Starting July 1, 2026, the federal student loan system will undergo a major reorganization. This change will introduce stricter borrowing limits and offer fewer options for loan repayment.

自 2026 年 7 月 1 日起，聯邦學生貸款制度將進行一次重大重組。此次變更將引入更嚴格的借貸上限，並減少貸款還款的選項。

The government is moving the federal student aid program from the Department of Education to the Department of the Treasury. This move is based on the Treasury's experience in collecting debt and ensuring rules are followed. The administration emphasized that previous policies focused too much on canceling debt; therefore, the new system aims to reduce government spending and force universities to lower their tuition fees.

政府正將聯邦學生援助計劃從教育部移交至財政部。此舉是基於財政部在追收債務和確保遵守規則方面的經驗。行政部門強調，先前的政策過於側重於取消債務；因此，新制度旨在減少政府支出，並迫使大學降低學費。

A key part of this change is the removal of the Grad PLUS program, which previously allowed graduate students to borrow unlimited amounts. Now, there is a general lifetime limit of $257,500. Specifically, graduate students can borrow up to $20,500 per year ($100,000 total), while professional students can borrow up to $50,000 per year ($200,000 total). The government believes that providing too much aid causes tuition prices to rise. While some universities have already lowered their costs, some economists argue that high operating expenses make significant price cuts unlikely.

此次變更的一個關鍵部分是取消了 Grad PLUS 計劃，該計劃先前允許研究生借款不限金額。現在，總終身限額為 257,500 美元。具體而言，研究生每年最高可借款 20,500 美元（總計 10 萬美元），而專業學生每年最高可借款 50,000 美元（總計 20 萬美元）。政府認為，提供過多援助會導致學費價格上漲。雖然部分大學已經降低了成本，但部分經濟學家認為，高昂的營運開支使得大幅降價的可能性較低。

Furthermore, the repayment options have been simplified. The SAVE plan is being replaced by the Repayment Assistance Plan, where payments are based on income and require a 30-year commitment before the remaining debt is canceled. Alternatively, borrowers can choose the Tiered Standard Plan with fixed terms between 10 and 25 years. To encourage on-time payments, the government is offering a temporary 1% interest rate reduction for those who sign up for automatic billing by September 30.

此外，還款選項已簡化。SAVE 計劃將被「還款援助計劃」取代，其還款額根據收入而定，且在剩餘債務被取消前需承諾還款 30 年。或者，借款人可以選擇期限在 10 到 25 年之間的「分級標準計劃」。為了鼓勵準時還款，政府為在 9 月 30 日前申請自動扣款的人提供暫時性的 1% 利率減免。

The shift toward a more restrictive lending and repayment system is now in effect, which will significantly impact how graduate students borrow and manage their monthly payments.

趨向更嚴格的借貸與還款制度現已生效，這將顯著影響研究生如何借款以及管理其每月的還款。