As part of the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005, a change was made to the Federal PLUS loan program which allowed graduate students to borrow Federal Graduate PLUS loans, starting July 1, 2006. Graduate PLUS loans have higher rates than Federal Stafford loans, but are expected to be cheaper than private alternative loans in most cases, and benefit from federal loan repayment options such as Income-Based Repayment and Public Service Loan Forgiveness, while private loans do not.
Graduate PLUS loans have a fixed interest rate of 8.5%, and fees of 3-4% will be charged. Lenders may offer incentives that will decrease the interest rate, but a 3% loan fee is required by law. Students may borrow Graduate PLUS loans up to the school’s cost of attendance minus other aid. There is no lifetime limit.
Graduate PLUS loan borrowers must not have an adverse credit history. PLUS lenders will therefore check a borrower’s credit prior to approving a PLUS loan. A borrower must not have a current delinquency of 90 days or more, and must not have any of the following items within the past five years: Default, Bankruptcy, Discharge, Foreclosure, Repossession, Tax Lien, Wage Garnishment, Write-off of a Title IV Debt, or Open Collection.
PLUS loans have a standard ten-year repayment period, and a minimum monthly payment of $50. Repayment begins within 60 days, but payments can be deferred while a student is attending school at least half-time. Borrowers may select other repayment options, such as Income-Based Repayment, if they wish.
The Federal Graduate PLUS Loan application process
The application process for the Federal Graduate PLUS Loan is similar to that of the Federal Stafford Loan. See the description of the Federal Stafford Loan for more details. Beginning in Fall 2010, all federal loans at California Western School of Law will be processed through the William D. Ford Direct Loan Program.
As with other federal loans, a student must file a FAFSA to establish eligibility, even though the PLUS is not a need-based loan.
The PLUS has its own separate Master Promissory Note which must be completed by the student in either an electronic or paper form.