Parent Loans

The Federal Direct PLUS Loan is a non-need-based loan for parents of all income levels. Parents without an adverse credit history may borrow up to the total cost of education minus financial aid.

Interest Rate/Loan Fees

Federal PLUS Loans disbursed after July 1, 2024 and before July 1, 2025 have a fixed interest rate of 9.08%. An origination fee of 4.228% of the loan principal is deducted at the time of loan disbursement.

PLUS Application Process

The following steps must be followed in order to obtain a Federal Direct Parent PLUS Loan:

  1. If not completed already, the student must file a FAFSA for the academic year
  2. The parent borrower must complete a Direct PLUS Loan Application at studentaid.gov/plus-app/
  3. The parent borrower borrowing on behalf of their Bates student for the first time must complete an Electronic Master Promissory Note (MPN) at studentaid.gov/mpn/

Please note that federal regulations do not permit us to certify loans after the end of the academic year; therefore, all of the requirements listed above must be completed and/or received in our office prior to the end of the academic year

Disbursement

Loan proceeds are disbursed in two equal installments, at the beginning of each semester.

PLUS Loan Repayment

Repayment of PLUS Loans begins 60 days after the funds are fully disbursed. Parents have the option of deferring payments on the PLUS Loan while the undergraduate student on whose behalf the loan was borrowed is enrolled and during the six-month grace period after the student graduates or ceases to be a student. Interest continues to accrue during this deferment period, however. Alternate repayment terms such as extended repayment, graduated repayment and income-contingent repayment are also available. Extending repayment can make monthly payments more manageable, but may result in more interest paid over time. Comprehensive information regarding loan repayment, including repayment calculators to help you estimate monthly payments is available through at studentaid.gov/loan-simulator/.