Financial Planning

Federal Loan Changes Effective July 1, 2026

A new federal law (One Big Beautiful Bill or OBBB) has made several changes to the federal student loan programs that impact graduate and professional students effective 7/1/26.

The information below reflects the most current federal guidance available and is subject to change pending the release of final regulations.

Graduate PLUS Loan Program Elimination Effective 7/1/26 and Legacy/Grandfathering Provisions:

May retain eligibility for 3 academic years or the remainder of your expected time to credential based on the published program length, whichever is less.
Requires continuous enrollment in the program (can not withdraw, take a quarter off or transfer to another chiropractic college). Must be enrolled in the Spring 2026 quarter.
Requires a Direct Loan (Unsubsidized or Graduate PLUS) made/disbursed prior to 7/1/26.
Specific transition guidance has not been released.

Other options available: Life West is working with alternative lenders to provide private educational loan options to fill any gap in Graduate PLUS funding.

Current Unsubsidized Direct Loan Annual and Aggregate Loan Limits:

Professional Degree (ie Chiropractic)
- $33,000 annual limits ( 3 quarters) or $44,000 per calendar year.
- Aggregate limit of $224,000 (includes undergraduate loans)

*New Annual and Lifetime Borrowing Caps – Unsubsidized Direct Loan Program:

*Begins after the Legacy/grandfathering period ends
Professional Degree (ie Chiropractic)
- $50,000 annual limits (3 quarters) or $66,666 per calendar year.
- Lifetime cap of $200,000 (undergraduate loans excluded)

Loan Proration for Part-time Enrollment

Students enrolled less than full time (11.5 credits or lower) will have their loans pro-rated based on the number of credits considered full time for the academic year/loan period.
Additional guidance is pending Final Rules on implementation of this provision.

New Repayment Framework for loans borrowed after 7/1/26:

Standard Repayment for 10, 15, 20 or 25 years based on amount borrowed
Income Based – Repayment Assistant Plan (RAP) replaces other income based plans

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Scholarships

Over 14 internally-funded scholarships available for current and incoming students.

Scholarships are a great way to minimize your total debt load while maximizing the value of your education. Be sure to check out all of your options! The criterion varies for each scholarship, with a high percentage available only to chiropractic students.

Financing

Federal Work-Study Programs

The student employment program provides opportunities for part-time work through both federal and institutional funding. Job listings are available for on and off-campus position.

Taking into consideration the interest accrual while in school, earning even $1,000 a quarter through a work-study program could lower your monthly payment by $165.00 and decrease your cumulative payments (principal & interest) over a 10 year payment period by $19,500.

Loan Programs

Utilizing federal student loan programs

An education from Life Chiropractic College West is often, at least partially funded through federal, direct subsidized and unsubsidized Stafford Loans. These U.S. loan programs give students the ability to fund the portion of their tuition not covered through grants, scholarships & work-study programs. They’re also a vehicle for deferring the costs of living expenses while focusing on your graduate degree.