A PLUS Loan is an additional federal loan that can be used to help pay for education expenses.’
Direct PLUS Loan
To receive a Direct PLUS Loan, you must:
- Be the parent (biological, adoptive, or in some cases, stepparent) of a dependent undergraduate student enrolled at least half-time (6 + credits)
- Starting in 2026-27: New parent PLUS borrowers will be limited to borrowing $20,000 per year per dependent student ($65,000 aggregate limit per dependent student).
- Existing Parent PLUS borrowers may qualify for legacy provisions that allow additional borrowing based on the prior regulations, if the dependent student is continuously enrolled and is not enrolled beyond the expected time for program completion (typically 4 years).
- OR be a graduate or professional degree student enrolled at least half-time (5+ credits) in an eligible program leading to a degree or certificate
- Starting in 2026-27: The Graduate PLUS loan is no longer available to new graduate student borrowers.
- Existing Graduate PLUS borrowers may qualify for legacy provisions that allow additional borrowing based on the prior regulations, if continuously enrolled and not enrolled beyond the expected time for program completion (typically 2 years).
- AND meet the general eligibility requirements for federal student aid. If you are borrowing on behalf of your child, your child must also meet these requirements
Get more detailed information about loan terms, fees, applying, and repayment.
There are origination fees associated with all federal loans that affect the net amount received. Please use our Loan Fee Calculator if you are wanting to receive a specific amount.
Application Process
The application process:
- The PLUS Loan Application must be submitted at studentaid.gov.
- The PLUS Loan application will still be available, however students must meet eligibility criteria in order to receive funds.
- New graduate student applicants will still be able to complete this application, however, PLUS loan funding will not be available to new graduate PLUS borrowers.
- The application opens on May 1 prior to the academic year. For Fall 2026, applications open May 1, 2026.
- Requires loan applicants to sign-on using their FSA ID. Parents applying for a PLUS loan should use their own FSA ID tied to their personal information.
- Navigate to the PLUS Loan Application page.
- Be sure to select the correct PLUS Loan type: Parent or Graduate
- Follow prompts and complete the application.
- A credit check is required as part of the process and you will know immediately if you’ve been approved or denied.
- Drop-down boxes will allow you to select the semester you wish to receive the loan. Please select according to the dates below. Summer is always processed independently from fall and spring semesters
How much should I borrow?
- On the PLUS application, you may request a specific loan amount (e.g. $5,000).
- OR, for Parent PLUS borrowers, you can borrow up to $20,000 per year per dependent student ($65,000 total aggregate limit per dependent student).
- The amount of financial aid that you can receive is determined by your Cost of Attendance. Boise State provides an estimated cost to attend for the term (based on enrollment, residency, living expenses). After subtracting your existing aid, the remaining gap can be filled with a PLUS loan, if approved.
- We recommend using the Bottom Line Estimator to determine what funding you may need to bridge the gap between your expenses and other student aid.
- In some cases, after tuition and charges are paid on an account, there may be a refund from a Parent PLUS loan. On the PLUS application, a parent can determine where the refund is issued (student or parent). Refund checks to parents will be mailed to the address provided on the application.
Repayment Estimator
