For	dependent	undergraduate	students	(excluding	dependent	undergraduates	whose	parents	are	unable	to	obtain	Direct
PLUS	Loans),	the	combined	Direct	Subsidized	Loan	and	Direct	Unsubsidized	Loan	annual	loan	limits	are	shown	in	Table	1A
below.
The	<Total	(Subsidized	and	Unsubsidized)=	limits	in	Table	1A	represent	the	total	of	all	Direct	Subsidized	Loans	and	Direct
Unsubsidized	Loans	a	dependent	undergraduate	student	may	borrow	at	each	level	of	study	for	a	single	academic	year.
For	example,	a	dependent	first-year	undergraduate	may	receive	up	to	$5,500	in	Direct	Subsidized	Loans	and/or	Direct
Unsubsidized	Loans	for	a	single	academic	year,	but	no	more	than	$3,500	of	this	amount	may	be	subsidized.	A	dependent
first-year	undergraduate	who	has	no	subsidized	loan	eligibility	may	receive	up	to	the	full	$5,500	in	Direct	Unsubsidized
Loans.
Volume	8,	Chapter	4,	Table	1A:	Dependent	Undergraduate	Annual	Limits	for	Direct	Subsidized	Loans	and	Direct
Unsubsidized	Loans
Dependent	Undergraduates	(Excluding	Dependent	Students
Whose	Parents	Can9t	Get	Direct	PLUS	Loans)
Total	(Subsidized	and
Unsubsidized)
Maximum
Subsidized
First	Year $5,500 $3,500
Second	Year $6,500 $4,500
Third	Year	and	Beyond $7,500 $5,500
Annual	Loan	Limits	for	Independent	Undergraduates	and	Certain	Dependent	Undergraduates
The	maximum	Direct	Subsidized	Loan	amount	that	an	undergraduate	student	may	receive	each	academic	year	is	the
same	for	both	dependent	and	independent	undergraduates.	However,	there	are	higher	Direct	Unsubsidized	Loan	annual
loan	limits	for	independent	undergraduate	students	and	for	dependent	undergraduates	whose	parents	are	unable	to
obtain	Direct	PLUS	Loans.	For	these	students,	the	combined	Direct	Subsidized	Loan	and	Direct	Unsubsidized	Loan	annual
loan	limits	are	shown	below	in	Table	1B.
As	with	the	loan	limits	for	dependent	undergraduates,	the	<Total	(Subsidized	and	Unsubsidized)=	limits	represent	the	total
of	all	Direct	Subsidized	Loans	and	Direct	Unsubsidized	Loans	that	an	independent	undergraduate	student	(or	a	dependent
undergraduate	whose	parent	is	unable	to	obtain	a	Direct	PLUS	Loan)	may	borrow	at	each	level	of	study,	for	a	single
academic	year.	For	example,	an	independent,	first-year	undergraduate	may	receive	up	to	$9,500	in	Direct	Subsidized
Loans	and	Direct	Unsubsidized	Loans	for	a	single	academic	year,	but	no	more	than	$3,500	of	this	amount	may	be
subsidized.	An	independent	first-year	undergraduate	who	has	no	subsidized	loan	eligibility	may	receive	up	to	the	full
$9,500	in	Direct	Unsubsidized	Loan	funds.
Although	a	dependent	undergraduate	whose	parent	is	unable	to	obtain	a	Direct	PLUS	Loan	has	access	to	the	same	higher
Direct	Unsubsidized	Loan	annual	loan	limits	as	an	independent	undergraduate	at	the	same	grade	level,	the	student	is	still
considered	to	be	a	dependent	student	for	all	other	
Title	IV	purposes.
For	more	detail	on	the	conditions	under	which	a	dependent	undergraduate	can	receive	increased	Direct	Unsubsidized
Loan	amounts,	see	<Criteria	for	Dependent	Students	to	Receive	Additional	Direct	Unsubsidized	Loan	Funds=	below.
Volume	8,	Chapter	4,	Table	1B:	Independent	Undergraduate	Annual	Limits	for	Direct	Subsidized	Loans	and	Direct
Unsubsidized	Loans
Independent	Undergraduates	(and	Dependent	Undergraduates
Whose	Parents	Can9t	Get	Direct	PLUS	Loans)
Total	(Subsidized	and
Unsubsidized)
Maximum
Subsidized
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