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AS&E Students
Arts and Sciences, Engineering, SMFA at Tufts
Financial Services

Graduate and Post-bacc Financial Aid

This is the financial aid webpage for all graduate and post-baccalaureate students in Arts and Sciences, Engineering, SMFA, and The Fletcher School. Our office processes federal student loans and Federal Work Study for graduate and post-bacc students. Please note that institutional tuition scholarships are awarded directly by the individual schools.

Federal Financial Aid Changes Under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OB3)

In July 2025, Congress enacted the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OB3), a major federal budget law that includes significant changes to the federal student loan and financial aid systems. Most of the provisions will take effect for loans disbursed on or after July 1, 2026, impacting students beginning in the 2026-27 award year. 

What Is Changing:

New Federal Loan Limits

OB3 establishes new borrowing limits for federal student loans:

  • Graduate PLUS Loans will be eliminated for new borrowers for loans first disbursed on or after July 1, 2026. 
  • Direct Unsubsidized Loan limits for graduate and professional students are also changing:
    • Graduate programs: $20,500 annual limit; $100,000 aggregate loan limit
    • Professional programs: $50,000 annual limit; $200,000 aggregate loan limit
  • A new lifetime borrowing limit of $257,500 will apply across all federal student loans, including any undergraduate and graduate borrowing such as:
    • Direct Subsidized Loan
    • Direct Unsubsidized Loan
    • Direct Grad PLUS Loan (Parent PLUS Loan excluded)

Once a student reaches the $257,500 lifetime limit, they are no longer eligible to receive additional federal student loan funding.

Legacy Borrowing Protections

Students who borrow federal loans before July 1, 2026 retain legacy borrowing protections:

  • Current borrowing limits (annual and lifetime) remain available for a period of time depending on enrollment and program length.
  • Graduate students who borrowed Federal Direct Loans before July 1, 2026 may still be eligible for Graduate PLUS loans under existing rules for a limited time. 

Enrollment Status and Loan Eligibility

OB3 introduces changes to how enrollment status affects federal loan eligibility:

  • Students enrolled less-than-full-time may see their loan amounts prorated based on enrollment percentage (e.g., half-time enrollment may result in up to a 50 % reduction in maximum federal borrowing). 

Expected Time to Credential (ETC) and Federal Direct Graduate PLUS Loan Eligibility

Beginning July 1, 2026, federal regulations limit how long eligible continuing student borrowers may borrow under the legacy Federal Direct Graduate PLUS Loan program based on their Expected Time to Credential (ETC). 

What is Expected Time to Credential (ETC)?

Expected Time to Credential (ETC) is how long it should take a student to finish their program. This amount of time is whichever is the shorter:

  • Three academic years, or
  • The remaining published length of your program, based on how much of the program you had completed as of July 1, 2026. 

ETC is based on the program's official published length, not on your individual enrollment history. 

Example: If your master's program is published as 2 years and you had completed 1 year by July 1, 2026, your remaining ETC is 1 academic year. Attending part-time, enrolling in fewer credits, withdrawing from courses, or taking longer to complete your degree does not extend your ETC.

Who is eligible for a legacy Federal Direct Graduate PLUS Loan?

Grad Student PLUS Loans are closed to new borrowers as of July 1, 2026. A student may continue borrowing a Federal Direct Graduate PLUS Loan only under the following limited exception: 

  • Were enrolled in the current program on June 30, 2026; 
  • Received a Federal Direct Loan for that program before July 1, 2026;
  • Remain enrolled in the same program at the same institution; and
  • Have not had a break in enrollment (an approved leave of absence does not count as a break). 

What happens when I reach my ETC?

Once you reach your ETC, you are no longer eligible to borrow a Federal Direct Graduate PLUS Loan for that program. You may still be eligible for Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loans, subject to federal annual and aggregate loan limits.

Need Additional Funding?

If you have reached your ETC and still need to finance your education, you may consider a private educational loan. Private loans are credit-based, and eligibility, interest rates, and repayment terms vary by lender.

Students may review lenders through Tufts' preferred lender list or apply directly with the lender of their choice.

Questions?

If you have questions about your ETC or your federal loan eligibility, please contact gradfinaid@tufts.edu. You may also visit Federal Student Aid (FSA) for additional information. 

What This Means for Tufts Students

Because these changes will affect how much students and families can borrow through federal loan programs after July 1, 2026, it’s important to plan ahead:

  • Understand future federal borrowing limits: New annual and lifetime loan caps may reduce the amount of federal aid available, particularly for graduate and professional programs.
  • Review your credit profile: Students and families should consider reviewing their credit reports and learning how credit history may affect eligibility, interest rates, and terms for private student loans, which may become a more important financing option under OB3.
  • Learn about private loan readiness: Understanding how credit scores, co-signers, and debt-to-income ratios factor into private loan approval can help families prepare if additional funding is needed.
  • Explore all funding options: Students are encouraged to balance federal loans with institutional scholarships, grants, work-study, and other available resources.

The U.S. Department of Education continues to issue guidance related to OB3 implementation. Tufts Financial Aid Services will share updates as more details become available.

Important Disclaimer: The content on this page is provided for informational purposes to assist Tufts students and families in understanding federal student aid programs and related changes. This information reflects our current interpretation of available federal guidance but does not represent official federal policy. Students and families should consult official U.S. Department of Education resources for authoritative information. Please visit StudentAid.gov for the most current guidance.

For additional resources published by Federal Student Aid (FSA) and national associations, please visit:

 

Contact Us

Before reaching out, we recommend thoroughly reviewing our website, as it contains answers to many commonly asked questions. If you still need assistance, your first point of contact should be the Student Services team. These specialists are trained to answer a wide range of questions related to financial aid and billing. If your question requires further support, they will refer you to your assigned financial aid counselor.

Email Consent

Please be aware that the University’s primary method of communicating with students is through email. We will do our best to limit the number of emails that you receive from us, but in many cases, including information about registration, campus emergencies, special events, and Commencement, email may be the only communication used. It is your responsibility to check your Tufts email account regularly. Please do not forward your Tufts email to any other account (Gmail, etc.) because forwarding may prevent your emails from being delivered.

If you do not give your consent to receive financial aid information via email, please email studentservices@tufts.edu.