Federal student loans are changing. Here's what to expect in 2026

Cory Turner Borrowers have spent much of 2025 trying to keep up with dizzying changes to the federal student loan system. The Trump administration and Congress are in the process of overhauling everything from how much Americans can borrow to how quickly they have to pay it back. Here's what to know as we head into a new year: The U.S. Department of Education announced in early December that it had reached a proposed settlement agreement to end the popular, yet controversial Biden-era student lo...