Please note that before a student can apply for the GRAD PLUS Loan, the student must have successfully completed a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

The following steps must be completed by the graduate student applying for the loan.

  1. You must visit the Federal Student Aid website.

  2. Click the Log In button on the main page on the Federal Student Aid website and log in using your Federal Student Aid ID (FSA ID). This is the same ID that is used to sign the FAFSA each year.

  3. Once logged in, click the “Apply for a PLUS Loan” option.

  4. Read through the site, and click the button for “Complete PLUS Request for Graduate/Professional Students.”

  5. You will be prompted to enter additional information, such as the academic year (or "award year") for which you are selecting the loan and other authorizations.

  6. The GRAD PLUS loan may cover charges directly listed on the UML student invoice.

  7. Under the “School and Loan Information” section, you will choose the state of “Massachusetts” from the first dropdown.

  8. Under the School Name dropdown menu, choose “University of Massachusetts/Lowell.”

  9. If you are making a change to a loan amount specified in a previous PLUS Loan application, select the application from the pull down menu that you want to modify. Specify the new loan amount.

  10. Under the “Loan Amount Requested” area, you will have three options to choose from. The first option is to borrow the maximum amount of PLUS Loan funding for which you’re eligible, as determined by the school (Please note that this loan amount may actually be more than your billed charges from the school. If you need help determining an accurate loan amount, please contact The Solution Center at 978-934-2000.) The second option is to request a specific dollar amount. The third option is that you don’t know the amount to borrow. If you don’t know how much you should borrow, please contact us at The Solution Center at 978-934-2000 for guidance on what loan amount to request before proceeding.

  11. Remember to account for the origination fee when calculating the amount of your loan. The government charges a fee of 4.228% on the loan and retains this amount before sending the net amount of funds to the school.

  12. Next, under the Loan Period section, you can choose the term or terms that you want the loan funds for. You will not be able to borrow more than the established Cost of Attendance each semester, minus any other aid received.

  13. Click the “Continue” button at the bottom of the page.

  14. On this next page, you will be asked to enter Borrower Information. Please ensure this information is accurate, as it cannot be changed once submitted. Click “Continue.”

  15. Next, you will review your information that you entered. Ensure all the information is accurate. If you need to correct any data, click the “Edit” button. If the information is correct, click “Continue.”

  16. On the next page, you must read and agree to the statements from the Department of Education, certifying that your information is true and accurate, and agreeing to have your credit checked by the U.S. Department of Education. Once you check the boxes, click “Continue.”

  17. You will receive your credit decision a few moments after submitting.
    • a. If your loan is approved, you will be asked to sign a Master Promissory Note (or MPN). The MPN must be complete before the loan is finalized.

    • b. If your loan is denied, you will be given additional information about how to find a potential endorser, or how to appeal the denial if you so choose.

  18. The U.S. Department of Education will send notification of your PLUS loan application to the University of Massachusetts Lowell within the next two business days for further review.