Be Aware of Changes to Federal Student Loan Repayment Programs

On July 1, 2026, significant changes to federal student loan repayment programs went into effect.

Last year, President Trump and Republicans in Congress passed the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act.” This bill cut nearly $300 billion from federal financial aid for students and changed the student loan program, as well as the repayment system. These changes will make it harder to borrow the money needed for school and for borrowers to repay their loans. 

You Could Be Affected If You Are a: 

New parent borrower 

New graduate borrower

New part-time student borrower 

New undergrad student borrower 

What Changed:

Lifetime student loan limits

Annual and lifetime limits for parent and grad loans 

Loan limits for part-time students

Repayment plan options

PSLF-qualifying repayment plans

If you have federal student loans, make sure you take the following steps to verify if you will be affected by these changes: 

Check your loan account through StudentAid.gov

Know your repayment plan and loan servicer: https://studentaid.gov/manage-loans/repayment/servicers

Compare your options with the Repayment Calculator: https://studentaid.gov/repayment-calculator/Questions?

You can also contact the federal student aid information center at 1-800-433-3243 or visit https://studentaid.gov/announcements-events/big-updates. 

If you need help understanding these changes or connecting with local support services, contact Rep. Nanette Barragán’s Long Beach office at 310-831-1799 Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.