• File the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
• Meet Temple University Financial Aid eligibility requirements
• Be admitted into a graduate or professional degree program of study.
  • Post-bachelor students taking courses to gain admission to a graduate or professional program are not eligible; neither are students taking courses necessary for their teacher certification. 
• Be a U.S. Citizen or Eligible Non-Citizen
• All previously borrowed loans must be in good standing.
  • Students cannot be in default on a federal loan
• Consent to and pass a credit check peformed by the U.S. Department of Education 

Post-Baccalaureate students taking courses to gain admission to a graduate or professional program are not eligible.

The U.S. Department of Education uses Equifax to perform credit checks. This check only considers a borrower's recent credit history; the application and credit check do not require income, nor does the check review income-to-debt ratios or credit scores. Information on this process and adverse credit is available on the StudentAid.gov website.

To ensure that we are providing the best possible service to our students, SFS will certify Graduate PLUS Loans for the full year (Fall and Spring combined). Summer are separate loan period and require a separate loan application from the Fall and Spring semesters.

The only exceptions to the full-year policy will be for those students who:

1. Are entering their final semester and will graduate at the end of the fall term (confirmation of graduation will be required in the form of a letter or an email to sfs@temple.edu from the academic advisor, or a copy of the application to graduate.)
   *As a result, our office will adjust the entire financial aid award according to regulations and then certify the loan for the single semester in question.
2. New spring admits and/or students who did not attend the fall semester
3. Students participating in a study abroad/away program for a single semester. A copy of the program acceptance/admittance will be required, if there are no charges on the account reflecting your status.

2022-23 Loan Terms

• Fall/Spring (recommended): August 22, 2022 to April 24, 2023
• Summer: determined by the term in which you are enrolled

For Direct PLUS Loans first disbursed on or after July 1, 2023 and before July 1, 2024, the interest rate is 8.05%

For Direct PLUS Loans first disbursed on or after July 1, 2024 and before July 1, 2025, the interest rate is 9.08%

These are fixed interest rates for the life of the loan.

The 2023-2024 origination fee is 4.228%. The 2024-2025 fee has not yet been released.

• Determine how much is needed in the loan.
  • Borrowers can choose a specific amount or opt to have the maximum possible amount processed.
  • The maximum amount is determined by the following calculation:
    Students's Cost of Attendance (minus) all other aid = maximum amount of loan that can be processed
  • When calculating an amount less than the maximum possible award, consider the following:
    • Use the tuition calculator to calculate tuition, housing, meals and to subtract aid offered
    • Calculate the loan origination fee that will be assessed equally on the disbursements
• Submit the application via studentloans.gov
  • The student must log in with their FSA ID and password.
  • Submit the application for the correct academic year. 
    • New Fall students can begin applying on June 1st
    • Returning students can begin applying on July 1st
  • The Fall account statement is issued on the third Monday in July. Students may choose to wait until they receive the statement to submit an application

Credit decisions are emailed to the parent who completed the application within 24 hours of submission.

If the loan credit is approved

• Complete the PLUS Master Promissory Note (MPN) on the  U.S. Department of Education Student Loans website. Choose "Complete Master Promissory Note (MPN)" then select "Graduate PLUS." Follow the four-step process to accept your loan. 
• HSC graduate students must then submit the HSC Graduate Enrollment Form.

If the loan is credit is declined

• Borrowers with an adverse credit history may still receive a Direct PLUS Loan by obtaining an endorser who does not have an adverse credit history or documenting to the U.S. Department of Education’s satisfaction extenuating circumstances relating to your adverse credit history.

For more information visit, StudentAid.gov or by calling Direct Loan Applicant Services at 800-557-7394 for more information regarding thedenial, appeal, or endorser process. 

Main Campus graduate students that wish to increase an existing Graduate PLUS loan must submit the request in writing to the SFS office via the Graduate Federal Loan Change Request Form. This form should be submitted via email to [click-for-email]; TUSafeSend is the preferred method of email. The form can also be downloaded from sfs.temple.edu/forms.

HSC graduate students that wish to increase an existing Graduate PLUS loan must complete another HSC Graduate Enrollment Form then submit to the HSC Student Financial Services office for the additional amount needed. Another credit check will not be performed if the request is for the same loan term period. 

To decrease an existing loan, please submit a the request in writing to the SFS office (email from official TUmail account to [click-for-email] is acceptable) specifically stating the amount to decrease including loan period, student name and TUID. 

Repayment

Graduate PLUS loans are deferred while the student-borrower is enrolled at least half-time (4.5 credits) and for an additional six months after the student ceases to be enrolled.. 

The federal loan servicer assigned to the student's loan will provide information about repayment and confirm the date repayment begins. Payments are made to the federal loan servicer. Repayment terms rang from 10 to 25 years.

To calculate estimated loan payments, use the Direct Loan Repayment Calculator. 

Deferment

Deferment allows borrwers to delay loan repayment. Upon disbursement, borrowers will receive repayment and deferment information from their loan servicer. Learn more about deferment options.

Deferred loans still accrue interest on the loan during the deferment. The borrower may choose to pay the accrued interest or allow the interest to capitalize when the deferment period ends. The loan servicer will notify the borrower when the first payment is due. 

Forbearance

Borrowers who are unable to make their scheduled loan payments should contact their loan servicer immediately. The servicer can help the borrower understand their options for keeping the loan in good standing. For example, the borrower may wish to change their repayment plan or request a deferment or forbearance that allows them to temporarily stop or lower the payments on the loan. Learn more about forbearance options. 

In certain situations, borrowers can have their federal student loan forgiven, canceled, or discharged.