Federal Direct Student Loans

• You must be a degree-seeking student who is admitted with full-standing to a degree-bound program at Wichita State.
• You must be enrolled at least half-time (6 credit hours as an undergraduate student or 5 credit hours as a graduate student).
• You must be a U.S. citizen, permanent resident of the U.S., or permanent resident of an eligible trust territory.
• You must not be in default on any student loans and must not owe a refund on any Title IV Program, such as a Pell Grant, FSEOG, Federal Perkins Loan, Federal Work Study, Federal Subsidized Direct Loan, Federal Unsubsidized Direct Loan, Federal PLUS Loan or Consolidation Loan.
• You must be maintaining Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress toward your degree.

Interest rates are set by federal regulation, effective as of July 1 of the academic year. Current fixed interest rates are:

Type of Loan	Interest Rate*	Origination Fee*	Interest Type	Accrues Interest During School/Grace Period
Direct Subsidized Loan	On or After 07/01/2026: 6.52%	Before 10/01/2026: 1.057%	Fixed	No**
Direct Unsubsidized Loan (Undergraduate Students)	On or After 07/01/2026: 6.52%	Before 10/01/2026: 1.057%	Fixed	Yes
Direct Unsubsidized Loan (Graduate Students)	On or After 07/01/2026: 8.07%	Before 10/01/2026: 1.057%	Fixed	Yes

*Due to the Sequestration of Federal Student Aid Programs, interest rate and origination fees may be subject to change.

The federal government sets both annual and aggregate (total) limits on the amount of Federal Direct Subsidized/Unsubsidized Loans that you may borrow. Your eligibility may be less than the federal loan limits. Federal guidelines require that all financial assistance, including loan funds, cannot exceed the cost of attendance. Students enrolled less-than-full-time will have annual loans reduced.

Undergraduate Students

Dependent students may not borrow more than $31,000 (unless a parent has been denied a Parent PLUS Loan) while earning their undergraduate degree(s). Independent students and dependent students whose parent has been denied a Parent PLUS Loan may not borrow more than $57,500. The annual amounts, according to grade level, are listed in the tables below.

Undergraduate Dependent Students (Whose Parents Have Not Been Denied a Parent PLUS Loan)

Grade Level	Base Amount (maximum that may be subsidized)	Additional Unsubsidized	Total
Freshman (0-29 credit hours)	$3,500	$2,000	$5,500
Sophomore (30-59 credit hours)	$4,500	$2,000	$6,500
Junior (60-89 credit hours)	$5,500	$2,000	$7,500
Senior (and beyond) (90+ credit hours)	$5,500	$2,000	$7,500
Maximum Aggregate Limit for Dependent Students	$23,000	$8,000	$31,000

*Annual loan amounts are based on full-time enrolled (12+ credit Hours). Effective for the 2026-27 school year, students in part-time status (11 to six credit hours in the semester for undergraduates, eight to five for graduate students) will receive a reduced amount of federal loan offers than students in full-time status (12 credit hours or more for undergraduates, 9 or more credit hours for graduate students). Students who withdraw from hours during the semester may have their loans adjusted.

Undergraduate Independent Students & Dependent Students Whose Parents Have Been Denied a Parent PLUS Loan

Grade Level	Base Amount (maximum that may be subsidized)	Additional Unsubsidized	Total
Freshman (0-29 credit hours)	$3,500	$6,000	$9,500
Sophomore (30-59 credit hours)	$4,500	$6,000	$10,500
Junior (60-89 credit hours)	$5,500	$6,000	$12,500
Senior (and beyond) (90+ credit hours)	$5,500	$6,000	$12,500
Maximum Aggregate Limit for Independent Students	$23,000	$34,500	$57,500

*Annual loan amounts are based on full-time enrolled (12+ credit Hours). Effective for the 2026-27 school year, students in part-time status (11 to six credit hours in the semester for undergraduates, eight to five for graduate students) will receive a reduced amount of federal loan offers than students in full-time status (12 credit hours or more for undergraduates, 9 or more credit hours for graduate students). Students who withdraw from hours during the semester may have their loans adjusted.

Graduate Students

Graduate students may not borrow more than $100,000 while earning their graduate degree(s). The lifetime aggregate loan limit is $257,500 and includes all undergraduate, graduate, professional, and Graduate PLUS Loans.

*Interim Borrowers may not borrow more than $138,500 in undergraduate and graduate level loans combined. More information on Interim Exceptions.

Graduate Students

Grade Level	Unsubsidized Loan
Each Year of Graduate School	$20,500
Maximum Aggregate Limit for Graduate Students	$100,000

1. File a FAFSA online at studentaid.gov. Once your file is complete, the Office of Financial Aid will send you a financial aid offer.
2. To accept your student loans, log in to myWSU and select the Finance Tab, then Financial Aid Awards link. You should borrow only what you need.
3. If you are accepting subsidized and/or unsubsidized student loans for the first time, complete your Master Promissory Note (MPN) for Direct Subsidized/Unsubsidized Loans and Loan Entrance Counseling at studentaid.gov.

After you accept a Federal Direct Subsidized or Unsubsidized Loan as part of your financial aid, our office will continue the loan process by submitting the accepted Federal Direct Loan information to the Federal Common Origination and Disbursement (COD) system for origination.

However, for first-time borrowers, an entrance counseling session is required and a valid Master Promissory Note (MPN) for Direct Subsidized/Unsubsidized Loans must also be on file with the COD before our office can make any Federal Direct Loan disbursements to students.

After you have successfully completed your entrance counseling session and MPN, any future Federal Direct Loan offers that you accept will be linked to your original, completed MPN. This MPN is valid for up to 10 years from the date the first loan disbursement was made.