Graduate and Professional Student Loans | Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid

What types of Federal Direct loans are available for Graduate/Professional students?

Click or enter to reveal information below

Under the William D. Ford Federal Loan (Direct Loan) Program, the U.S. Department of Education offers two types of loans to eligible Graduate, degree-seeking students.

Direct Unsubsidized Loans are available to Graduate and Professional students. There is no requirement to demonstrate financial need. You are responsible for paying the interest on a Direct Unsubsidized Loan during all periods.
Direct PLUS Loans are available to Graduate or Professional students. Like the Direct Unsubsidized Loan, there is no requirement to demonstrate financial need. This loan is credit-based.

Am I eligible for a Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan or a Federal Direct PLUS Loan?

Click or enter to reveal information below

In general, the requirements for you to receive a Federal Direct Loan include:

Be enrolled at least half-time. Normally, 5 units of graduate level coursework is considered half-time.
Be a degree-seeking Graduate or Professional student.

Learn more about general eligibility requirements to receive federal student aid

Can I be denied the PLUS loan for adverse credit?

Click or enter to reveal information below

Yes. One of the eligibility requirements to receive a Direct PLUS Loan is that the applicant must not have an adverse credit history. A credit check is performed to determine whether a Direct PLUS Loan applicant meets this requirement. Below are answers to common questions about adverse credit and Direct PLUS Loans

For purposes of qualifying for a Direct PLUS Loan, you’re considered to have an adverse credit history if

you have one or more debts with a total combined outstanding balance greater than $2,085 that are 90 or more days delinquent as of the date of the credit report, or that have been placed in collection or charged off (written off) during the two years preceding the date of the credit report; or
during the five years preceding the date of the credit report, you have been subject to a
- default determination,
- discharge of debts in bankruptcy,
- foreclosure,
- repossession,
- tax lien,
- wage garnishment, or
- write-off of a federal student aid debt

See Department of Education document: https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/sites/default/files/plus-adverse-credit.pdf

What are the Interest Rates and Fees for the Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loans?

Click or enter to reveal information below

Find current interest rates and loan fee information on Federal Student Aid.

How much can I borrow?

Click or enter to reveal information below

Your school determines the loan type(s), if any, and the actual loan amount you are eligible to receive each academic year (i.e., at the University of Arizona an academic year consists of the Fall, Spring and Summer terms). There are limits on the amount in loans you may be eligible to receive which is referred to as your annual loan limit and your aggregate loan limit. These limits vary depending on your career in school.

Learn more Annual and Aggregate Loan Limits

Deciding how much to borrow and Repayment Estimator

Click or enter to reveal information below

Before you take out a loan, it’s important to understand that a loan is a legal obligation that you will be responsible for repaying with interest. You may not have to begin repaying your federal student loans right away, but you don’t have to wait to understand your responsibilities as a borrower.

Before you borrow or enter repayment, you can use the Department of Education's Repayment Estimator to get an early look at which repayment plans you may be eligible for and see estimates for how much you would pay monthly and overall.

How do I increase or reduce the loan I already accepted?

Click or enter to reveal information below

Requesting Additional Federal Direct Loan Funds

To request that additional Direct Loan funds be offered, you must contact our office via the Ask Aid portal or call 520-621-1858.

Requesting Cancelation of Your Federal Direct Loan(s)

A written request (fax: 520.621.9473, email: via the Ask Aid portal) is required to reduce or cancel a Federal Direct Loan. If the funds have already disbursed to your Bursar billing account, you will be required to return the disbursed funds before the loan will be canceled. Any account balance created as a result of the reduction or cancelation of a disbursed loan must be repaid immediately.

Your consent is not required if the University of Arizona must cancel or reduce your loans to remain in compliance with Federal regulations. Regardless of the type of cancelation, any account balance created as a result of the reduction or cancelation of a disbursed loan must be repaid by the student immediately.

When will Graduate students be awarded with Federal Direct Loans for the academic year?

Click or enter to reveal information below

OSFA will begin offering Graduate students with Federal Direct Loans in early July. Review instructions for how to apply for aid here.

I was not offered the Federal Graduate PLUS Loan, how do I request to be offered this loan?

Click or enter to reveal information below

You may request to be offered the Federal Graduate PLUS Loan by contacting the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid office. Your request will be reviewed and if you are offered the loan, you must follow instructions listed here to accept and apply for the loan as the loan does require a credit-check.

Fall 2021-Spring 2022 Federal Direct Loan Dates

In general, loans can begin to be accepted in mid-July for the following academic year (fall and spring semester) and must be accepted by the last day of the semester in which you attend.

A student is no longer eligible for loan funds if they cease attendance or their enrollment becomes less than halftime and the loans were not accepted before the change in enrollment.

Federal Direct Loans accepted after the following priority deadlines may not be processed. Please review the important dates below to ensure timely processing of your direct loan funds.

Students and parents must accept Federal Direct Loans before the end of the academic term for which they (or their student) is registered. If students are not registered for the spring term, their federal loans must be accepted and processed before the end of the fall term.


Item	Date
Fall 2021 deadline to enroll in Web Refund	August 20, 2021
Spring 2022 deadline to enroll in Web Refund	December 31, 2021
Must accept 2021-2022 Federal Direct Loans if enrolled in Spring 2022	April 28, 2022
Accept loans for December graduates or students not enrolled in University of Arizona courses for Spring 2022	December 16, 2021

Accept Your Loans