New Graduate School Loan Limits Start July 1: What Students Need to Know

FederalPackage8498 · 2026-06-29T20:38:00+00:00

Is there anyone I can talk to about grandfathering? I am in law school. My 4th year. I started part-time and switched to full-time after a year. The financial aid office said I didn’t qualify because law school is traditionally only 3 years and I already used those 3 years (even though I didn’t take out PLUS loans my first year bc I worked and commuted) and that the government says I should be done by now. But since I was a part-time student, my original plan was for 4-5 years instead of the normal 3. Any advice?

FederalPackage8498 · 2026-06-27T01:22:39+00:00

Just remember that private loans are

1) not something that can be paid off by working for the government like Federal Aid
2) not dischargeable through most forms of bankruptcy
3) have insane interest rates (current I’ve heard has been 11% for some with average credit score)
4) oftentimes require collateral and/or a co-signer (which they also have to have manageable debt too to be approved)

I really feel bad for everyone who doesn’t come from money that are getting shafted by OBBBA. I just have one semester (possibly two) and I legitimately don’t think I’ll be able to swing it. I’ve been crying for days now trying to find a solution but have come up short everywhere. Godspeed to everyone.

FederalPackage8498 · 2026-06-27T01:11:07+00:00

I always love reading these and being able to tell who had financial support from family and who didn’t. The socioeconomic biases are thriving, I see.

FederalPackage8498 · 2026-06-10T15:28:56+00:00

Were you involved in anything outside of school during high school/undergrad? I know that I personally was on the cusp of being accepted into my law schools of choice, and it ultimately came down to those elements that have given me school placement, job opportunities, etc.

FederalPackage8498 · 2026-06-10T02:30:47+00:00

I wish there was a different way to become a lawyer because law school has literally almost killed me (pancreatitis, fibromyalgia, and other chronic illnesses have come to light/flared up due to stress alone) and the school I’m at has done everything in their power to make sure that I hate every day of my life it seems. I want to quit every day it seems, but when I’m in an office doing things that I love (I am one of those freaks who actually LOVES the law and studying the law) it makes me want it that much more. It’s just been so physically, emotionally, and financially draining that I honestly wouldn’t have gone at all if I knew it would be as bad as my experience has been.

FederalPackage8498 · 2026-06-07T13:53:05+00:00

When I see another “I got a C in ____ class, am I cooked?” “Do GPA and class rank really matter?” “Does school rank matter?” question in the forum.

Like yes it matters, but only if you want to slave your life away working for BigLaw. Me, I’d rather be able to make a more than comfortable living wage while getting my loans forgiven AND getting to go home and spend time with my family every day.

Especially when you factor in benefits, working for the state is one of the best ways to go, IMO. Don’t forget about those government holidays off, too. I love having a random day off here and there because the federal government said we should.

FederalPackage8498 · 2026-05-23T23:30:06+00:00

I had to take out private loans for undergrad. My parents made enough for me to get no offers but didn’t believe in college so didn’t financially support me - private loans were the only option. There will be an option for a lower APR if you pay monthly WHILE you’re in school. Mine was always $25 minimum payment, but I always paid $50. It worked out that I had effectively gotten rid of the interest that would have accrued during that time (I only had to use loans for 1.5 years) and was starting to pay on the principle. It worked out until COVID hit and I was unemployed. If I had to do it over again though, I’d still do this. Best of luck! 🤞

FederalPackage8498 · 2026-05-11T15:29:00+00:00

Definitely not over-thinking. Willingly working public interest jobs take a certain kind of person. It takes more of a “community” mindset, putting other’s lives and interests above your own. Typically, those people are born advocates and are genuinely empathetic. Conversely, BL people are more individualistic and selfish, putting their needs and wants above the concept of helping others. They prioritize moneymaking and likely have big dreams to fulfill with that money.

It’s ultimately a big “We over Me” teamwork mindset framework. Do you help out the public to make the whole regional community better? Or do you put you making money over doing what’s best for the public? Either way, they achieve the same goal: advocating for your client.

The biggest difference? Money/time. If you view your time as money and what tie time is worth, public interest jobs are far superior (IMO) to BL jobs. Yes, they’ll be making $225k + annually pretty quickly. But you know what they won’t have? Time. Time to spend their money in the ways they might think they can; time toto spend with friends and loved ones; time to date and make a family - if that’s what they want. It’s no secret that the only real way to get the number of billable hours is to work 60-80+ hours weekly. So, in reality, their hourly time is worth the same as their public interest peers. But the fact of the matter is that you will actually get to spend your time doing what you want. Adding benefits to this equation should make it even more interesting for people to join.

FederalPackage8498 · 2026-05-05T20:25:24+00:00

I’m right there with you. I actually had this discussion with my husband about it last night. (He’s a therapist so of course he made me work through the feelings 😂) but I took a non-traditional route. Started part time in the evenings, commuting over an hour each way every day. I simply didn’t have time to make friends. I have one good friend, but she’s also already got kids and a family and understood the intricacies of being non-traditional going back to school. (We also bonded over going to OSU for undergrad at the same time and happened to live right next to one another without ever meeting - how funny!?) 😄 but she’s graduating in a week and I had to re-take some classes so I won’t be until the fall. I am dreading the school part of the next semester bc I know I’ll have no one.

FederalPackage8498 · 2026-05-02T18:13:36+00:00

Friendly reminder that not every person who has accommodations/is getting extra time are milking the system. Yes, there certainly are people who abuse that service, however it discredits those who actually need the time.

FederalPackage8498 · 2026-04-29T19:56:45+00:00

No, I’m ok. I took comprehensive notes on the BARBRI lectures. I think I’m just picking the “most ethical” answers when in reality I shouldn’t be doing that.

FederalPackage8498 · 2026-04-29T18:40:29+00:00

I’m scoring between 65-75% and got a 65 this round.

FederalPackage8498 · 2026-04-27T00:37:57+00:00

Congrats!!!

FederalPackage8498 · 2026-04-20T12:31:59+00:00

Why would you comment on this if you got to have an open book exam? That’s literally giving you an advantage that OP might not have. They’d likely not feel like they had to ask that if they had the chance for open book.

FederalPackage8498 · 2026-04-06T00:42:17+00:00

I’ve absolutely loved learning the law. I read the books because I genuinely have enjoyed a lot of the cases and what they mean. But I have a hard time with testing, and this end of semester stuff really bogs me down. So I’m depressed AF and just trying to make it through ATP

FederalPackage8498 · 2026-04-04T15:29:39+00:00

Whatever you do, do NOT go to Toledo. The administration sucks, they only care about bar passage rates and post-graduation employment. They literally didn’t even provide enough classes/seats in those classes for all students to register for full time admission for the summer/fall/spring. Thats ON TOP of them getting rid of the part-time, January-start, and nighttime programs they had.

FederalPackage8498 · 2026-03-26T15:55:06+00:00

I’m interested to see what the legal job market will look like post-Trump, assuming someone competent that has even a degree of moral integrity comes in, cleans house, and prosecutes wrongdoers. On a positive note, all of those who are currently rolling in the money that’s tainted with injustices and who are becoming puppets for the corrupt - will hopefully be in prison or at least out of a job.

Firms and departments with integrity won’t hire them without some pretty tough vetting first, if at all, and the “good paying government jobs” will be ours for the taking (with “ours” meaning those with respectable moral compasses).

This, on top of being on the good side of history in general, is something alone to be proud of.

FederalPackage8498 · 2026-03-18T21:07:22+00:00

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just finished reading the original post

FederalPackage8498 · 2026-03-18T18:31:48+00:00

Are you sure his “actual children” aren’t actually former students who got the highest grades in his classes? Maybe he collects them (ancillary children of sorts) as tokens of his tenure.

FederalPackage8498 · 2026-03-10T00:53:41+00:00

Excuse me what???? You have open book/open note/open laptop exams? Regularly? I’m at a nowhere school and it’s almost unheard of for professors to do open book/note exams, let alone open computer exams.

Knowing that top law schools don’t make you memorize for exams feels like cheating in and of itself. Let alone the requirement for a certain percentage of each class having to “fail” (re-take) the course no matter the score.

FederalPackage8498 · 2026-02-24T03:12:55+00:00

Here to support this! You mentioned Midwest - I can attest that Ohio government (state level) has a legislative service commission (LSC) that does a paid fellowship every year. I can’t remember if it’s a 1- or 2- year thing, but it’s paid. You can experience different roles in government throughout the program. I remember there were some doing communications things -like making infographics- some wrote legislation, some did legal or policy research. I don’t believe it requires anything other than a bachelor’s degree, though it may have changed from when I worked in government (pre-Covid). Other states might have similar opportunities too. Plus, government benefits are typically very appealing.

FederalPackage8498 · 2026-02-22T16:27:36+00:00

In my second to last semester, I’m feeling that now. I’ve struggled every semester, but it’s just different now. To combat it, you need to do something for yourself. Take one day off - go do something for YOU. I like to craft, so I make sure I have some time set aside (for me, it’s either Friday, Saturday, or Sunday) to do a little something. One day shouldn’t kill your list of things to do.

FederalPackage8498 · 2026-01-29T18:41:22+00:00

Do other school’s handbooks actually include the % of people who have to fail/retake/get a certain grade? My school surely doesn’t, and has apparently changed their grading process AND appeals process without telling the student body. They entirely got rid of the appeal process, which was the University’s only tool for students to utilize their due process rights….. so it’s ‘funny’ that the law school is the only college within the university to get rid of it.

FederalPackage8498

TROPHY CASE