Federal Direct PLUS Loans

• Parent PLUS Loan Details

  • This is a federal loan, which requires a valid FAFSA for the academic year that you are applying for.
  • The borrower is the parent and this loan cannot be transferred to another borrower, including the student.
  • A co-signer is not required; however, a co‐signer could be used in the event the main borrower’s application is denied.
  • Interest Type: Variable fixed, meaning borrowers would receive a new rate with each new loan, but then that rate would be fixed for the life of the loan. 
  • All parents approved for the Parent PLUS loan are given the same interest rate in that academic year.
  • Current interest rates can be found here: https://studentaid.gov/understand-aid/types/loans/interest-rates.
  • Current loan origination fees can be found here: https://studentaid.gov/understand-aid/types/loans/interest-rates.
  • Repayment is immediate and begins 30‐60 days after last disbursement is made. Interest‐Only and Deferred payment options may be available; you will need to contact your loan servicer (once assigned) for details. 
  • Loan Term: 10 years.
  • Loan Limits: Based on when the PLUS loan began to be borrowed. More information is at https://studentaid.gov/understand-aid/types/loans/plus/parent.
  • Required Materials:
    • FAFSA (https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa)
    • Master Promissory Note (https://studentaid.gov/mpn/parentplus/landing)
    • Completed application (https://studentaid.gov/plus-app/parent/landing)
  • Additional Details:
    • The PLUS Loan is not need‐based. A review of credit‐worthiness is required in order to receive PLUS funds.
    • You will be asked to choose an amount to borrow that is either;
      (1) Specific – you pick an exact number. This the suggested course of action.
      (2) Max Available – you choose to borrow as much as possible. This includes borrowing against unbilled expenses such as books, travel, and personal allowances.
    • The amount that you choose is a NET amount, meaning the actual loan balance will be higher to accommodate the origination fee.

• Application Instructions

  We encourage you to submit your application by August 18, in order for the loan credits to be available toward the payment required for fall term registration. Please note that you cannot apply for a PLUS loan prior to June. 

  If you are applying for financial aid, you should not submit your loan application until you have received a financial aid decision and can determine how much you will need to borrow.

  For New Direct PLUS Borrowers:

  1. Create an FSA Account online. In order to complete an application for a PLUS Loan, you will need a FSA username/ID and password. Account creation takes about 5 minutes to complete and is required to be able to log in to the site.
  2. Complete a 2026-2027 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).  The federal government requires all PLUS applicants to have a completed FAFSA for the student they are borrowing for on file.  Please use our school code, E00468, to designate Harvard to receive the completed FAFSA.
  3. Complete the online Master Promissory Note and PLUS Loan Application. In order for us to process your new loan, the borrower information must match exactly the information that was submitted on your original Master Promissory Note. Please note: you must select “Harvard College”, school code G02155, when completing the online PLUS application.

  For Returning PLUS Borrowers:

  1. Complete a 2026-2027 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).  The federal government requires all PLUS applicants to have a completed FAFSA for the student they are borrowing for on file.  Please use our school code, E00468, to designate Harvard to receive the completed FAFSA.
  2. Complete the on-line PLUS Loan Application.  In order for us to process your new loan, the borrower information must match exactly the information that was submitted on your original Master Promissory Note. If your address has changed since the last time you applied, please complete a new Master Promissory Note. Please note: you must select “Harvard College”, school code G02155, when completing the online PLUS application.

  Please note the Federal PLUS Loan program carries a loan origination fee which will be added to the amount you request online. For example: if you request a loan of $10,000, your application will be processed for $10,000 plus the amount of the origination fee, in order to net the proper amount to your student bill. Please contact our office with any questions.

• What If I'm Denied?

  In the event the borrower is denied the PLUS loan, they will have the option to either;
  (1) appeal the decision, or
  (2) re‐apply with a co‐signer, or
  (3) withdraw their application.

  If you choose to appeal the decision the process begins online at https://studentaid.gov/appeal-credit where you will be asked to document your extenuating circumstances. Appeals can take up to two weeks to process so make sure to plan accordingly. If approved, you will be notified by Direct Lending Services and our office will receive notification shortly thereafter. You MUST also complete online PLUS Credit Counseling.

  If you choose to reapply with a co-signer you will follow the same general process as above by documenting your extenuating circumstances at https://studentaid.gov/appeal-credit. If approved, you will need a credit-worthy co-signer and have them complete both a Master Promissory Note (MPN) and Co-Endorser addendum. PLEASE NOTE: When applying with a co‐signer the amount of your loan changes from a NET amount to a GROSS amount. Your co‐signer will need to adjust the amount of loan they are approving on their addendum if you wish to maintain your original request. If you do not know how to do this, please contact our office beforehand. A Co‐Endorser addendum is only approved once, meaning incorrect information will have to be discarded and the process will start all over. You MUST also complete online PLUS Credit Counseling.

  If you are denied the PLUS loan due to credit and you choose to withdraw your application for a Federal PLUS Loan, the student will have the option of borrowing an additional $4,000 in Direct Unsubsidized Loan, assuming they meet the eligibility requirements. This amount increases to $5,000 for students in their senior year.

• Changes to 2026-2027 PLUS Loans

  The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBB) introduced major changes to federal student loan programs starting in July 2026. Click here to learn more about the changes to the Parent PLUS Loan.