New Federal Direct Loan Limits effective July 1, 2026
- What are the new loan limits effective July 1st, 2026? Who will the loan changes affect?
- Total maximum federal unsubsidized / subsidized loans $257,500. Undergraduate maximum, $57,500 subsidized/unsubsidized. Maximum $200,000 unsubsidized professional, including any loan balance for previous graduate/professional program.
- The new loan limits will affect all incoming students in the 2026-27 cohort, even those students who took a voluntary withdrawal or were academically disqualified in a previous year. It will also affect continuing students who haven’t taken a previous federal direct loan.
- Can a borrower who’s never taken loans in undergrad combine the two loan amounts?
- No. The $57,000 is for undergrad programs and $200,000 for the professional degree program.
- If a student has taken prior loans for a graduate degree and currently have outstanding loans for a graduate degree can they still take $200,000 more for the professional degree program?
- No. The $200,000 maximum for a professional degree would include all current loan balances for graduate level.
- What would a student need to do if they reach the maximum loan limit of $200,000 while still enrolled?
- The student would need to obtain private loans or another form of private payment. Ex. Heloc, refinance mortgage, private student loan lender.
- Does SJCL have a preferred lender for private student loans?
- No. We do not have a preferred lender list.
- What if I’m a student currently enrolled in the law program at SJCL prior to the July 1, 2026 date?
- There is a grandfathering clause in the law. If a current/continuing student has a loan originated prior to July 1, 2026, they can elect to continue with the prior loan limits, including being eligible for a grad plus loan, They can also elect to use the new loan amounts of $50K per academic year. They are eligible to borrow up to their cost of attendance, but proration may affect the maximum amount of loans.
- What if a current student takes a leave of absence in the 2025-26 academic year and re-enrolls in fall 2026, or is academically disqualified in fall or spring? Can they elect to choose to keep the current loan limits?
- No, if a student takes a leave of absence, or is academically disqualified during fall or spring but receives petition to repeat, they would be considered a new student and have the new loan limits. If a student is academically disqualified in spring but is granted petition for probation, they could choose the current loan limits or new limits. They would also not be eligible for a grad plus loan.
New Loan Proration Requirement effective July 1, 2026
- What is loan proration? How will it affect me if I’m enrolled in the 4-yr or 5-yr program?
-
Loan proration is a new loan effective July 1, 2026. Students will be eligible to borrow up to the percentage of full-time enrollment. The proration is based on the number of units enrolled in for the academic year summer – spring.
- Full time enrollment is 20 units in an academic year. (per COBE hours conversion)
- A student enrolled in less than 20 units in an academic year would be eligible for only a percentage of the maximum loan amount.
Example 1L:
1L enrolls in 10-units for Fall semester, but fails/drops a substantive course during the semester. Student will enroll in 7-units for Spring semester. Student is no longer considered full-time for loan purposes, will only be eligible for percentage of maximum loan.
17/20= 85% of loan.
$50K X 85% = $42,500 loan eligibility. If the student elects to take the maximum amount of loans, the spring loan disbursement will be adjusted to ensure there is no over award of loan funds.
Fall $25,000
Spring $17,500
Loan disbursements may not be equally disbursed.
Example 2L-4L:
Loan proration applies to both the new loan amount of $50K or if the student elects to keep the grandfathered loan limits of $20,500 + grad plus loan, maximum is cost of attendance.
For students who front load units in their 2nd and 3rd year to take less units in their final year the maximum eligible amount will be prorated to the number of units taken for the academic year.- 1L – 20 units
- 2L – 26 units
- 3L – 26 units
- 4L – 14 units.
The loan may not be disbursed equally per semester due to the proration requirements. Spring may be lower than the Fall disbursement.
General Financial Aid Information
What is the deadline to apply for financial aid? Do I apply during the application period or not until I am accepted?The FAFSA and SJCL financial aid application needs to be submitted when the application to the school is submitted. Our federal school code is 016902, San Joaquin College of Law
- Do I need to apply for financial aid every year?
- Yes, FAFSA must be completed every year.
- What are the basic eligibility requirements for federal student aid to San Joquin College of Law?
- Must be eligible to receive federal financial aid.
- Must be a citizen or legal non-citizen.
- Must not be default on prior federal loans or have unpaid overpayment.
- Students eligible for the Dreamer program in California are not eligible for federal student loans. They must obtain a loan from a private lender.
- Does San Joaquin College of Law offer federal work study?
- Yes, but our award is a limited amount. The majority of our federal work study award is used for the proctor position in our library. Students at any level may be eligible for the proctor position when they are available. Most proctors are upper division students. Incoming students should not expect to receive a federal work study award in their first year.
- Will the loans cover all my tuition and expenses each year?
- It depends. The new unsubsidized loan maximum will cover the tuition and the fees for the year, but it may not be enough to cover the full amount of the financial aid cost of attendance budget assigned to a student.
- When do I have to start making payments for my loans?
- All current and prior loans go into in-school deferment, then a six-month grace period upon graduation, withdrawing or below half time. Loans repayment begins six months after graduation, withdrawal date, or falling below half time.
- Will borrowers still be eligible for PSLF (Public Service Loan Forgiveness)?
- Yes. There were no changes to PSLF in the law. You can find further information on PSLF at studentaid.gov.
- I’m an incoming student with only an AA/AS degree, will I still be eligible for federal student loans?
- It depends. A student must have completed at least 72 units in an undergrad program to be eligible for federal loans in a professional program. The units do not need to be part of the AA/AS degree. They also don’t need to be completed at the degree granting institution. They can’t be AAS (applied studies) units. They must be eligible to be applied to a degree.
SJCL is approved by CSAAVE to certify students for all chapters under a waiver from the Dept of Veteran’s Affairs through October 23, 2026. Any students enrolled by this date can utilize educational benefits as long as they are continuously enrolled in the program. For more information contact the school’s certifying official, Lisa Nilmeier.
SJCL is committed to helping our veteran students apply for and receive educational benefits, including Post 9/11, Vocational Readiness & Employment (VR&E), and Dependents’ Educational Assistance. To determine eligibility and apply for these benefits, go to the VA website at https://www.va.gov/education/. You may also call the VA regional office in Oklahoma (for California schools) at 888-442-4552 for further information and assistance. The SJCL VA Certifying Official is located in the Financial Aid Office. Veterans who have been approved for educational benefits must provide a copy of their DD214 (if applicable) and letter of eligibility to this office. You may contact the Financial Aid Office for further information and/or guidance.
Section 103 of Public Law (PL) 115-407, ‘Veterans Benefits and Transition Act of 2018,’ amends Title 38 US Code 3679 by adding a new subsection (e) that requires disapproval of courses of education, beginning August 1, 2019, at any educational institution that does not have a policy in place that will allow an individual to attend or participate in a course of education, pending VA payment, providing the individual submits a certificate of eligibility for entitlement to educational assistance under Chapter 31, 33 or 35.
In accordance with Title 38 US Code 3679(e), San Joaquin College of Law permits any covered individual to attend or participate in the course of education during the period beginning on the date on which the individual provides to SJCL a certificate of eligibility (COE) for entitlement to educational assistance under chapter 31, 33, or 35 and ending on the earlier of the following dates:
- The date on which the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA) provides payment for a course of education to an institution
- The date that is 90 days after the date on which the educational institution certifies for tuition and fees following receipt of the COE from the student
Additionally, San Joaquin College of Law will not:
- Prevent the student’s enrollment
- Assess a late penalty fee to the student due to delayed payment from the DVA
- Require the student to secure alternative or additional funding
- Deny the student access to any resources (access to classes, libraries, or other institutional facilities) available to other students who have satisfied their tuition and fee bills to the institution
However, to qualify for this provision, such students may be required to:
- Produce the VA Certificate of Eligibility (COE) by the first day of class
- Provide a written request to be certified
- Provide additional information needed to properly certify the enrollment as described in other institutional policies
GI BILL® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA)
Cost of Attendance Budgets
If you're attending at least half time, your cost of attendance is the sum of:
- SJCL average tuition and fees for a student in your category
- The cost of living expenses
- The cost of books, supplies, transportation, loan fees, and miscellaneous expenses
2026-2027 Cost of Attendance Budgets
Estimated Budget for 4 Year Division, 1st Year Law Student/9 months (20 units)
| Away from Parent's Home |
At Parent's Home (No Dependents) |
|
|---|---|---|
| Tuition and Fees | $20,720 | $20,720 |
| Loan Fees | $371 | $371 |
| Housing and Food | $24,561 | $12,537 |
| Books and Supplies (est) | $1,800 | $1,800 |
| Transportation | $1,656 | $1,656 |
| Misc. Expenses | $5,706 | $4,563 |
| Register as a Law Student | $119 | $119 |
| Total Budget | $54,933 | $41,766 |
Estimated Budget for 4 Year Division, 2nd, 3rd, or 4th Year Law Student Living Away from Parents Home (22 units)
| 9 Months | 12 Months | |
|---|---|---|
| Tuition and Fees | $22,730 | $23,005 |
| Loan Fees | $371 | $371 |
| Housing and Food | $24,561 | $32,748 |
| Books and Supplies (est) | $1,800 | $1,800 |
| Transportation | $1,656 | $2,208 |
| Misc. Expenses | $5,706 | $7,608 |
| Total Budget | $56,824 | $67,740 |
Estimated Budget for 5 Year Division, Law Student Living Away from Parents Home (17 units)
| 9 Months | 12 Months | |
|---|---|---|
| Tuition and Fees | $17,705 | $17,980 |
| Loan Fees | $371 | $371 |
| Housing and Food | $24,561 | $32,748 |
| Books and Supplies (est) | $1,800 | $1,800 |
| Transportation | $1,656 | $2,208 |
| Misc. Expenses | $5,706 | $7,608 |
| Total Budget | $51,779 | $62,715 |
Budgets must be adjusted to the length of your academic year, i.e., 9-month budget is for Fall and Spring semesters and 12-month is for Summer, Fall, and Spring. Whether you live with your parents or on your own is also taken into consideration.
SJCL’s Director of Financial Aid can consider special or unusual circumstances such as unusual medical expenses, or transportation expenses and can adjust your cost of attendance. Other costs, such as dependent care or computer purchase may be added on a case-by-case basis, as needed. You'll have to provide the financial aid office with documentation to justify any changes. Download form to request an increase by clicking here (pdf)
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SJCL Student Lending Code of Conduct
San Joaquin College of Law is committed to providing students with the best information and processing alternatives available regarding student borrowing. In support of this and in an effort to rule out any perceived or actual conflict of interest between San Joaquin College of Law officers, employees or agents and education loan lenders, San Joaquin College of Law has adopted the following:
- San Joaquin College of Law does not participate in any revenue-sharing arrangements with any lender
- San Joaquin College of Law does not permit any officer, employee or agent of the school who is employed in the financial aid office or is otherwise involved in the administration of education loans to accept any gifts of greater than a nominal value from any lender, guarantor or servicer.
- San Joaquin College of Law does not permit any officer, employee or agent of the school who is employed in the financial aid office or is otherwise involved in the administration of education loans to accept any fee, payment or other financial benefit from a lender or affiliate of a lender as compensation for any type of consulting arrangement or contract to provide services to a lender or on behalf of a lender relating to education loans.
- San Joaquin College of Law does not permit any officer, employee or agent of the school who is employed in the financial aid office or is otherwise involved in the administration of education loans to accept anything of value from a lender, guarantor, or group of lenders and/or guarantors in exchange for service on an advisory board, commission or other group established by such a lender, guarantor or group of lenders and/or guarantors. San Joaquin College of Law does allow for the reasonable reimbursement of expenses associated with participation in such boards, commissions or groups by lenders, guarantors or groups of lenders and/or guarantors.
- San Joaquin College of Law does not assign a lender to any first-time borrower through financial aid packaging or any other means.
- San Joaquin College of Law recognizes that a borrower has the right to choose any lender from which to borrow to finance his/her education. San Joaquin College of Law will not refuse to certify or otherwise deny or delay certification of a loan based on the borrower’s selection of a lender and/or guarantor.
- San Joaquin College of Law will not request or accept any offer of funds to be used for private education loans to students from any lender in exchange for providing the lender with a specified number or volume of Title IV loans, or a preferred lender arrangement for Title IV loans.
- San Joaquin College of Law will not request or accept any assistance with call center or financial aid office staffing.