The chart below details the annual and aggregate (total) limits for Stafford (Subsidized and Unsubsidized) Loans. To view details (lender/servicer contact information, loan amounts, outstanding balances, etc.) regarding past and present Stafford student loans at UCA or any other school, borrowers may use the National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS). The NSLDS is the U.S. Department of Education’s centralized database for Title IV student aid.
| Year | Dependent Undergraduate Students | Independent Undergraduate Student | Graduate and Professional Degree Student |
| First Year (0-29 hours earned) | $5,500 — No more than $3,500 of this amount may be subsidized loans. | $9,500 — No more than $3,500 of this amount may be subsidized loans. | $20,500 per academic year — No more than $8,500 of this amount may be in subsidized loans. |
| Second Year (30-59 hours earned) | $6,500 — No more than $4,500 of this amount may be subsidized loans. | $10,500 — No more than $4,500 of this amount may be subsidized loans. | |
| Third Year and Beyond (60+ hours earned) *Amounts are for each year | $7,500 — No more than $5,500 of this amount may be subsidized loans. | $12,500 — No more than $5,500 of this amount may be subsidized loans. | |
| Maximum Total Debt from Stafford Loans (Aggregate Loan Limits) | $31,000 — No more than $23,000 of this amount may be subsidized loans. | $57,500 — No more than $23,000 of this amount may be subsidized loans. | $138,500 — No more than $65,500 of this amount may be in subsidized loans.The graduate student debt limit includes Stafford Loans received for undergraduate study. |
NOTE: The amounts shown in the chart above are the maximum amounts that you may borrow for an academic year. You might receive less than the maximum if you receive other financial aid that’s used to cover a portion of your cost of attendance. The maximum amount you may borrow will also be less in certain situations, such as if you are an undergraduate student enrolled in a program that is shorter than an academic year.
a) Dependent students whose parents are denied for Parent PLUS Loans may be eligible to receive additional unsubsidized loan amounts for that year.