Parent Plus Loan
Please note that the reconciliation bill passed on July 4, 2025 has provisions which will change how the Parent PLUS Loan can be used.聽 Please review the section below titled “Changes for 2026-2027” to learn more.
Who can borrow
Parents can borrow a Federal Parent PLUS Loan to help pay for a student鈥檚 educational expenses as long as the student is:
- Considered a dependent student
- Enrolled at least half time (at least six credit hours per term)
- Matriculated in a degree-seeking program
How it works
- Credit approval is required to receive the loan.
- Parents can borrow up to the cost of attendance minus any financial aid the student is receiving.
- The interest rate for the 2025-2026 academic year is 9.083% as of July 1, 2025
- The interest rate for the 2024-2025 academic year is 8.94% as of July 1, 2024
- There is an origination fee of 4.228%.
When to apply
Parents should not apply any earlier than 90 days before the start of the semester for which the loan is needed. Credit approvals are only viable for that amount of time. If the loan is applied for too early, the credit approval will become invalid and parents must submit a new PLUS online application for processing.
How to apply
- Submit the Parent PLUS .
- Click the blue 鈥楲og In鈥� button to complete the PLUS Request Process.
- Parents must submit the application with their Federal Student Aid (FSA) ID.
What鈥檚 next
Once the application is submitted online, we will be notified electronically regarding the amount requested and whether the loan was approved or denied. The loan amount requested is assumed to be for the entire academic year. If your needs change after the PLUS loan application is submitted, please contact your financial aid counselor and detail any required updates.
Parent PLUS denial
In the event that a Parent PLUS loan is denied, the student may borrow an additional federal unsubsidized loan, up to $4,000 for first years and sophomores and $5,000 for juniors and seniors. The actual amount that can be borrowed is determined by a financial aid counselor based on the difference between the estimated cost of attendance and the total financial aid awarded. Students need to request these funds in writing after the parent receives notification of the denial. PLUS loan denials do not carry over to the following year; the PLUS loan must be applied for each year.
Change for 2026-2027
There are several changes that will be occurring for the 2026-2027 academic year in the Federal PLUS loan program based on the recent passing of聽 the One Big Beautiful Bill Act on July 4, 2025.聽 We鈥檒l be sending out information over the course of the current academic year as we learn more about the changes, but here is what we do know:
- Starting on July 1, 2026, all parents may borrow a maximum of $20,000 per year per dependent student per year
- Also starting on July 1, 2026, the Parent PLUS loan program will have an aggregate loan limit of $65,000 per dependent student (without regard to amounts forgiven, repaid, cancelled, or discharged)
Both of the above changes will have a legacy provision, which indicates that if a borrower has a Parent PLUS loan made before July 1, 2026, while the dependent student is enrolled in a credentialed program, the parent can continue to borrow under the current (2025-2026 academic year) loan limits for 3 academic years or the remainder of their dependent student鈥檚 expected time to credential (graduate), whichever is less.