Federal Direct Parent PLUS Loan
The Direct Parent PLUS Loan is a loan offered by the Department of Education to eligible parents of dependent undergraduate students. The Parent PLUS Loan can help pay for educational expenses not covered by other types of financial aid.
The application for the Direct Parent PLUS Loan is . Parents must complete the application for the Parent PLUS Loan using their StudentAid.gov account, not their student’s account.
Changes for the 2026-27 Academic Year
The federal law (One Big Beautiful Bill Act) introduced major changes to the Direct Parent PLUS Loan program, including borrowing limits and other repayment restrictions. These changes will impact parent borrowers who are using the Direct Parent PLUS Loan after July聽1,聽2026.
New Borrowing Limits
Beginning July 1, 2026, Parent PLUS Loans will be subject to new borrowing limits:
- Annual Limit: $20,000 per dependent student per year
- Lifetime Aggregate Limit: $65,000 total per dependent student
If a parent borrows the maximum amount $20,000 annually, they will reach the $65,000 lifetime aggregate limit before a four year program is completed. Families may want to consider borrowing smaller annual amounts to ensure that the loan can be used for all four years (e.g. borrowing $16,250 per year over four years).
Repayment Plans
Beginning July 1, 2026, Parent PLUS Loans are only eligible for the new Tiered Standard Repayment Plan and does not provide access to income-driven repayment plans. The new Tiered Standard Repayment Plan offers fixed monthly payments intended for rapid payoff, though over a longer term for larger amounts borrowed.
Additional information regarding the Tiered Standard Repayment plan will become available in the coming months.
