Student Loan Limits: How Much Can You Borrow?

Student loans greatly support every student needing financial assistance for their education. Especially if you are an international student, student loans can be a great kickstart towards a successful academic and career path. However, despite the essentiality of student loans, there is a limit to the amount that you can borrow as a student loan. 

In this blog, we talk about these student loan limits and what to do if your total cost of attendance exceeds the said limits so all your requirements are covered easily. Keep reading to know all about it! 

How to Calculate an Appropriate Loan Amount? 

To understand the private student loan limits and borrow a sustainable amount, you first need to know how much your requirement is. By accurately calculating the student loan amount, you can plan ahead and be prepared in case you have hit the loan limits. While calculating your overall required expenses, don’t just consider your course fees; calculate every possible expense. Here are some such expenses that you need to consider: 

• Tuition fees 
• Other college fees (lab fees, athletic club fees, tours, field trips, etc.)
• Student accommodation expenses 
• Books
• Supplies and stationery 
• Travel and transportation expenses 
• Equipment (laptop, tablet, calculators.) 
• Loan Fees

Many colleges and universities provide an expense calculator on their website that can be used to calculate your overall attendance expense. After calculating your required amount, you can compare it with your private student loan limits and borrow an amount under the limit. 

How Much Can You Borrow? 

After calculating your total attendance expense, you may get two outcomes. Your requirement may be less than the limit in case of which you can easily apply for your student loan. But make sure to borrow only what you need since you will have to pay the money back with interest. On the other hand, your calculated amount may cross the private student loan limits. In this case, it is better to prioritise some expenses and borrow as much as possible. For example, you may club some expenses like tuition and other fees with book and accommodation expenses and borrow a student loan that covers these expenses. However, in this scenario, you would have to manage the rest of the expenses in some way or the other. 

Undergraduate Student Loans

Federal loan limits for undergraduate students majorly depend on whether the student is dependent or independent of their parents and legal guardians. There are two types of student loans undergraduate students can opt for.

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If the student is financially and legally dependent, the unsubsidised loan limit becomes $2000. On the other hand, the limit for independent students is $6000. Regarding subsidised student loans, both dependent and independent students can borrow up to $3500 for academic purposes. 

Graduate Student Loans 

Graduate students who have already graduated and are opting for their postgraduate degrees are considered to be independent students. Thus, unlike undergraduate students, they cannot apply for subsidised student loans. In such cases, you can apply for an unsubsidised federal loan of $20,500 annually for academic purposes. 

What to Do When You Hit The Federal Student Loan Limits? 

If your calculated expenses exceed the federal student loan limits, there are certain things you can do about it to cover your requirements. Here are some of your options: 

1. Find Part-Time Work

Part-time work is a great way to make some money during your academic years. Part-time jobs can help you cover your living expenses as well as help you pay for your other academic expenses when combined with your student loan money. You can find an on- or off-campus job depending on your timings and travel options. You can also opt for a side hustle like freelancing, delivery services, etc.

2. Opting for Payment Assistance 

Many institutions, universities and schools offer payment assistance options to students who need it. The assistance programs majorly include instalment payment plans, grants, emergency funds, etc. So, if you have exceeded your federal loan requirements, you can ask your university for payment assistance programs. 

3. Find a School That Fits The Budget

Another option for students who have exceeded their federal student loan limits is to find another school that provides the same course at a lower attendance cost. If you are moving abroad for your education, you might need to consider countries that have lower living expenses to fit your budget. Many countries, like Germany, Norway, Australia, etc., offer great academic programs with low attendance costs, making higher education accessible to international students.  

4. Opting for Private Loans

Private student loan limits don’t exactly work like federal loan limits. The loan amount is dependent on the credit scores of the borrower or even the value of the collateral of the loan. If you have exceeded the maximum limits of a federal student loan, an additional private loan on can easily cover your attendance requirements. For dependent students with low or no credit scores, private student loans can be obtained with the help of a co-signer, usually a legal guardian or parent. 

5. Asking Your Family for Help 

On exceeding your federal student loan limits, asking for help from your family, relatives, or parents can be a great option. Parents can especially help out by taking a PLUS loan on behalf of their dependent or independent kin. PLUS is a type of federal loan that parents can take to help cover the cost of attendance. The loan limit is decided by subtracting grants, scholarships, loans, or any other different type of financial aid from the total attendance cost, so the loan amount covers only what’s required.

Private Student Loan Limits 

As mentioned above, taking a private student loan can be a great option to cover your attendance cost requirements if it is a bigger sum than your federal student loan limit. There is no definite limit on how much you can borrow when it comes to private student loans. The flexible limits are judged by the providers and credit unions on the basis of the borrower’s credit scores. Read our blog on the best student loan providers and explore your options.

A variety of providers offer private loans, including high-street banks, online lenders, bank alternatives, and finance companies. Popular and equally reliable choices for private student loan limits include providers like:

• Auxilo
• GOCAP
• Cujo
• Lorien Finance

These global student services are known for their quick approval process and hassle-free experience in providing reliable private student loans.

Student loans can be tricky to figure out when it’s your first time doing so. However, with the right planning, you can work through your private student loan limits and maximise these funds. This blog tries to bring together the essential tips and tricks to do so and help students reach their dream academic destinations without having to worry about finances to help with your finances; you can also rely on student discounts on food and lifestyle services.