About Federal Direct PLUS Loans

The U.S.Department of Education makes Federal Direct PLUS Loans, commonly referred to as Parent PLUS Loans, to eligible parents. The U.S. Department of Education is the Lender. As of July 1, 2026, incoming new and transfer students will be subject to the new federal guidelines established by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA). A dependent student can have a Parent PLUS Loan of up to $20,000 annually with a lifetime cap of $65,000. Please note that federal aid cannot exceed the cost of attendance.

Current Undergraduate Students

If you’re a current student, you’ll continue to have the same loan options as long as you borrow any type of Federal Direct Loan for your current degree at UNLV prior to July 1, 2026.

In federal policy, “grandfathering” and “legacy provisions” essentially mean the same thing: If you started your education under the old financial rules, you are permitted to finish under them.

Legacy Provisions: Allow current students or parents to temporarily continue to borrow under the prior federal loan rules and loan limits. Legacy eligibility is determined by federal law and is automatically applied if a student qualifies. It cannot be waived or declined.

Legacy status does not last forever. The OBBBA creates temporary interim exceptions — essentially a transition window — to give current students a fair amount of time to complete their degrees before the new rules apply to everyone.

Legacy Provisions Qualifications:

• A Federal Direct Loan is disbursed on or before June 30, 2026.
• The student must remain in the same program at the same school. Undergraduates may change majors as long as they remain at the undergraduate level.
• There is no withdrawal or break in enrollment.
• For semester students, the summer term is not compulsory. However, if you begin enrollment and then withdraw from the summer term, it will be considered a drop in enrollment. This will result in a loss of the legacy provisions.
• For trimester students in the Nursing B.S. program, not beginning enrollment in the summer term is considered a break in enrollment, which will result in a loss of the legacy provisions.
• The student must be within their expected time to complete the program, which is the shorter of three academic years or the remaining program length.

Enrollment for Federal Direct Loans Starting with the 2026-27 Academic Year

Annual limits for Federal Direct Loans will be adjusted based on your enrollment status.

• Full-Time Students: Maintain standard annual loan eligibility.
• Less-Than-Full-Time Students: Your maximum loan amounts will be reduced proportionally based on your credit load.

If you do not qualify for the legacy provisions, visit the OBBBA Financial Aid Impacts for Undergraduate Students page for more information about the changes to federal financial aid.

Important Note: We will update this page with further guidance as soon as the U.S. Department of Education releases final technical specifications.

Eligibility Criteria

To receive a parent PLUS Loan, the following must apply:

1. Be the biological or adoptive parent (or in some cases, the stepparent) of a dependent undergraduate student enrolled at least half-time (at least 6 credits for undergraduates)
2. Have no adverse credit history (unless the parent meets certain additional requirements); and
3. Meet the general eligibility requirements for federal student aid.
4. A credit check will be performed during the application process.
   1. Parents who have an adverse credit history may still receive a parent PLUS loan through one of these two options:
      1. Obtaining an endorser who does not have an adverse credit history. An endorser is someone who agrees to repay the parent PLUS loan if the parent does not repay it.
      2. Providing the U.S. Department of Education documentation that there are extenuating circumstances related to the parent’s adverse credit history.
   2. With either loan option 1 or option 2, a parent must complete credit counseling for parent PLUS loan borrowers.
   3. Credit checks are valid for 180 days from the approval date. If an endorser was used and a change in the loan amount is needed to increase the loan, a new credit check will be required.

Required Steps

Parents must complete the following steps in order to receive their Federal Direct Loans

1. Complete Entrance Counseling through Federal Student Aid only if credit counseling is needed. Entrance counseling ensures students understand the terms and conditions of their loans.
2. Complete the Master Promissory Note (MPN) through Federal Student Aid which is a legal document in which a parent promises to repay their loans and any accrued interest and fees to the U.S. Department of Education.