Direct PLUS Loan Information for Parents

Federal Direct Loan for Undergraduate Students (PLUS)

The U.S. Department of Education makes Federal Direct PLUS Loans available to eligible parents of dependent undergraduate students. To borrow a parent PLUS loan, the parent borrower must:

The dependent undergraduate student must meet the following criteria:

Note: Grandparents (unless they have legally adopted the dependent student) and legal guardians are not eligible to borrow parent PLUS loans, even if they’ve had primary responsibility for raising the student.

How to Apply

Before a parent can apply for a PLUS Loan, the student must first complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

The parent will then access the Direct PLUS Loans for Parents page to complete:

  1. Federal Direct Parent PLUS Loan Application–Click the “Log In to Start” button and log in with your parent FSA ID and password to access and complete the application.
  2. Master Promissory Note(MPN)– The Direct PLUS Loan MPN explains the terms and conditions of Direct PLUS Loans and is your legally binding agreement to repay all Direct PLUS Loans you receive. You will need to log in with your parent FSA ID and password to complete this.

The maximum PLUS loan amount you can borrow is the cost of attendance minus any other financial assistance received. For more information on PLUS loan eligibility and borrowing limits, visit the Department of Education's PLUS Loan for Parents page.

 Effective July 1, 2026, parents may borrow up to $20,000 per year per dependent student, and a maximum aggregate limit of $65,000 per dependent student (without regard to amounts forgiven, repaid, canceled or discharged.

Please note:

Current Parent PLUS borrowers will lose access to Income-Driven Repayment (IDR) plans if they don’t consolidate their current loans before July 1, 2026.

Parent PLUS loan borrowers with loans taken out on or after July 1, 2026, will only have access to the new standard repayment plan.