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FAQ

The Federal Graduate PLUS Loan is an unsubsidized loan for students enrolled in a degree-seeking Graduate or Professional Program (Masters, PhD, Veterinary Medicine, Doctor of Pharmacy). PLUS loans help pay for education expenses up to the cost of attendance minus all other financial assistance.

INTEREST: The interest rates for the upcoming academic year have not yet been set by the U.S. Dept of Education. For reference, the interest rate on 2024-25 PLUS loans was 9.08%.
ORIGINATION FEE: An origination fee of 4.228% is charged by the US Department of Education on each loan disbursement. Therefore, a gross loan disbursement of $5000 will net at $4789.

Applications will be available in April 2025 at www.studentaid.gov. The application period will remain open until the day before the last class day of the term. After the last class day, the school cannot originate a PLUS loan for you. Therefore, you should apply well before the end of term to make sure everything is in order prior to the last class day of the term.

  • You must have a 2025-2026 FAFSA on file with Auburn University, and any additional required documentation must be satisfied.
  • You must be enrolled at least half time, which is a minimum of 5 credit hours.
  • You must be U.S. citizen or eligible noncitizen, must not be in default on any federal education loans or owe an overpayment on a federal education grant.
  • You must be maintaining Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP). Please refer to auburn.edu/finaid in the “Manage Your Aid” section to review the requirements for SAP.
  • You cannot have an adverse credit history (a credit check will be performed during the application process). Please review the credit criteria at https://studentaid.gov/sites/default/files/plus-adverse-credit.pdf. A PLUS loan approval does not ensure future PLUS loan approvals, as that will be based on the information in your credit file at the time of application. If your PLUS loan is declined, based on your credit history, you will be provided some options within the application. These options include: Seeking approval of the loan with a credit-worthy endorser/cosigner, seeking approval of the loan through a dispute process with the U.S. Department of Education Direct Loan division, or not seeking approval of the loan, thereby withdrawing your request for the Graduate PLUS loan. For more information, please see the Denial Options below.

Application Steps

Getting Started

  1. You will need your Federal Student Aid ID. 
  2. Go to studentaid.gov and log in using your FSA ID.
  3. Once you are successfully logged in, you will select the dropdown under "Loans and Grants" and then "PLUS Loans: Grad PLUS and Parent PLUS."
    Loans and Grants dropdown menu, highlighting the PLUS loans option.

  4. In the box titled "I am a Graduate or Professional Student," click "Learn More"
    I am a Graduate or Professional Student section, highlighting the Learn More button


Step 1: Student Info

  1. Select Award Year 2025-2026
  2. Choose Auburn University as your intended school.
  3. Review and update any student borrower contact information

Step 2: Loan Info

  1. Choose a loan amount
    1. Maximum will be the Cost of Attendance minus any other aid received by the student.
    2. If you select "I don't know the amount I want to borrow," the loan process will be delayed until you send an email with your requested loan amount to finaid7@auburn.edu.

    After your application has been processed, if you see that your requested amount is not what you expected, you may adjust your amount in the following ways: for a reduction, you may email your request to finaid7@auburn.edu for an increase, you will follow this application process again at www.studentaid.gov.
  2. The loan period for Fall 2025-Spring 2026 is August 2025-May 2026

Step 4: Credit Check Authorization

Reveiw and accept certifications and authorizations

Step 5: Review and Submit

Review your request and then continue to the credit check and submission. If your application is declined for credit, please refer to the Denial Options below.

Graduate PLUS Master Promissory Note (MPN)

If your application is approved for credit, and you do not have a PLUS Master Promissory Note (MPN) on file with Direct Loans, you will need to complete one under the parent borrower's login at www.studentaid.gov. 
  1. From studentaid.gov's homepage, select the dropdown under "Loans and Grants" and then "Master Promissory Note (MPN)"
  2. Navigate to the section titled "I'm a Graduate/Professional Student" and click "Select MPN Type"
  3. Navigate to the section titled "MPN for Direct PLUS Loans" and click "Start"

The image shows the option titled I'm a Parent of an Undergraduate Student

Denial Options

In the event that your loan application is denied, due to adverse credit, you will be given some options within the loan application at www.studentaid.gov. Please review the information below for further clarification of the options that will be presented to you.

If you choose to appeal the credit decision, you will do so through www.studentaid.gov, select the dropdown under "Loans and Grants" and then "Appeal a Credit Decision." If the appeal is successful, you will be notified by Direct Loans and the school will be notified approximately one business day later.

  • If your loan is approved through appeal, you will be required to complete PLUS Credit Counseling prior to your loan being fully approved for disbursement. Instructions are below.

If you choose to apply with a credit-worthy endorser, you will receive an email from Direct Loans with a “PLUS Loan Endorser Code” shortly after submitting your application online.  You will need to have your endorser apply for a Federal Student Aid ID and use that to log into www.studentaid.gov with their information.  Once logged in, they will select the dropdown “Loans and Grants” and then the option “Endorse a PLUS Loan”.  They will use the provided “Endorser Code” where requested.

  • If your loan is approved with an endorser, you (the student borrower) will be required to complete PLUS Credit Counseling prior to your loan being fully approved for disbursement. Instructions are below.
  • A new PLUS Loan Agreement/Master Promissory Note (MPN) is required for each endorser-approved PLUS Loan.

If you choose “undecided”, NOTHING will happen with your PLUS request, until our office hears from you. Please avoid selecting this option, if possible.

PLUS Credit Counseling

This is required if you are originally denied, but subsequently approved with an endorser or through appeal. Select the dropdown "Loans and Grants" and then the option "PLUS Credit Counseling." 

Loans and Grants dropdown menu, highlighting the PLUS Loan Credit Counseling option.

Last updated: 12/04/2024