Sallie Mae

 
 
  College Costs

Education Savings Plans

Free Money for College

  Loans to Help Pay
  •  Federal Loans
     - Stafford Loans
    - Perkins Loans
    - Parent PLUS
  arrow - Grad PLUS
     - Comparing
  •  Private Loans
  •  Home Equity Loans
  •  Other Loans
 
Other Ways to Pay

Student Financial Aid

Tax Benefits

Información en Español
 

 
 
Loans to Help Pay

Federal Graduate PLUS Loans

Eligibility | Features | Limits | Fees | Interest | Repayment


Pay for grad school with the Federal Graduate PLUS loan.

A Graduate PLUS Loan is a low-interest education loan that allows graduate and professional students to borrow up to the full cost of their education (tuition, room and board), less other financial aid received including Federal Stafford loans.

Apply for PLUS Loan

Eligibility

  • You may be eligible for a Graduate PLUS loan if you are enrolled in school at least half time.
  • A credit check is required.
  • You must be a U.S. citizen or national, a U.S. permanent resident, or an eligible non-citizen.
  • You must submit a FAFSA.

Features

  • Flexible repayment options are available.
  • No payments while you are in school at least half time. You can manage your account online 24/7 at ManageYourLoans.
  • You get life-of-loan servicing from Sallie Mae.
  • There is no prepayment penalty.
  • We have an easy online application and approval process with an instant credit decision. Interest may be tax deductible.
  • You can align repayment of your Graduate PLUS loans with your Stafford loans. Many Sallie Mae lenders offer borrower benefits on Graduate PLUS loans that can save you money while you are in school and throughout repayment.

Save even more with Upromise Loan LinkSM! Student and parent borrowers who join Upromise® can link their Sallie Mae® loan account to their Upromise account and use their Upromise rewards to help pay down their eligible Sallie Mae serviced student loans.

Upromise members can turn everyday spending into savings for education by shopping with participating companies who will contribute a portion of their qualified spending into their Upromise account. Once borrowers become Upromise members, they can invite family and friends to join and contribute their rewards to the borrower’s Upromise account to increase savings.

Limits

You may borrow up to the full cost of your education, less other aid received.

Fees

There is a 3% origination fee charged by the federal government. The 1% federal default fee will be paid on the borrowers behalf on Sallie Mae Medical School Loans Graduate PLUS Loan guaranteed by USAF or NELA February 1, 2008–June 30, 2009.

Interest

The Graduate PLUS interest rate is fixed at 8.5%.

Sample Monthly Repayment Chart
 
 Interest Rates          
Amount Borrowed
5%
7%
9%
$5,000
$53.03 $58.05 $63.34
$6,000
$63.64 $69.67 $76.01
$8,000
$84.85 $92.89 $101.34
$10,000
$106.07 $116.11 $126.68
$20,000
$212.13 $232.22 $253.35
$30,000
$318.20 $348.33 $380.03

Chart does not include capitalization and presumes all payments are made "on time" in accordance with
repayment schedule.

Use College Answer's Online Repayment Calculator to estimate monthly loan payments based on the principal balance, interest rate, and loan term.


Repayment

Standard Repayment: You make both principal and interest payments each month up to a 10-year repayment term. This plan has the lowest total interest cost.

Graduated Repayment: You make reduced payments in the early years of repayment and increased payments thereafter, while still paying off the loans within the maximum 10-year period. With graduated repayment, you have a higher total loan cost than with standard repayment.

Income-sensitive Repayment: Payments are a percentage of your gross income. You must reapply every year for this plan and payments are adjusted annually to reflect changes in income. With income-sensitive repayment, you have a higher total loan cost than with standard repayment.

Extended Repayment: If you have a high amount of student loan debt, you may be eligible for up to a 25-year repayment term and the choice of standard or graduated payments to keep payments affordable. With extended repayment, you have a higher total loan cost than with standard repayment.

Student Loan Consolidation: You combine your eligible loans into a new loan with a single monthly payment and a fixed interest rate. While student loan consolidation can substantially lower your monthly payments, it will generally result in a higher total loan cost.

Legal

  • You are responsible for all interest that accrues on the Graduate PLUS loan. Unpaid interest will be capitalized (added to the loan principal) and you will therefore pay interest on a higher amount.
  • Repayment on PLUS loans begins within 60 days after the final disbursement of the loan. Graduate PLUS loans, for borrowers who are certified by their school to be attending at least half time, will be placed into in-school deferment. No payments are required during in-school deferment.

*The 1 percent point interest rate reduction benefit is available after the first payment has been made by the due date as initially scheduled and during active periods of repayment for as long as the borrower continues to make payments by the due dates as initially scheduled. A borrower who makes a single late payment can re-earn the interest rate reductions by making the next 24 payments by the due dates as initially scheduled.

**The 0.50 percentage point interest rate reduction is available during active periods of repayment for as long as the borrower's payment is successfully deducted from their bank account. The interest rates referenced assume that the borrower takes advantage of all of the interest rate reduction borrower benefits offered by the Sallie Mae lender or selected lender partner. Borrower benefits described above are available on Graduate PLUS loans first disbursed July 1, 2007–June 30, 2008 by Sallie Mae lenders and selected lender partners.

back to top ^

 
 
Apply for PLUS Loan

Benefits of a Graduate PLUS Loan from Sallie Mae
•  Online credit approval
•  Highest approval rates
•  Flexible repayment options
•  Interest rate reduction for auto debit customers
•  Exceptional customer service
•  Convenient online account access

Lenders that work with
Sallie Mae:

Sallie Mae Education TrustSM
Academic Management Services®
Nellie Mae®
Southwest Student Services Corporation®
Student Loan Finance Association
Student Loan FundingSM Resources

    ©2000-2009 Sallie Mae, Inc. All rights reserved.
Privacy Policy | Press Room | Site Map
About College Answer

SLM Corporation and its subsidiaries are not sponsored by or agencies of the United States of America.