OBBBA Funding Gap Calculator
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) eliminates Grad PLUS loans entirely and caps Parent PLUS borrowing at $20,000 per year, effective July 1, 2026. This impacts more than 440,000 graduate students annually who rely on federal PLUS programs to cover tuition gaps.
Estimate your private-loan gap after the OBBBA caps
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act eliminates Grad PLUS entirely and caps the federal loans that remain: graduate students keep Direct Unsubsidized Loans up to $20,500/yr ($100,000 lifetime), professional students (medicine, law, dentistry) up to $50,000/yr ($200,000 lifetime), and Parent PLUS is capped at $20,000/yr ($65,000 lifetime), effective July 1, 2026. Use this to estimate the private-loan gap your family will face.
Annual gap to fill
$44,500
Total gap over 4 years
$178,000
Federal cap that applies: $20,500/yr ($100K lifetime)
Begin your applicationHow the gap is calculated
Cost of attendance includes tuition and fees, room and board, books and supplies, transportation, and personal expenses for one academic year. Most institutions publish this figure on their financial aid pages, and it is the starting point for any funding plan.
Federal loan limits matter because they cap how much subsidized borrowing a student or parent can access. With OBBBA in effect as of July 1, 2026, Grad PLUS is eliminated and Parent PLUS is reduced to $20,000 per year, leaving a measurable gap for families at most schools.
Private loan options from LoanAmerica fill that gap with fixed terms, fast underwriting, and disbursement in as little as 72 hours. Borrowers can compare graduate, parent, and tuition products to choose the structure that matches their program length and repayment plan.
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