell Grant eligibility 

Pell Grant Updates 

Pell Grants & Full Scholarships 

  • Students whose Cost of Attendance (COA) is fully covered by non-federal aid will no longer be eligible for a Federal Pell Grant.

Ends the previous allowance for Pell Grants to exceed COA when combined with other aid 

  • Example: A Pell-eligible student with a scholarship covering the full Cost of Attendance will no longer receive both the scholarship and the Pell Grant 

Pell Grants & High Student Aid Index (SAI) 

  • Students with an SAI greater than twice the maximum Pell Grant amount will be ineligible for any Pell Grant
  • Example: If the max Pell Grant is $7,395, students with an SAI over $14,790 will not qualify 
Undergraduate Direct Student Loan Updates

 

Undergraduate Direct Student Loan Current Limits (before July 1, 2026) Changes Effective July 1, 2026
 
  • Annual and aggregate limits are based on dependency status
  • Dependent students 
    Freshman: $5,500 
    Sophomore: $6,500 
    Junior/Senior: $7,500
  • Independent students 
    Freshman: $9,500 
    Sophomore: $10,500 
    Junior/Senior: $12,500
  • Maximum Lifetime Borrow Amount:
  • Dependent: $31,000 total
  • Independent: $57,500 total 
  • Loans must be prorated based on enrollment status
  • Undergraduate Annual Limits: Unchanged
  • Undergraduate Aggregate Limit: Unchanged
  • Total Aggregate Limit: $257,500 across all federal loan programs (undergraduate and graduate)

Parent PLUS Loan Updates

Parent PLUS Loan Current Limits (before July 1, 2026) Changes Effective July 1, 2026
 
  • Annual Limit: May borrow up to cost of attendance  
  • Aggregate Limit: No limit 
  • Eligibility is based on parent credit check and half-time enrollment  
  • Annual Limit: $20,000 per student (combined from all parents) 
  • Aggregate Limit: $65,000 per student 
  • Legacy Provision: Students with any existing Direct Loan may continue borrowing for up to 3 years or until program completion, whichever is less. Students must also remain in the same major (i.e., academic program) to be eligible for loans under this provision. 
  • New Borrowers: Must seek alternative funding if limits are exceeded 

Opportunity for New Borrowers in 2025–2026: If you have not yet borrowed a Parent PLUS Loan but are considering doing so, we strongly encourage you to contact the Duquesne Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships before the end of the 2025–2026 academic year. Borrowing even a small amount prior to July 1, 2026, could make you eligible for the legacy provision, preserving your ability to borrow under the current structure in future years.

What You Should Do Now: If you plan to use Parent PLUS Loans to support your student’s education and have questions about how these changes may affect you, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us (faofficeFREEDUQUESNE or call 412-396-6607). Our Financial Aid team is here to help you understand your options and plan ahead.

Graduate Direct Loan Updates
Graduate Direct Loan Current Limits (before July 1, 2026) Changes Effective July 1, 2026
 
  • Annual Limit: $20,500 
  • Aggregate Limit: $138,500 (includes undergraduate borrowing) 
  • Graduate Students: 
  • Loans must be prorated based on enrollment status – do not link this to anything 
  • Annual limit remains $20,500 
  • Aggregate limit = $100,000 (excludes undergrad borrowing) 
  • Professional Students: 
  • Professional students include Law, Pharm D, and Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine.  
  • Loans must be prorated based on enrollment status 
  • Annual limit = $50,000 
  • Aggregate limit = $200,000 
  • Total Aggregate Limit: $257,500 across all federal loan programs (undergraduate and graduate) 
Graduate PLUS Loan Updates
Graduate PLUS Loan Current Limits (before July 1, 2026) Changes Effective July 1, 2026
 
  • Annual Limit: mined by the formula of “Cost of Attendance – Other Aid (i.e. grants, scholarships, other loans)” 
  • Aggregate Limit: No limit 
  • Eligibility is based on student enrollment and a minimal credit check of the applicant 

This program is to be eliminated for new borrowers. 

  • Legacy Provision: Students with any existing Direct Loan may continue borrowing for up to 3 years or until program completion, whichever is less. Students must also remain in the same major (i.e., academic program) to be eligible for loans under this provision. 

Prior eligibility requirements will apply to legacy borrowers. 
Direct Loan Repayment Updates
Direct Loan Repayment Current Plans (before July 1, 2026) Changes Effective July 1, 2026
 
  • Fixed-Term Plans: 
  • Standard Repayment
  • Graduated Repayment 
  • Extended Repayment 
  • Income Sensitive Repayment 
  • Income-Driven Plans (IDR): 
  • Income-Based Repayment (IBR) 
  • Pay As You Earn (PAYE) 
  • Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE) 
  • Replaced Revised Pay As You Earn (REPAYE) 

First Loan Borrowed on or after July 1st, 2026 

  • New Standard Repayment Plan:
  • Four Fixed-Terms:
  • 10 years: balances <$25,000
  • 15 years: balances between $25,000–$49,999
  • 20 years: balances between $50,000–$99,999
  • 25 years: balances $100,000+
  • Only 10-year plans qualify for Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF). Note: PSLF requires at least 10 years of repayment. 
Graduate & Professional Students

Under the Federal Direct Loan program, we are required to define our Academic Year as Fall, Spring, and Summer semesters. Therefore, Federal Direct Loans are limited to an academic year (defined as Fall, Spring, and Summer terms) maximum based on a student's grade level listed above. If a student has utilized the maximum Federal Direct Loan during the preceding Fall and Spring, the student will not be eligible for a Summer Federal Direct Loan. If the student did not, they will be eligible for the remaining amount of the above limits.

Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions about One Big Beautiful Bill loan impacts

The Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships is here to support you in identifying alternate sources of funding.

  • New/incoming students: Check with your school admission liaison or program advisor/student success coach about options to begin your program in spring or summer 2026.
  • Check your state for loan opportunities. Pennsylvania residents can check out PA Forward
  • Sallie Mae
  • Duquesne offers semester-based payment plans that allow students and parents to pay the balance due in manageable monthly installments
"The definition of a “professional degree” is an internal definition used by the Department (of Education) to distinguish among programs that qualify for higher loan limits, not a value judgement about the importance of programs. It has no bearing on whether a program is professional in nature or not."
  1. Duquesne’s Financial Aid TV has brief, video information available 24/7 for students and families. Duq.edu/FinAidTV

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Office of Financial Aid