Official account of Federal Student Aid, an office of the U.S. Dept. of Education. We provide grants, loans, & work-study funds for college or career school.
- Tweets 59,763
- Following 30
- Followers 268,802
- Likes 0
ALT Changes coming to Federal Student Loans On July 4, 2025, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) was signed into law, resulting in changes to the federal student aid programs.
ALT Qualifying PSLF Plans If you're pursuing Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF), RAP is a qualifying repayment plan for PSLF. Payments under the Tiered Standard Plan won't count toward PSLF.
ALT For more details about how these changes affect you, visit StudentAid.gov/bigupdates The date you became a borrower will impact how the new lifetime loan limits apply to you. Check out the "Borrower Scenarios" section of this page to see examples.
ALT The federal deadline for the 2025–26 FAFSA form is June 30, 2026!
ALT Which FAFSA form should I complete? Attending college or career/trade school between July 1, 2026, and June 30, 2027? Complete the 2026–27 FAFSA form. Attending college or career/trade school between July 1, 2025, and June 30, 2026? Complete the 2025–26 FAFSA form. Attending college or career/trade school during both periods? Complete both FAFSA forms. Attending summer classes? Contact your school’s financial aid office to see which FAFSA form you should complete.
ALT Real-time results just launched for the FAFSA form! What does this mean? Most students can now create a StudentAid.gov account, complete the FAFSA form, and receive their Federal Pell Grant eligibility and confirmed Student Aid Index (SAI) in as little as 15 minutes!
ALT How Does the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA)* Affect My Student Loans *On July 4, 2025, OBBBA was signed into law
ALT Q: What is partial financial hardship? Can borrowers without partial financial hardship enroll in the IBR Plan? A: Borrowers were previously required to have partial financial hardship in order to be eligible to enroll in the IBR Plan. OBBBA removed that requirement. When determining whether a borrower has partial financial hardship, a formula (based on income and family size) is used to determine what that borrower's monthly payment amount will be. If the calculated amount is less than what the amount would be under the 10-year Standard Repayment Plan, then that borrower is considered to have partial financial hardship. If the calculated monthly payment amount is greater, then the borrower is considered not to have partial financial hardship. If you previously applied for the IBR Plan and were denied due to a lack of partial financial hardship, we encourage you to reapply using the online IDR application. StudentAid.gov/idr
ALT Q: How did OBBBA affect the FAFSA form? A: Financial assets that are counted when students and parents fill out the 2026–27 FAFSA form will now better reflect a family's financial need. OBBBA includes exclusions for small businesses, family farms, and commercial fishing businesses.
ALT Who Is Responsible for What During the Federal Student Loan Process? The borrower (you): Completes the FAFSA form and decides which type and amounts of student loans to accept; signs a Master Promissory Note (MPN), agreeing to the terms of the loan; and pays back the loans, including interest Your school: Sends a financial aid offer, which may include federal student loans; explains the process and requirements for accepting federal student loans; and applies loan money toward tuition, fees, and (if you live on campus) housing and food, disbursing (paying out) any leftover money directly to you Loan servicer: Provides information about payment due dates and payment amounts; accepts payments, typically through their website; offers help if you’re struggling to make monthly payments
ALT Timeline for Student Loan Delinquency Day 1 of missing your payment: Your student loan is officially delinquent. You have options to get out of delinquency, including applying for an IDR plan, to help make your payment more affordable, or applying for deferment or forbearance, which will postpone your payment. Day 30 of your payment being past due: Your student loan servicer will send a notice that your loan payment is late and your loan is delinquent. Day 91 of your payment being past due: Your loan servicer will report the delinquency to the nation credit bureaus. This can negatively impact your credit rating. Day 271 of your payment being past due: Your student loan is officially in default. The entire remaining balance of your loan becomes due immediately, and you’ll lose eligibility for federal student aid.