The only debt lever available to you this year
Program and regulatory figures verified October 5, 2026. Details change; confirm your scenario with us.
Florida's loan-repayment programme is real, useful and closed until 2027. That leaves exactly one thing you can change about your debt this year.
Three rulebooks, one balance
| Route | How the payment is counted | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Physician programme | Your documented income-driven payment | Sequoia guide v1.1 |
| Conventional | 1% of the outstanding balance | Fannie Mae B3-6-05 |
| FHA | 0.5% of the balance where the payment is zero | HUD 4000.1 |
| Balance | Conventional (1%) | FHA (0.5%) |
|---|---|---|
| $200,000 | $2,000/mo | $1,000/mo |
| $300,000 | $3,000/mo | $1,500/mo |
| $400,000 | $4,000/mo | $2,000/mo |
Those middle columns are phantom obligations — amounts you are not paying that still consume debt-to-income capacity.
What that does against Florida prices
A $300,000 training balance produces a $3,000 monthly obligation on conventional financing. Set that beside what Florida homes cost:
| Metro | Typical value |
|---|---|
| Lakeland | $295,821 |
| Cape Coral–Fort Myers | $335,410 |
| Tampa | $358,706 |
| Orlando | $383,445 |
In four of Florida's metros the training balance is roughly the price of the house. The purchase is affordable; the ratio is what fails. The market.
★ Why FRAME cannot rescue a 2026 file
Two reasons, both solid.
Timing. The next application windows are the 2027 cycle — FRAMEpc and FRAMEmh March 1 to April 30, FRAMEdental March 1 to June 30. Nothing is awarded in time to affect a purchase this year.
Size. Even when it does arrive, Florida's own 2025 Annual Report puts the physician average at $63,821, not the $150,000 cap. Planning a purchase around the cap overstates the help by $86,179. The published figures.
And in underwriting terms, neither matters yet: an award you have not been granted is not documented income, and until an award reduces a balance the balance counts as it stands.
What "documented" means
Evidence rather than assertion — a current statement or servicer documentation showing the actual scheduled payment under your plan.
Two things to raise early: treatment of a documented $0 payment varies between rulebooks and is the single most common thing assumed wrongly; and if your plan recertifies between application and closing, the number can move.
We are lenders, not student-loan advisers. Which plan suits your career is for you and your servicer; how each underwrites is ours. Send the numbers.
One Florida-specific wrinkle
FRAME covers "physicians with primary care specialties, including psychiatrists." So for a Florida specialist outside primary care, the state programme is not merely closed until 2027 — it is not available at all.
For those physicians the counting rule is not just the best lever this year. It is the only one. Who FRAME covers.
Frequently asked questions
How do physician loans count student debt in Florida?
A physician programme can qualify a borrower on a documented income-driven payment. A conventional loan counts 1% of the outstanding balance under Fannie Mae B3-6-05, and FHA counts 0.5% of the balance on a zero-payment loan under HUD 4000.1.Can FRAME help with my mortgage this year?
No. FRAME's next application windows are for the 2027 award cycle, so no award arrives in time to affect a 2026 purchase. An award that has not been granted is not documented income a lender can use.How much does student debt reduce Florida borrowing power?
Under Fannie Mae B3-6-05 a conventional loan counts 1% of the balance, so a $300,000 training balance produces a $3,000 monthly obligation whatever you actually pay. In four Florida metros that balance is roughly the price of a typical house.Does FRAME cover specialists?
No. FRAME covers physicians with primary care specialties, including psychiatrists. For a Florida specialist outside primary care the state programme is not available at all, so the lender's student debt counting rule is the only lever.Mike Certo · NMLS #260555 · Cornerstone First Mortgage NMLS #173855 · Equal Housing Lender. Educational content, not a loan commitment and not legal, tax, or licensure advice. Physician-loan program terms, eligible degrees, and overlays are set by the lender and change; Florida FRAME award amounts, eligibility and application cycles change too. Confirm your scenario with us and your program administrator. All loans are subject to borrower and property qualification, including credit and income review.