Secretary of Education Linda McMahon, attends a Cabinet meeting at the White House, Wednesday, May 27, 2026, in Washington. The Education Department is preparing to implement a slew of changes for federal student loans this July. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
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The federal student loan system is just a few weeks away from undergoing some of the most significant changes in a generation.
July 1 is the implementation date for sweeping reforms to repayment plans, student loan forgiveness and federal aid disbursement restrictions. Many active federal student loans will be impacted, as well as current and prospective college and graduate students applying for loans and other forms of federal student aid.
The changes are the culmination of legislative and regulatory reforms, including the One Big, Beautiful Bill Act that Republican lawmakers in Congress enacted last summer; executive actions by the Trump administration; and court rulings that have upended federal student loan programs. Taken together, these changes will transform vast elements of the student loan system, and millions of borrowers may be forced to make difficult decisions on their borrowing or repayment strategy in the coming weeks.
