Education Dept. Updates Joint Student Loan Separation Application
Published Date: 4/9/2026
Notice
Summary
The Department of Education wants your thoughts on updating the Joint Consolidation Loan Separation Application, which helps people split their combined student loans. If you’re involved with federal student loans, this change could affect how you apply to separate them. You’ve got until June 8, 2026, to share your feedback—no cost involved, just your voice!
Analyzed Economic Effects
3 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 1 costs, 1 mixed.
You can apply to split joint consolidation loans
If you are a joint consolidation co-borrower, the Joint Consolidation Loan Separation Act lets you apply to the U.S. Department of Education to split an existing joint Direct Consolidation Loan or Federal Consolidation Loan into individual Direct Consolidation Loans. The Higher Education Act requires borrowers to submit an application to the Department if they wish to separate a joint consolidation loan.
New law changes terms for loans from July 1, 2026
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (signed July 4, 2025) changed Sections 455(d), 455(e), 455(g), and 455(q) of the Higher Education Act and these changes affect the terms, conditions, and borrowers' rights and responsibilities for Direct Loans (including consolidation loans) received on or after July 1, 2026.
Revised separation form will create filing burden
The Department is proposing a revision to the Joint Consolidation Loan Separation Application to align it with the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, and it estimates 74,000 annual responses and 24,050 total annual burden hours for this information collection.
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