Federal PLUS Loans

Graduate PLUS Loans

Parent PLUS Loans

What you need to know about Graduate PLUS Loans!

NEW – PLUS Borrowers that have been approved after an appeal or with an endorser will be required to complete the online PLUS Loan Counseling at studentaid.gov.

(For GRADUATE Students only) A Direct Graduate PLUS Loan is a loan directly from the U.S. Department of Education.  It is NOT a loan through a bank.  

The Direct Graduate PLUS Loan is an unsubsidized loan, meaning interest begins to accumulate on the loan from the time it is disbursed. The first payment is due within 60 days after the loan is fully disbursed (borrowers have the option of deferring repayment until they cease to be enrolled at least half-time). For more information please refer to the Federal Student Aid Web Site for Grad Plus Loans.

View interest rates on Direct Graduate PLUS Loans.

NOTE: Starting with the Fall 2010 term, FAU is participating in the Federal Direct Graduate PLUS Loan Program. With this change, all Graduate PLUS loans will be processed through the U.S. Department of Education. Students who have previously received Graduate PLUS Loans through a bank will be required to sign a new Direct Graduate PLUS Loan Master Promissory Note (MPN) with the U.S. Department of Education in order to receive additional Graduate PLUS loans.

The student's eligibility for a Direct Graduate PLUS loan is determined by a credit check conducted by the U.S. Department of Education.  The result of the credit check is valid for a period of only 180 days, FAU recommends that students apply for a Direct Graduate PLUS Loan no earlier than 150 days prior to the start of the enrollment period for which the PLUS loan is intended and the student is eligible. In cases where a previous credit approved outcome expires prior to the loan’s disbursement, a new credit check / approval will be required for the loan to disburse. The outcome of the new credit check could result in the previously approved loan being denied. With the above in mind, to ensure students have the access to anticipated Graduate PLUS funds, FAU recommends students apply for Graduate PLUS Loans no earlier than 150 days prior to the start of the enrollment period for which the PLUS loan is intended and the student is eligible.

FAU Direct Graduate PLUS Loan Process

The FAU Direct Graduate PLUS Loan process consists of the following steps:

  1. The student should confirm that they satisfy the following Graduate PLUS Loan pre-requisites:
    • The student must be formally admitted to a Masters or Doctoral degree program at FAU. The student must meet all general aid eligibility criteria (including the Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy criteria). See the Policies  section of the FAU Office of Student Financial Aid web site for detail of this criteria. The student must be enrolled at least half time (4.5 or more credits in a Fall or Spring term, 3 credits in Summer term) for the semester for which the Graduate PLUS Loan is intended.
    • FAU must receive an electronic transmission of a valid (non-rejected) Student Aid Report from the U.S. Department of Education for the student. This report is generated after the student has filed a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
    • FAU must receive and process all documents required for the student to be eligible for federal student aid (including all required verification documents). Instructions on how to review the status of all required documents can be obtained from the Check Your Financial Aid Status webpage.
    • The graduate student must establish/utilize their maximum annual Federal Stafford (subsidized and unsubsidized) Loan eligibility for the loan period desired.
  2. Students who have not previously received a Graduate PLUS Loan from FAU must complete Graduate PLUS Entrance Counseling before their loan can be disbursed. Graduate PLUS Loan Entrance Counseling can be completed on-line at The U.S. Department of Education Direct Loans web site . To access this site, students will be required to log in using their U.S. Department of Education issued PIN (the FAFSA PIN). After logging in, students should select Entrance Counseling from the Manage My Direct Loan menu box and follow the on screen instructions. Students who have received a Graduate PLUS Loan disbursement from FAU (regardless of the lender) have already satisfied the Graduate PLUS Loan Entrance Counseling Requirement and do not need to re-satisfy this requirement.
  3. The student must submit a Direct Graduate PLUS Loan to the U.S. Department of Education at:  studentaid.gov. After logging in, students should select Complete PLUS Request Process from the Manage My Direct Loan menu box and follow the on screen instructions. This should be done no earlier than 150 days prior to the start of the enrollment period for which the PLUS loan is intended and the student is eligible - see above .When this is done, a credit check will be conducted on the student by the U.S. Department of Education. For questions or concerns regarding the result from the credit check, the student may contact the U.S. Department of Education at 1-800-557-7394 (8am-8pm EST, Monday through Friday) or 1-877-461-7010 TDD/TYY.
  4. If the credit check results in the students being DENIED , the student may either:
    • Appeal the credit decision with the U.S. Department of Education,
    • Attempt to obtain loan approval with an endorser/cosigner, or
    • Accept the denial and take no further action.
  5. If the loan request is APPROVED , the student should confirm that they have a valid >Direct Graduate PLUS Loan Master Promissory Note (MPN) on file with the U.S. Department of Education. If approved, the graduate student will have an option of completing the Direct Graduate PLUS Loan MPN following approval as part of the application process.
    • Students receiving a Direct Graduate PLUS Loan for the first time must complete a Direct Graduate PLUS Loan MPN with the U.S. Department of Education prior to receiving their first loan disbursement.  The Graduate PLUS Loan MPN can be completed on-line at The U.S. Department of Education Direct Loans web site. The student will be required to login with their FSA ID to complete an electronic MPN on line. To create or edit the Student FSA ID go to the FSA ID webpage at https://fsaid.ed.gov/npas/index.htm.
    • Students who have previously received a Direct Graduate PLUS Loan disbursement are NOT REQUIRED to complete a new MPN each year. In most cases, additional Direct Graduate PLUS Loans can be made under the same MPN for a period of 10 years from the MPN signature date.
  6. If the request is approved after an appeal or with an endorser, the borrower is required to complete the online PLUS Loan Counseling at studentaid.gov.
  7. Assuming the request is approved and the student has satisfied the requirements specified in Steps (1)-(6) above, FAU will transmit a Federal Direct Graduate PLUS Loan origination to the U.S. Department of Education in the amount requested or the student’s maximum eligibility (defined as the student’s cost of attendance less all other assistance), whichever is lower. Loan funds will disburse approximately the third week of the term and applied to the student’s FAU balance. Any loan funds which exceed the student’s FAU balance will be issued to student by the Tuition/Billing office via direct deposit (if setup) or by mail.
Graduate PLUS Loan Exit Counseling

Students who have received funds from the Graduate PLUS loan program must complete Graduate PLUS Loan Exit Counseling prior to leaving the University or dropping below half time. Graduate PLUS Loan Exit Counseling can be completed on-line at The Direct Student Loans web site.

What you need to know about Parent PLUS Loans!

NEW – PLUS Borrowers that have been approved after an appeal or with an endorser will be required to complete the online PLUS Loan Counseling at studentaid.gov.

(For PARENTS of Dependent Undergraduate Students only) A Direct Parent PLUS Loan is a loan directly from the U.S. Department of Education.  It is NOT a loan through a bank.

The Federal Direct Parent PLUS Loan is a low interest loan available to assist dependent students admitted and enrolled in an undergraduate degree program. The borrower of this loan is the parent of the dependent undergraduate student. To be eligible for the Direct Parent PLUS Loan, the parent borrower should have no adverse credit history.

The Direct Parent PLUS Loan is an unsubsidized loan, meaning interest begins to accumulate on the loan from the time it is disbursed. The first payment is due  within 60 days after the loan is fully disbursed (parents have the option of deferring repayment until the student ceases to be enrolled at least half-time). For more information please refer to the Federal Student Aid Web Site for Parent Plus Loans.

View interest rates on Direct Parent PLUS Loans.

NOTE to Parent PLUS Loan Applicants: Starting with the Fall 2010 term, FAU is participating in the Federal Direct Parent PLUS Loan Program. With this change, all Parent PLUS loans will be processed through the U.S. Department of Education. Parents who have previously received Parent PLUS Loans through a bank will be required to sign a new Parent PLUS Loan Master Promissory Note (MPN) with the U.S. Department of Education.

The parent’s eligibility for a Direct Parent PLUS Loan is determined by a credit check conducted by the U.S. Department of Education. As the outcome of the credit check is valid for a period of only 180 days, FAU recommends that parents apply for a Direct Parent PLUS Loan no earlier than 150 days prior to the start of the enrollment period for which the loan is intended and the student is eligible. In cases where a previous credit approved outcome expires prior to the loan’s disbursement, a new credit check / approval will be required for the loan to disburse. The outcome of the new credit check could result in the previously approved loan being denied. With the above in mind, to ensure students and parents have the access to anticipated Parent PLUS funds, FAU recommends parents apply for Parent PLUS Loans no earlier than 150 days prior to the start of the enrollment period for which the loan is intended and the student is eligible.

FAU Direct Parent PLUS Loan Process 

The FAU Direct Parent PLUS Loan Process consists of the following steps:

  1. The parent should confirm that the student satisfies the following Parent PLUS Loan prerequisites:
    • The student on whose behalf the PLUS Loan is borrowed must be admitted to FAU as an undergraduate degree seeking student. The student must meet all general aid eligibility criteria (including the Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy) and be enrolled in 6 or more credits for the semester for which the Parent PLUS Loan is intended. See the  Policies section of the FAU Office of Student Financial Aid web site for detail of this criteria.
    • FAU must receive an electronic transmission of a valid (non-rejected) Student Aid Report from the U.S. Department of Education for the student on whose behalf the PLUS Loan is borrowed. This report is generated after the student has filed a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). To be eligible for a Parent PLUS Loan, the student must be classified as a dependent student by the U.S. Department of Education.
    • FAU must receive and process all documents required for the student to be eligible for federal student aid (including all required verification documents). Instructions on how to review the status of all required documents can be obtained from the Check Your Financial Aid Status link on the FAU Office of Student Financial Aid web site.
  2. The parent must submit a Direct Parent PLUS Loan request to the U.S. Department of Education at:  studentaid.gov. After logging in, parents should select Complete PLUS Request Process from the Manage My Direct Loan menu box and follow the on screen instructions. This should be done no earlier than 150 days prior to the start of the enrollment period for which the loan is intended and the student is eligible - see above. When this is done, a credit check will be conducted on the parent by the U.S. Department of Education. For questions or concerns regarding the result from the credit check, the parent may contact the U.S. Department of Education at 1-800-557-7394 (8 a.m. - 8 p.m. EST, Monday through Friday) or 1-877-461-7010 TDD/TYY.
  3. If the credit check results in the parent being DENIED , the parent may either:
    • Appeal the credit decision with the U.S. Department of Education,
    • Attempt to obtain loan approval with an endorser/co-signer, or
    • Accept the denial and take no further action.
  4. If the loan request is APPROVED , the parent should confirm that they have a complete and valid Direct Parent PLUS Loan Master Promissory Note (MPN) on file with the U.S. Department of Education. If approved, the parent will have an option of completing the Direct Parent PLUS Loan MPN following approval as part of the application process.
    • Parents receiving a Direct Parent PLUS Loan for the first time must complete a Direct Parent PLUS Loan MPN with the U.S. Department of Education prior to receiving their first loan disbursement. The parent will be required to login with their FSA ID to complete an electronic MPN on line.  To create or edit the Parent FSA ID go to the FSA ID webpage. 
    • Parents who have previously received a Direct Parent PLUS Loan disbursement for their FAU student’s attendance are NOT REQUIRED to complete a new MPN each year. In most cases, additional Direct Parent PLUS Loans can be made under the same MPN for a period of 10 years from the MPN signature date.
  5. If the loan request is approved after an appeal or with an endorser, the borrower is required to complete the online PLUS Loan Counseling at studentaid.gov.
  6. Assuming the request is approved and the student and parent have satisfied the requirements specified in Steps (1)-(5) above, FAU will transmit a Federal Direct Parent PLUS Loan origination to the U.S. Department of Education in the amount requested by the parent or the student’s maximum eligibility (defined as the student’s cost of attendance less all other assistance), whichever is lower. Loan funds will disburse approximately the third week of the term and applied to the student’s FAU balance. Any PLUS Loan funds which exceed the student’s FAU balance will be mailed to either the parent borrower or the student as specified by the parent in the application process.

Get the Parent PLUS Loan Amount to Request Worksheet on our Forms webpage.