Education at OHSU

Education at OHSU

Student Loans and Work-Study Programs 

Student Loans and Work-Study Programs 

On this page you’ll find information about:

Other aid: scholarships and grants page.  

Student loans

Federal student loans 

OHSU offers a variety of federal student loans. Individual eligibility will vary depending on program, enrollment, awarding criteria and availability of funding.  Some of the more common federal student loans awarded by OHSU includes, but not limited to:

  • Federal Direct Subsidized and Unsubsidized Stafford
  • Federal Parent PLUS
  • Federal Graduate PLUS
  • Federal nursing loan for undergraduate students

Plain Language Disclosure for Direct Student Loans Program

Download 2024-2025 Student Financial Aid Explained – read page 31.

Alternative student loans

As a general rule, students should only consider a private education loan if they have maxed out all federal student aid and still have remaining eligibility. Students should also file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), which may qualify them for grants, loans, work-study and other forms of student aid.

Fill out your FAFSA.

Federal work-study 

The federal work-study program is a federal employment program available for students who wish to work on campus.  Students interested in federal work-study should complete the federal work-study request form.

Federal work-study is claimed as it is earned. After you verify you are eligible for work-study, you must apply for employment by examining the listing of vacant positions posted on the bulletin board outside the financial aid office, student work-study positions listed on the OHSU HR website or by contacting departments for which you would like to work. There are several different types of positions available including community service positions. After determining the positions in which you are interested, you must obtain an employee referral form from the financial aid office.  

Reporting your work-study work hours

When you are hired, you will need to come to our office to receive the necessary hiring paperwork. Your employer will complete the referral form and other human resources documents and send them to the financial aid office, which will process the forms and forward them to human resources, payroll and business affairs. 

Students report hours worked through the automated time and attendance collection system, and payment is made bi-weekly through the university payroll office. Hiring procedures must be completed each academic year, even for continuing student employees.

Reporting work-study income

Federal work-study is employment, and earnings must be reported to the Internal Revenue Service in compliance with the same requirements as any job. At the end of each calendar year, you will be sent a W-2 form to be used when filing your tax return.  

When reapplying for financial aid for the following year, federal work-study income is excluded from the Expected Family Contribution calculation. It must be appropriately reported on the additional financial information of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (please see the appropriate section of the FAFSA or call the financial aid office for additional information).  

Frequently Asked Questions for H.R.1

The passage of congressional bill H.R.1 means there are many upcoming changes to Federal Student Financial Aid. OHSU understands that this has created a lot of questions for both students and the larger learner community. Based on the current interpretation of H.R.1, below are the answers to the most frequently asked questions from the OHSU learner community. This FAQ will be updated when more information is available. 

What is H.R.1?

H.R.1 is a comprehensive budget reconciliation bill that includes large tax cuts and a reduction in public spending to offset the cuts. Part of the required spending reduction impacts Federal Student Financial Aid programs. The major provisions impacting students’ ability to borrow federal student loans at OHSU are: 

  • The phased elimination of the Federal Graduate PLUS loan program
  • New annual and lifetime limitations on student loan borrowing

Will new and returning Bachelor of Science students in 2025-26 be able to apply for financial aid to complete their program?

Most likely. Bachelor of Science programs remain mostly unimpacted. Eligible Bachelor of Science students in Nursing or Radiation Therapy will continue to have access to apply for the Federal Pell Grant and the Oregon Opportunity Grant. Eligible Bachelor of Science students who borrow a Federal Direct Loan in 2025-2026 will be allowed to continue to apply for new loans under the current loan limits through the 2028-29 academic year, or the remainder of the expected time to graduation for their program, whichever comes first.

Will graduate/professional students be able to apply for a Grad PLUS loan for 2025-26 and for the remainder of their program?

Most likely. The elimination of the Federal Graduate PLUS loan does not take effect until July 1, 2026. All enrolled students in 2025-26 who are otherwise eligible for a Federal Graduate PLUS loan may apply for one in 2025-26. Graduate/professional students who borrow a Federal Graduate PLUS loan in 2025-2026 may continue to apply for a Federal Graduate PLUS loan through the 2028-29 academic year or the remainder of the expected time to graduation for their program, whichever comes first.

What are the changes to Federal Unsubsidized Direct Loan eligibility for graduate/professional students?

The Federal Unsubsidized Direct Loan is not being eliminated, however new loan limits will apply (see next question). New and returning graduate/professional students who are otherwise eligible for a Federal Unsubsidized Direct Loan may apply for one in 2025-26 at the existing loan limits. Graduate/professional students who borrow a Federal Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loan in 2025-2026 will continue to be able to apply for Federal Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loans at the current borrowing limits through the 2028-29 academic year or the remainder of the expected time to graduation for their program, whichever comes first. 

I hear there are other borrowing restrictions for federal student loans. What are they?

In addition to the phased-out elimination of Federal Graduate PLUS loans, there will be new annual and lifetime limits on first-time borrowers who take out a Federal Direct Loan after July 1, 2026. These limits will also apply to all students after the 2028-29 academic year or after the remainder of the expected time to graduation for their program, whichever comes first. There are four major changes for students in graduate/professional programs: 

  • For graduate programs, the maximum annual eligibility will be $20,500 per year with a $100,000 lifetime limit. 
  • For professional programs (e.g., Pharm.D., M.D., D.M.D.) the maximum annual eligibility will be $50,000 per year, with a lifetime limit of $200,000. 
  • There are new aggregated total lifetime limits for all federal student loan borrowers. That new maximum is $257,500 from all U.S. Department of Education loans. That includes all federal undergraduate borrowing and dollars borrowed for other graduate programs. For example, a student in a professional program who has borrowed $150,000 to pay for their prior undergraduate and graduate programs, will only have $107,500 in lifetime eligibility remaining. 
  • Students will no longer be able to regain eligibility by repaying their loan balances and borrowing again. 

How do I know if I am in a professional or graduate program? What is the difference?

The U.S. Department of Education has provided some examples of professional programs (e.g., Pharm.D., M.D., D.M.D.) but has not provided an exhaustive list. OHSU is waiting for additional guidance and definitions from the U.S. Department of Education on which programs can be classified as professional. 

Are there restrictions on loan borrowing for students attending less than full-time?

Yes. Any student borrowing federal loans in the 2026-27 academic year and beyond who is attending less than full-time in a term (12 credit hours for Bachelor of Science students and 9 credit hours for graduate/professional students) will have their federal student loans prorated. OHSU is waiting for additional guidance from the U.S. Department of Education on how the proration will operate. 

How do these new rules impact students in dual degree programs or students who take a Leave of Absence?

It is unclear at this point. OHSU is waiting for additional guidance from the U.S. Department of Education. However, it is important to understand that the 2028-29 academic year is the last year that any student can borrow in the Graduate PLUS loan. Also, the new annual and aggregate loan limits on federal student loans will apply to all students in the 2029-30 academic year and beyond 

How do I know if I have already borrowed a Federal Direct or Graduate PLUS loan?

You can review your loan portfolio by:  

  • Logging into StudentAid.gov 
  • Navigate to “My Aid” 
  • You will see Loan Types which will tell you if you have a federal direct loan and/or a Graduate PLUS. 

What is OHSU doing to address the elimination of the Grad PLUS program?

OHSU is exploring long-term options for our students. We will update this FAQ when more information is available. 

Disclaimer

Disclaimer: The above answers are based on preliminary interpretation of the provisions included in H.R.1. and should not be taken as a guarantee of eligibility for any federal financial aid program. The U.S. Department of Education will regulate some of the provisions in H.R.1 and additional information and definitions will be forthcoming in the form of U.S. Department of Education guidance and regulations. 

Contact Financial Aid

Hours: Monday-Friday, 7:30 a.m.-4 p.m.