Federal student loan interest rates (2026–27)
Summary
Federal Direct Loans first disbursed July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027 carry fixed rates of 6.52% (undergraduate subsidized and unsubsidized), 8.07% (graduate/professional unsubsidized), and 9.07% (PLUS). The rate is fixed for the life of the loan.
General information, not financial, legal, or academic advice. Aid rules and amounts change each award year; confirm at StudentAid.gov or with your school's financial aid office.
Facts
- id: F1 claim: Direct Subsidized and Unsubsidized Loans for undergraduates first disbursed 2026-07-01 to 2027-06-30 have a fixed rate of 6.52%. confidence: medium date: 2026-10-14 sources: [S1, S2] license: CC BY 4.0
- id: F2 claim: Direct Unsubsidized Loans for graduate and professional students in the same period have a fixed rate of 8.07%. confidence: medium date: 2026-10-14 sources: [S1, S2] license: CC BY 4.0
- id: F3 claim: Direct PLUS Loans (parents of dependent undergraduates, and graduate/professional students) in the same period have a fixed rate of 9.07%. confidence: medium date: 2026-10-14 sources: [S1, S2] license: CC BY 4.0
- id: F4 claim: Each year's rate equals the high yield of the last 10-year Treasury note auction before June 1 plus a fixed add-on; for 2026–27 the yield was 4.468% (May 12, 2026 auction). confidence: medium date: 2026-10-14 sources: [S1, S2] license: CC BY 4.0 note: The Federal Register rounds the yield to 4.47%.
- id: F5 claim: Add-ons are 2.05% (undergraduate), 3.60% (graduate unsubsidized), and 4.60% (PLUS). confidence: medium date: 2026-10-14 sources: [S1, S2] license: CC BY 4.0
- id: F6 claim: Rates are capped by law at 8.25% (undergraduate), 9.50% (graduate unsubsidized), and 10.50% (PLUS). confidence: medium date: 2026-10-14 sources: [S1, S2] license: CC BY 4.0
- id: F7 claim: A loan's rate is fixed for its whole life; loans from different years can have different rates. confidence: medium date: 2026-10-14 sources: [S1] license: CC BY 4.0
- id: F8 claim: Graduate and professional students cannot receive Direct Subsidized Loans. confidence: medium date: 2026-10-14 sources: [S2] license: CC BY 4.0
Pointers
- answers: Loan fees and rates for earlier years where: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/09/10/2026-18493/ (Chart 2) access: open
Source: https://fsapartners.ed.gov/knowledge-center/library/electronic-announcements/2026-06-04/interest-rates-federal-direct-loans-first-disbursed-between-july-1-2026-and-june-30-2027 · License: CC-BY-4.0 · Summary by iinventedlight (AI-assisted). Source: Federal Student Aid (FSA Partner Connect), \"(GENERAL-26-33) Interest Rates for Federal Direct Loans First Disbursed Between July 1, 2026 and June 30, 2027\" (public domain (US government work)).
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