Graduate PLUS Loans

Loan Amount

Fees

• 4.236% of the loan amount for loans disbursed on or after 10/1/19 and before 10/1/20
• 4.228% of the loan amount for loans disbursed on or after 10/1/20 and before 10/1/21

Interest Rate

5.30% fixed for loans disbursed on or after 7/1/20 and before 7/1/21

Eligibility

To be eligible, students must:

• Be U.S. citizens or U.S. permanent residents
• Complete the FAFSA application
• Pass a credit check
• Be enrolled at least half-time

Students must also accept all Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan before they are able to borrow a Grad PLUS Loan.

Grad PLUS Loans are available without regard to financial need. Grad PLUS is guaranteed by the federal government

How to Apply

Pre-Application Process

1. Must have already complete a FAFSA
2. Must have already accept full eligibility amount for the Direct Unsubsidized loan
3. Log onto www.studentloans.gov with your FSA ID and Password.
4. Click on one of the following links: Start PLUS Application Process or Request PLUS Loan.
5. Complete application and click Submit. You must complete this step in full.
6. You will receive an instant credit decision once you submit.

If Credit Check Is Approved

In order to borrow a PLUS Loan, the applicant has to pass a credit check. Once approved, the applicant must complete the following steps:

1. If you are approved, you will be directed to complete the Master Promissory Note (MPN) online (if you do not already have one on file). Once you complete the MPN, Emerson will receive approved loan information and requested loan amount within two business days.
2. You will need to complete the Counseling: Complete Entrance Counseling link on the Federal Student Aid website.
3. Once Emerson processes the loan you will receive an email from the Office of Financial Aid indicating that your financial aid awards have been revised.  Please note Emerson will not be able to process your PLUS loan until after you have accepted the full amount of Direct Unsubsidized loan that you are eligible for.  
4. You will receive disclosure statements and repayment information from Direct Loan Applicant Services.

If Credit Check Is Denied

If you do not pass the credit check, there are three options available to you:

1. You can work with Applicant Services at 1-800-557-7394 if you believe there was an error made on your credit check.
2. You can obtain a creditworthy endorser (co-borrower). The endorser would need to pass the credit check, agree to endorse the promissory note, and agree to repay the loan if you would fail to do so. More information on this option will be provided to you by Direct Loan Applicant Services.
3. You can stop processing the PLUS Loan. No further action will be taken.

Disbursement

Loans will be certified for the full academic year and are disbursed in two equal parts: half for fall and half for spring. Loans certified for summer enrollment in addition to the full academic year are disbursed in three equal parts: 1/3 for summer, 1/3 for fall, and 1/3 for spring. All funds are disbursed directly to your student account.

Emerson will assume that PLUS borrowers want to borrow their loan for the full academic year (both fall and spring terms). If you do not wish to borrow your PLUS loan for the full academic year, please contact our office by sending an email to studentloans [at] emerson.edu (studentloans[at]emerson[dot]edu). In the email, please include:

• The borrower’s name
• Student’s name
• Student’s ID number
• And the term(s) that you would like your loan to be disbursed.

Right to Cancel

When your loan has disbursed, Emerson College is required by fed reg to notify the borrower that the funds have disbursed to their student account. Further, this regulation states that we must inform you of your right to cancel all or a portion of your loan. To do so, you must submit a written request via email to studentloans [at] emerson.edu within fourteen (14) days of the date of this notice and include the following information:

• Type of loan(s) to be cancelled
• Amount of loan(s) to be cancelled
• Date of request

Please note that the student is the borrower of the Federal Direct Loan (subsidized or unsubsidized) and Graduate PLUS loan. The parent is the borrower of the Federal Direct PLUS Loan. The parent is the borrower of the Federal Direct PLUS Loan.

Upon receipt of the request, the College will cancel the loan(s) and return the funds to the lender/servicer. We will send confirmation of this to the borrower. Please be aware that if you have used a student or parent loan to pay your semester bill, cancellation of any loans(s) may result in an open balance owed to the College. Emerson requires immediate payment of balances resulting from cancellation of your loan(s).

If you submit a request to cancel a loan beyond the 14-day period, the College is not required to honor your request. However, we will give it every consideration and notify you, in writing, of the outcome.

Repayment

The first payment on a Direct PLUS Loan is due within 60 days after the loan is fully disbursed. There is no grace period for Direct PLUS Loans.

Deferment

Graduate students can postpone payments on Direct PLUS Loans while enrolled in school. If you are enrolled on at least a half-time basis, you are eligible for an in-school deferment, allowing you to postpone payments on your Direct PLUS Loan until you graduate or drop below half-time status.

In most cases, the Direct Loan Servicing Center will automatically grant an in-school deferment on your Direct PLUS Loan based on information reported by Emerson showing that you are enrolled at least half-time. The Direct Loan Servicing Center will notify you of the deferment and of your option to cancel the deferment and begin making payments on your loan.

Payment Plans

Generally, you’ll have from 10 to 25 years to repay your loan, depending on the repayment plan that you choose. Read more about these repayment plans at the Federal Student Aid website. This website also has repayment calculators you can use in making your decision to pay interest while in school or allow it to accrue.

Information on financing programs is subject to change without notice. Emerson College is not responsible for any changes.