Federal Direct Graduate Plus Loan
Graduate/Professional students with good credit can use the Federal Direct Graduate PLUS Loan Program to help pay for educationally-related costs, including, but not limited to, general enrollment fees, tuition, room/board, books, and miscellaneous personal expenses. Eligibility in this program is not contingent upon financial need.
You are responsible for the interest on the loan while you are in school, but payment can be deferred.
Eligibility:
- Must file the FAFSA
- Not based on financial need
- After the FAFSA has been completed and aid determined, you can apply for the Grad PLUS Loan
- You must complete the application AND master promissory note.
- Must be at least half-time
- Graduate/Professional students: 4+ hours fall or spring, 2+ hours summer
- Veterinary Medicine students: 6+ hours each semester
- Must be in a degree seeking program
- Enrolled courses must count toward your degree
- Eligibility must be determined and loan originated before the end of the academic period for which the loan is being requested.
Apply
- You can’t accept a Graduate Plus Loan on your portal.
- You should complete the Graduate Plus Application. You will need your Federal Student Aid PIN (same one used to sign your student's FAFSA) to log in to the website to apply.
- New Graduate Plus borrowers also need to complete a Graduate PLUS Loan Master Promissory Note (MPN) and Entrance Counseling. After you submit the Graduate PLUS application, you can complete this step at the same website.
Denied?
- You may still borrow if someone agrees to endorse the loan (promises to repay the loan if you fail to do so) or if you successfully appeal the decision by documenting extenuating circumstances.
- This process is handled between you and the federal government's loan servicer at studentloans.gov.
- In either situation above, you must complete PLUS Counseling, available online at studentloans.gov, before the loan can be disbursed. This counseling requirement is separate from the Entrance Counseling requirement.
- If you have an endorser or successfully appealed the credit decision, you must complete both the PLUS Counseling and the Entrance Counseling prior to disbursement of the loan.
More information:
For more information regarding the Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan, please visit the Federal Student Aid website.