Federal Direct Parent Loan for Undergraduate Students (PLUS)
The Direct PLUS Loan is a low interest government loan available to credit worthy parents of dependent students. PLUS loans can help pay for educational expenses that are not covered by other financial aid.
The PLUS loan requires approval from the U.S. Department of Education and is based on the parent borrower’s credit worthiness as determined by a credit check. Parents who have passed a credit check are eligible to borrow the difference between the Tompkins Cortland cost of attendance minus any other financial aid the student receives. The maximum PLUS eligibility is included on a student’s financial aid award letter.
PLUS borrowers must complete a PLUS Master Promissory Note and, in some cases, entrance counseling to learn about their rights and responsibilities as a parent loan borrower. The interest rate is capped at 7.9%. The parent borrower enters repayment sixty days after the loan proceeds are applied to the student’s billing account. The parent borrower has the option to defer loan payments while the student is attending classes at Tompkins Cortland.