The Department of Education recently released a Dear Colleague Letter (DCL), dated December 1997, which increases the aggregate loan limits on unsubsidized student loans in the FFELP and Direct Loan Programs for eligible health professions students, effective for the 1997-98 academic year and beyond. For those health professions students who are eligible to receive the increased annual unsubsidized amounts based on the criteria described in the DCLs GEN-96-14 (UHEAA Bulletin Vol. 96-Issue 52) and GEN-97-4 (UHEAA Bulletin Vol.97-Issue 15), the new aggregate loan limit for unsubsidized loans will be $189,125 less the aggregate amount of any subsidized loans made to the student.

You can obtain a copy of this DCL at http://ifap.ed.gov on the Office of Post- secondary Education's web-site. If you are unable to access this web-site and would like a copy of the DCL, please contact Lynda Reid at (801) 321-7211. If you have any questions about this DCL, please contact the Customer Support for Student Financial Assistance Programs at (800) 433-7327.