text: can i go back to college? i have an associate degree and i would like my ba.  i also still owe some student loans.  do i have to pay these off before i can get any more financial aid? in general, no, you don't need to pay off your old loans before you can borrow new ones.  in certain cases, your repayment status can affect whether you will be allowed to borrow new loans at your new school.  if you are in default on any federal loans, you need to resolve the default before you can get any new federal loans.  however, resolving your default typically entails making 6 months of on-time payments -- but not paying the loan off completely.  if you didn't default on the old loans -- if you're making payments when required, etc. -- you should be fine to borrow new ones. the only exception to this would be if, somehow, you have exceeded the aggregate debt limit for that loan type.  the undergraduate *stafford* loan limit for dependent students is $23,000 (the limit for independent students is $46,000).  do you currently owe that much?  if not, you'll be fine.  just file the fafsa online at http://www.fafsa.ed.gov. when it is processed, you will receive a student aid report (sar) with the results -- the comments section will let you know if there are eligibility issues that you need to tend to.