School of Medicine

Financial Aid

Tufts University School of Medicine's Office of Financial Aid serves all students in the MD and MD/combined degree programs, Public Health programs, Professional Degree programs, Nutrition programs, and Tufts Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences programs.

The intent of the financial aid programs at the School of Medicine is to assist students with meeting any shortfall that exists after a maximum effort has been made by the student and his/her family to pay for school-related costs.

The Office of Financial Aid is here to assist you. You can reach our financial aid advisors by email and phone from Monday to Friday, 9 AM to 5 PM. We encourage you to schedule an appointment if you would like to meet with your designated financial aid advisor at a specific time.

Financial Aid advisors are available to answer questions and to provide assistance.

Federal Financial Aid Changes Under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OB3) 

In July 2025, Congress enacted the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OB3), a major federal budget law that includes significant changes to the federal student loan and financial aid systems. Most of the provisions will take effect for loans disbursed on or after July 1, 2026.

What Is Changing

New Federal Loan Limits for new borrowers

OB3 establishes new borrowing limits for federal student loans:

  • Graduate PLUS Loans will be eliminated for new borrowers after July 1, 2026.
  • Graduate and Professional Direct Unsubsidized Loan limits are changing to:
    • Graduate annual limit: $20,500; lifetime: $100,000
    • Professional programs: annual $50,000; lifetime $200,000
  • Combined Lifetime limits of $257,500 for all federal loans will apply. 

Note: Current Unsubsidized Loan borrowers can continue to access Graduate PLUS Loans and Unsubsidized Loans under the current limits. See information regarding legacy students below for more information. 

Legacy Borrowing Protections for some current borrowers

You will be considered a ‘legacy student’ if you meet all of the following: 

  • Continue to be enrolled in the same program as of June 2026, attending the same school AND
  • Are currently borrowing or previously borrowed a Direct Unsubsidized Loan while enrolled in this program AND
  • Have no future lapse of enrollment (including withdrawal or LOA) as of 7/1/26 until you complete the program AND
  • Do not change programs

As a ‘legacy student’, you will continue to have access to both Direct Unsubsidized and Graduate PLUS loans.  This will include:

  • Having access to current Direct Unsubsidized annual loan limits
    • MD students: $42,722 - $47,167
    • MPH students: $33,000
    • All other grad students: $20,500
  • Having the same aggregate (lifetime) limits for Direct Unsubsidized loans
    • MD & MPH students: $224,000
    • All other grad students: $138,500
  • Having access to Direct Graduate PLUS loans until you complete your program or for a maximum of 3 years

Enrollment Status and Loan Eligibility

OB3 introduces changes to how enrollment status affects federal loan eligibility. Half-time students may only have access to 50% of their full-time eligibility.  Students must still be enrolled at least half-time to be eligible for any federal loans.

What This Means for Tufts Medical and Graduate Students

Because these changes will affect how much students may borrow through federal loan programs after July 1, 2026, it’s important to plan ahead:

  • Understand future federal borrowing limits: New annual and lifetime loan caps may reduce the amount of federal aid available.
  • Consider legacy loan eligibility: Current students may want to explore borrowing a federal student loan before April 1, 2026 to establish eligibility under existing (“legacy”) federal loan rules prior to the OB3 changes taking effect. Contact the Office of Financial Aid for more information.
  • Consider the impact of withdrawals/leaves of absences: Current students who withdraw or take a leave of absence will no longer be considered a legacy student. Upon return they will be considered new borrowers with the new Unsubsidized Loan limits and will not have access to Graduate PLUS Loans.
  • Review your credit profile: Students should consider reviewing their credit reports and learning how credit history may affect eligibility, interest rates, and terms for private student loans, which may become a more important financing option under OB3.
  • Learn about private loan readiness: Understanding and reviewing your credit score and securing multiple co-signers will help students prepare if additional funding is needed.

The U.S. Department of Education continues to issue guidance related to OB3 implementation. Tufts Office of Financial Aid will share updates as more details become available.

Important Disclaimer: The content on this page is provided for informational purposes to assist Tufts students in understanding federal student aid programs and related changes. This information reflects our current interpretation of available federal guidance but does not represent official federal policy. Students and families should consult official U.S. Department of Education resources for authoritative information. Please visit StudentAid.gov for the most current guidance.

For additional resources published by Federal Student Aid (FSA) and national associations, please visit: