Columbia Financial Aid and Educational Financing

Graduate PLUS Loan

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Due to the higher interest rate and origination fee, we recommend graduate students first borrow their maximum Federal Direct Loan eligibility before borrowing any PLUS.

  • Interest Rate = 7.595% for loans disbursed after July 1, 2018.
  • Origination Fee for loans disbursing after October 1, 2018 is 4.248% Calculate Fee
  • Graduate students may borrow up to the cost of attendance minus any other financial assistance received.
  • Students can estimate post-graduation monthly loan repayment using the Repayment Estimator

How to Apply:

  1. Complete the 2018-2019 FAFSA Application
  2. Complete Graduate PLUS Entrance Counseling and Master Promissory Note
    • Each of these items are valid for 10 years after completion and you should not have to complete them again for any new loan request.
  3. Complete a Graduate PLUS Loan application

We will be processing Graduate PLUS Loan applications for the Summer on a rolling basis.

Important note:

  • Note that your loan eligibility may change if you receive any funding from other sources, including departmental funding or stipends. If you are receiving any funds in addition to loans, please report them to our office. If you receive funding during the year, we may reduce your loans accordingly.
  • We will also update your loan eligibility based on your enrollment. If you reduce your credits, we may have to reduce your loans correspondingly, as your cost of attendance is based on your enrollment.