Step 1 of 5
What's your student status?
Your year and dependency determine your annual loan limits. Under OB3 rules effective July 1, 2026, these limits are then proportionally reduced based on how many credits you actually enroll in below full time (12 credits).
New for 2026–27: The Schedule of Reductions (SOR) applies to all students taking less than full-time credits. Your loan amount is calculated proportionally — not at the full annual limit.
What year am I?
1st Year
0–44 degree applicable credits
2nd Year
45–89 degree applicable credits
Choose your status
1st Year
Dependent
Subsidized$3,500
Unsubsidized$2,000
2nd Year
Dependent
Subsidized$4,500
Unsubsidized$2,000
1st Year
Independent
Subsidized$3,500
Unsubsidized$6,000
2nd Year
Independent
Subsidized$4,500
Unsubsidized$6,000
Loan types explained
Subsidized
Government covers interest while you're enrolled. Use this first.
Unsubsidized
Interest accrues while enrolled. Available to all students. Minimum 6 credits per term to receive a disbursement.
Step 2 of 5
Full-time credit hours
Enter how many credits equals full-time for
each term at your institution. The SOR formula divides your actual
credits by this total to determine your proportional loan amount.
What is this? Each institution sets its own
full-time credit standard. A common example: 12 credits per term, or 12
Fall + 12 Winter + 12 Spring = 36 Academic Year total.
Leave Summer at 0 if you will not be attending Summer term.
Full-time credits per term
Enter 0 if not offered
Full-time Academic Year total
36 credits
How the SOR formula uses this
SOR Formula: Reduced Annual Limit = Full-Time Annual Limit × (Total Academic Year Credits Enrolled ÷ Full-Time Academic Year Credits)
e.g. $3,500 × (18 ÷ 30) = $2,100
e.g. $3,500 × (18 ÷ 30) = $2,100
Proportional per term: Each term receives its share = (Term FT Credits ÷ Academic Year FT Total) × Reduced Annual Limit
e.g. Fall share = (12 ÷ 30) × $2,100 = $840
e.g. Fall share = (12 ÷ 30) × $2,100 = $840
Source: 34 CFR § 685.203(m)(1) · OB3 Final Rule · Federal Register 2026-08556-2 · Effective July 1, 2026
Step 3 of 5
How many credits are you taking?
Enter your actual enrolled credits for each term. Credits below 6 = $0 disbursement for that term. Each term is capped at the full-time standard (12 credits) — you cannot enter more than the FT standard per term.
ACTUAL CREDITS ENROLLED PER TERM
| Enrolled Credits |
Full Time | Term % | Status | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ☀️ Summer | — |
Not offered |
||
| 🍂 Fall | 50% |
✅ 50% |
||
| ❄️ Winter | 100% |
✅ 100% |
||
| 🌸 Spring | 100% |
✅ 100% |
||
| AY Total | 30 |
÷ 36 |
= 83% |
|
SOR applies (83% intensity): Your annual limits are reduced proportionally. See Results for exact amounts.
OB3 SOR Rules
Less than 6 credits in any term: $0 disbursed that term. Credits still count in your Academic Year total.
Proportional split: The reduced annual limit is distributed across terms based on each term's share of full-time credits.
No retroactive pullback: Amounts already disbursed are not reversed. Reduction applies to future undisbursed terms only.
Step 4 of 5
Already received any loans?
Enter any Direct Loan amounts already disbursed to you this academic year. Leave as 0 for terms that haven't been paid out yet.
These amounts are locked — disbursed funds are not reversed under OB3. The calculator will subtract them from your remaining eligibility.
Subsidized already disbursed
| Subsidized ($) | Unsubsidized ($) | |
|---|---|---|
| ☀️ Summer | ||
| 🍂 Fall | ||
| ❄️ Winter | ||
| 🌸 Spring | ||
| Total disbursed | - |
- |
Step 5 of 5
Your SOR loan eligibility
Amounts shown reflect the Schedule of
Reductions applied to your actual enrollment. All calculations per §
685.203(m)(1), effective July 1, 2026.
1st Year Dependent
30 AY credits enrolled
36 FT standard
SOR: 83%
Sub limit: $2,917
Enrollment intensity (SOR)
Actual enrolled
30 cr
FT standard (loan period)
36 cr
SOR %
83%
Remaining eligibility
Subsidized remaining
$2,917
0% of annual limit used
Unsubsidized remaining
$1,667
0% of annual limit used
SOR-adjusted annual limits
SOR Reduced Subsidized Total
$2,917
Subsidized — Remaining After Disbursed
$2,917
SOR Reduced Unsubsidized Total
$1,667
Unsubsidized — Remaining After Disbursed
$1,667
Proportional disbursement by term
| Term | Enr Cr | Term % | Subsidized | Unsubsidized | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ☀️ Summer | — | 0% | - | - | - |
| 🍂 Fall | 6 | 17% | $583 | $333 | $916 |
| ❄️ Winter | 12 | 33% | $1,167 | $667 | $1,834 |
| 🌸 Spring | 12 | 33% | $1,167 | $667 | $1,834 |
| Total | $2,917 | $1,667 | $4,584 | ||
Annual loan amounts by total enrolled credits
| AY Credits | SOR % | Subsidized | Unsubsidized | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3% | - | - | - |
| 2 | 6% | - | - | - |
| 3 | 8% | - | - | - |
| 4 | 11% | - | - | - |
| 5 | 14% | - | - | - |
| 6 | 17% | $583 | $333 | $916 |
| 7 | 19% | $680 | $389 | $1,069 |
| 8 | 22% | $778 | $444 | $1,222 |
| 9 | 25% | $875 | $500 | $1,375 |
| 10 | 28% | $972 | $556 | $1,528 |
| 11 | 31% | $1,070 | $611 | $1,681 |
| 12 | 33% | $1,167 | $667 | $1,834 |
| 13 | 36% | $1,264 | $722 | $1,986 |
| 14 | 39% | $1,361 | $778 | $2,139 |
| 15 | 42% | $1,458 | $833 | $2,291 |
| 16 | 44% | $1,555 | $889 | $2,444 |
| 17 | 47% | $1,653 | $944 | $2,597 |
| 18 | 50% | $1,750 | $1,000 | $2,750 |
| 19 | 53% | $1,847 | $1,056 | $2,903 |
| 20 | 56% | $1,945 | $1,111 | $3,056 |
| 21 | 58% | $2,042 | $1,167 | $3,209 |
| 22 | 61% | $2,139 | $1,222 | $3,361 |
| 23 | 64% | $2,236 | $1,278 | $3,514 |
| 24 | 67% | $2,333 | $1,333 | $3,666 |
| 25 | 69% | $2,430 | $1,389 | $3,819 |
| 26 | 72% | $2,528 | $1,444 | $3,972 |
| 27 | 75% | $2,625 | $1,500 | $4,125 |
| 28 | 78% | $2,722 | $1,556 | $4,278 |
| 29 | 81% | $2,820 | $1,611 | $4,431 |
| 30 | 83% | $2,917 | $1,667 | $4,584 |
| 31 | 86% | $3,014 | $1,722 | $4,736 |
| 32 | 89% | $3,111 | $1,778 | $4,889 |
| 33 | 92% | $3,208 | $1,833 | $5,041 |
| 34 | 94% | $3,305 | $1,889 | $5,194 |
| 35 | 97% | $3,403 | $1,944 | $5,347 |
| 36 ✦ | 100% | $3,500 | $2,000 | $5,500 |
| 37 | 103% | $3,597 | $2,056 | $5,653 |
| 38 | 106% | $3,695 | $2,111 | $5,806 |
| 39 | 108% | $3,792 | $2,167 | $5,959 |
| 40 | 111% | $3,889 | $2,222 | $6,111 |
| 41 | 114% | $3,986 | $2,278 | $6,264 |
| 42 | 117% | $4,083 | $2,333 | $6,416 |
| 43 | 119% | $4,180 | $2,389 | $6,569 |
| 44 | 122% | $4,278 | $2,444 | $6,722 |
| 45 | 125% | $4,375 | $2,500 | $6,875 |
| 46 | 128% | $4,472 | $2,556 | $7,028 |
| 47 | 131% | $4,570 | $2,611 | $7,181 |
| 48 | 133% | $4,667 | $2,667 | $7,334 |
Amounts shown are SOR-reduced annual limits. ✦ = full-time standard (maximum). Annual loan amounts cannot exceed the full-time annual limit regardless of credits enrolled above the FT standard. § 685.203(m)(1) · OB3 Final Rule · Eff. July 1, 2026