Federal Student Loan Rates 2025-26 vs 2026-27: What Changed
- U.S. Department of Education / Federal Register, Annual Notice of Interest Rates for Fixed-Rate Federal Student Loans (Federal Register 2026-04065, published Mar 2, 2026)
- Federal Student Aid, Interest Rates and Fees for Federal Student Loans (studentaid.gov/understand-aid/types/loans/interest-rates)
All figures are estimates based on publicly available data. Use the linked calculators to model your own situation.
Related Calculators
Frequently Asked Questions
When are the 2026-27 federal student loan rates set?▼
Rates are set each spring from the 10-year Treasury note auction plus a fixed statutory add-on, then published in the Federal Register. The 2026-27 rates (undergrad 6.52%, grad 8.07%, PLUS 9.07%) were published in Federal Register 2026-04065 on March 2, 2026 and apply to loans first disbursed July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027.
Do existing loans get the new higher rate?▼
No. Federal student loan rates are fixed for the life of each loan. A loan disbursed in 2025-26 keeps its 2025-26 rate (undergrad 6.39%, grad 7.94%, PLUS 8.94%); only new loans disbursed in 2026-27 take the higher rate.
Should I rush to borrow before rates rise?▼
Rates are tied to the loan disbursement date, not the application date, so you generally cannot lock in an old rate early. Refinancing federal loans into private loans to avoid the increase forfeits federal repayment and forgiveness protections, so it is usually not advisable.
Are Parent PLUS loan rates higher than student rates?▼
Yes. For 2026-27, Parent PLUS and Grad PLUS loans carry a 9.07% rate, well above the 6.52% undergraduate and 8.07% graduate Direct Loan rates, because the statutory add-on for PLUS loans is higher.