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You are here: Home / Loans / Historical Rates

Historical Rates

Historical interest rates on the Direct Loans.

YearDirect SubsidizedDirect Unsubsidized
2020-20212.75%2.75%
2019-20204.53%4.53%
2018-20195.05%5.05%
2017-20184.45%4.45%
2016-20173.76%3.76%
2015-2016 4.29%4.29%
2014-20154.66%4.66%
2013-20143.86%3.86%
2012-20133.40%6.80%

Major milestones of the interest rate formulas on the Direct Loan:

  • 2008-09 through 2011-12: Cut subsidized Stafford loan interest rates for undergraduate students to 6.0%, 5.6%, 4.5% and 3.4%, with a return to 6.8% in 2012-13. These cuts are available only to undergraduate students, not graduate students, and only for subsidized Stafford loans, not unsubsidized Stafford loans. Those loans remain at 6.8%.
  • 2006-07: Replacement of separate variable in-school/grace and repayment rates on the Stafford Loan with a single fixed rate of 6.8%. Replacement of variable interest rates on the PLUS Loan with a fixed rate of 8.5% (FFELP) and 7.9% (DL).
  • 1998-99: 80 basis point reduction in both in-school/grace and repayment rates on the Stafford Loan. Consolidation loan interest rates switched from rounding up to the nearest whole percent to the nearest 1/8th of a percent and capped at 8.25%.
  • 1995-96: Separate rates established during the in-school and grace periods on the Stafford Loan, with these rates 60 basis points lower than repayment rates.
  • 1994-95: Change in the cap on the Stafford Loan from 9.0% to 8.25% and the cap on the PLUS Loan from 10.0% to 9.0%.
  • 1992-93: Change in the cap on the PLUS Loan from 12.0% to 10.0% and a 15 basis point reduction in the interest rate.

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