"With the end of Grad PLUS loans fast approaching, a small number of institutions are promoting a loophole of sorts of help their incoming classes avoid losing out on the funding option: starting their courses this summer, before the graduate school loan program disappears," Inside Higher Ed reports.

... "Only a limited number of institutions are taking this tack. Karen McCarthy, vice president of public policy and federal relations at the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators, said that, when the legislation first passed last year, numerous institutions asked NASFAA if they could move their start dates up. She told them they could, but they’d be required to communicate the change clearly and consistently across all platforms and official documents—and verify the new date with their accreditor. For institutions that don’t already offer summer courses, shifting the start date earlier would also mean coordinating with faculty and other university offices to ensure they could accommodate classes, housing and other resources."

"She also noted that the regulations for Grad PLUS loans are not yet set in stone; they currently allow students who start classes and begin receiving loans by the end of June to qualify for the legacy provision, but that could change. The uncertainty may be why most universities aren’t promoting this option."

"'I think there are some unanswered questions,' she said. 'Because of the compressed timeline and because we are still waiting for some questions to be answered, that will be so late … some schools were hesitant to upend the apple cart.'"

NASFAA's "Notable Headlines" section highlights media coverage of financial aid to help members stay up to date with the latest news. Articles included under the notable headlines section are not written by NASFAA, but rather by external sources. Inclusion in Today's News does not imply endorsement of the material or guarantee the accuracy of information presented.

Publication Date: 4/20/2026