How Much Can You Get in an Unsubsidized Loan?

Federal Stafford loans are divided into both subsidized and unsubsidized. Where the subsidized portion is based on financial need, the unsubsidized portion is not. The amount of unsubsidized loan available to a student is dependent on the total amount of Stafford loan available, minus any subsidized loans.

Unsubsidized Stafford Loans

Stafford loans may be subsidized or unsubsidized. Subsidized loans are not charged interest during grace periods and during times while in school. These loans are based on financial need. Unsubsidized loans, however, are not based on financial need. However, interest accumulates while enrolled in school and during any grace period. Thus, interest may add up before you begin to pay them off. The amount available depends on your status as a student, as well as your school's policies.

Dependent Undergraduates

Undergraduate students who are dependent on their parents or guardians for financial assistance may receive up to $5,500 in Stafford loans in their first year as of 2011, of which no more than $3,500 may be subsidized. The amount of subsidized loans is dependent of the financial need of the student. A total unsubsidized loan of up to $5,500 is therefore possible in the first year.This increases to $6,500 in the second year and to $7,500 in the third year or beyond. In total, the maximum student debt possible for dependent undergraduate students may not exceed $31,000, and no more than $23,000 of this sum may be in the form of subsidized loans.

Independent Undergraduates

Undergraduate students who meet a set of criteria, such as age and marital status, may be entitled to larger sums of Stafford loans. In the first year, as of the date of publication, this amounts to $9,500, which increases to $10,500 in the second year and to $12,500 in the third year. Some portions of these loans may be subsidized, and the rest remains unsubsidized. A total of $57,500 of Stafford loan debt is allowed over the course of undergraduate education, with no more than $23,000 of this amount in the form of subsidized loans.

Graduate Students

Graduate students are allowed to take out substantially larger loans than undergraduate students. The loan amount stays the same each year, which amounts to $20,500 as of the date of publication, and no more than $8,500 of this amount may be subsidized. In total, graduate students are allowed up to $138,500 in Stafford loans, of which no more than $65,500 may be subsidized. This sum includes any debt incurred during undergraduate studies.