Policy Frequently Asked Question: Consolidated Loan Funds’ Impact on Aggregate Loan Limit

What impact, if any, does a previous consolidation of federal education loans have on a student’s aggregate limit for federal education loans? 

Stafford loan funds that a student consolidates are included in that student’s aggregate Stafford amount.

The aggregate Stafford loan limit for dependent undergraduate students is $31,000; for independent undergraduate students, the limit is $57,500. Of those amounts, no more than $23,000 may be in subsidized Stafford loans. So, as examples, if a dependent undergraduate student has consolidated $20,000 in loan funds, that student would have remaining aggregate Stafford loan eligibility of $11,000. If an independent student has consolidated $20,000 in loan funds, that student would have remaining aggregate Stafford loan eligibility of $37,500.