The Department of Education (ED) has announced the 2026-2027 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is open as of 09/25/25. All students who are planning to attend in fall 2026, spring and summer 2027 will need to submit their FAFSA using school code #010115 – UT San Antonio.
Impact of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act scheduled for implementation July 1st, 2026
- Aggregate limits for graduate\professional students, not including their undergraduate borrowing, will be 100,000\200,000 for new borrowers as of 07/01/26 and the federal loan program lifetime limits will be 157,500\257,500. Legacy provisions will allow current borrowers to continue to use the limits in effect now, 138,500\224,000 which includes their undergraduate borrowing, for 3 years or the end of their academic program, whichever comes first
- The graduate plus loan program will be discontinued for new borrowers on or after 07/01/26 and for all borrowers 3 years after 07/01/26 or the end of their academic program, which ever comes first
- Parents of dependent undergraduate students will have annual (20,000) and aggregate loan limits (65,000) per dependent child for new borrowers. Legacy provisions will allow current borrowers to continue without limits for 3 years or the end of their student’s academic program, whichever comes first
- Loan proration for less than full time students – amount(s) are still to be determined by ED
- Loan repayment options change for new borrowers as of 07/01/2026
- Current borrowers can still use standard and income-based plans such as SAVE, PAYE, and ICR until 07/01/28, when they must move to either Standard or the Repayment Assistant Plan (RAP).
- Borrowers with new loans made on or after July 1, 2026, can be repaid using only two plans: a new standard repayment plan or the new income-based repayment plan, RAP. If a borrower with new loans made on or after July 1, 2026, does not select a plan, they will be assigned to the new standard repayment plan.
With the elimination of the graduate plus program, it is important to consider how your credit score will impact your ability to obtain financing over and above the guaranteed Direct Loan unsubsidized annual limit. In the past, the basic credit requirements were:
- Graduate plus – required “no adverse” credit history
- Private loans* with external lenders – required a minimum credit score of 670 and an evaluation of income and debt-to-income ratio
- State loans* for Texas residents – required a minimum credit score of 650 and four credit trade lines (not student loans) and no history of default on educational loans
* at this time there have not been any updates released concerning the credit requirements for private or state loans and whether or not they will change
The Debt & Money Management section on our web page has tips for budgeting or obtaining a free annual credit report and we encourage all students to read over the information. Pay attention to the factors that affect your credit and do your best to protect your score by minimizing your debt, paying your bills on time, and know the difference between “needs versus wants” and only pay for your needs. And always protect your identify by never sharing passwords or pin numbers and shredding mail or personal documents that contain sensitive information.