Enacted in July 2025, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OB3) made significant changes in federal student loan programs. While there are no changes to federal student loans for the 2025-2026 academic year, changes resulting from the legislation are slated for July 1, 2026 and will effect the 2026-2027 academic year.

This page's contents are up to date with changes planned as of April 2026. Our office will continue to share updates below as more information becomes available from the Department of Education.

• Undergraduate Student Loan Borrowers
  • Federal Direct Loans for undergraduate student borrowers remain unchanged
• New Parent PLUS Loan Borrowers
  • All parents (combined) may borrow up to $20,000 per year, per dependent student and the aggregate limit will be capped at $65,000 per dependent student.
  • Legacy Provision: Students with a loan disbursed before July 1, 2026 for the student's current degree program (either a student loan or a parent loan) may continue to borrow under the current loan limits for 3 academic years or the remainder of their program, whichever is less.
• New Graduate/Professional Student Borrowers
  • The Graduate PLUS Loan
    • The Graduate PLUS loan will be eliminated as of July 1, 2026 for students who have never borrowed a federal loan (Unsubsidized or Grad PLUS) in their current degree program at Bentley University.
    • Legacy Provision: Existing student borrowers with a federal loan (Unsubsidized or Grad PLUS) disbursed before July 1, 2026 for their current degree program at Bentley University may continue to borrow under the current loan limits for 3 academic years or the remainder of their program, whichever is less. The Graduate PLUS loan will only be available for existing borrowers under this provision.
  • Unsubsidized Federal Direct Loan
    • Graduate student borrowing is capped at $20,500 per year and the aggregate limit will be $100,000. This does not include amounts borrowed as an undergraduate.
    • Professional student borrowing is capped at $50,000 per year and the aggregate limit will be $200,000. This does not include amounts borrowed as an undergraduate.
    • Borrowers who are both graduate and professional students at some point in their educational careers may only borrow up to $200,000 in total for graduate and professional school.
    • The lifetime limit for student borrowers will be $257,500 across undergraduate, graduate, and professional educational careers (does not include Parent PLUS Loan borrowed on behalf of a student).

• Students enrolled less than full-time will have their loans prorated in direct proportion to the percent of full-time status the student is enrolled.

• New and Current Borrowers with new loans made on or after July 1, 2026
  • There will be only 2 repayment plans, a standard repayment plan and the new income-based repayment plan (RAP).
  • All loans must be paid under the same repayment plan.
  • If a borrower does not select a plan, they will be assigned to the new standard repayment plan.
  • New Parent PLUS Loans are not eligible for RAP.
• Current Borrowers with no new loans made on or after July 1, 2026
  • These borrowers will be eligible to enroll in the current Standard, Graduated, Extended, or current Income Based Repayment (IBR) plans, or may opt into the new RAP.
  • These borrowers may switch between, enter, or remain on the existing income driven repayment plans until July 1, 2028.