Major changes to student loan borrowing and repayment are coming. Here's what to know
Feb 4, 2026 4:05 PM EST
If you or your child are planning to borrow to help pay for college this fall, get ready for your student loan options to look a lot different.
President Donald Trump's signature One Big Beautiful Bill Act, passed by Congress last year, made the most expansive changes to federal student loan borrowing and repayment in decades
The changes, which go into effect on July 1, 2026, include fewer repayment options, different terms for many loans, and a restructuring of who is eligible for some post-graduate financing.
Borrowers who have already taken out loans and do not plan to consolidate them will be grandfathered into some legacy repayment plans, experts say. But new borrowers and people with existing loans who consolidate them or take out additional loans will be subject to the new rules.
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https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/major-changes-to-student-loan-borrowing-and-repayment-are-coming-heres-what-to-know