Loans

Federal and Private Loan Options

A graduate degree is an investment in your future, and one way many students choose to fund that investment is through carefully considered borrowing. When managed correctly, an educational loan can be an invaluable tool in financing your DU education, as many educational loans offer more favorable terms than other consumer loans. Of course, since all loans must be repaid, you should explore all of your options and only borrow what you absolutely need.

• Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan

  The Federal Direct Unsubsidized loan is the most widely used loan for graduate students. Almost all students who submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) will have this loan offered as a part of their financial aid package. Eligibility requires that students complete a be enrolled in in a minimum of 4 credit hours in a degree seeking program.

  Maximum Loan Limits

  Current borrowers—those who have borrowed a Direct loan at DU for a program for which they are currently enrolled will be offered loans according to the maximum loan amount detailed below:

  • Current borrower maximum loan amount: $20,500 per academic year. The lifetime borrowing limit is $138,500. (Students in the Doctor of Psychology program and Clinical Psychology program are eligible for up to $33,000 per academic year, with an additional $4,167 if enrolled in summer courses.)

   

  New borrowers—those who have not borrowed Direct loans for their current program at DU, will be offered loans according to the maximum loan amount detailed below:  

  • New borrower maximum loan amount: $20,500 per academic year with a maximum aggregate of $100,000 (not including undergraduate debt).

   

  New borrowers, as previously described, that are enrolled in a professional program will be offered loans according to the maximum loan amount detailed below:  

  • Professional student maximum loan amount: Up to $50,000 per academic year and a total maximum aggregate of $200,000 (not  including undergraduate loan debt).

   

  Current borrowers enrolled in a professional program must adhere to the current borrower maximum loan amount: $20,500 per academic year with a lifetime borrowing limit is $138,500. (Students in the Doctor of Psychology program are eligible for up to $33,000 per academic year, with an additional $4,167 if enrolled in summer courses.)

  Professional programs offered by DU include: 

  • Law (JD), 
  • Clinical Psychology (PhD)
  • Psychology (PhD)

   

  Interest Rates and Fees

  • For loans borrowed during the 2025-26 academic year: 7.94%
  • Interest rates for  the 2026-27 academic year will be announced in May 2026. 

   

  These interest rates are fixed for the life of the loan and begin accruing when the loan is first disbursed. Interest continues to accrue throughout the life of the loan. You have the option to pay the interest directly to your servicer as it accrues. If not paid, interest will be capitalized when repayment begins.

  Origination Fee: A loan origination fee is proportionately deducted at the disbursement of each installment of the loan. For loans first disbursed on or after Oct. 1, 2020, and before Oct. 1, 2026, the fee is 1.057%.

  
  Requirements for Disbursement

  You must complete both a Master Promissory Note and Entrance Counseling online at StudentAid.gov, and remain enrolled in a minimum of 4 credits or more, to receive funds.

  Direct Loan Repayment

  No payments are required while you're in school, and repayment begins six months after you graduate or cease to be enrolled in at least 4 credit hours. Payments are made to your Direct Loan servicer each month. Your monthly payment amount will depend on your total borrowing and chosen repayment plan.

  The standard repayment period is 10 years but can be as long as 25 years depending on total borrowing and chosen repayment plan. These loans can also be consolidated with other federal loans.

  Learn More about Direct Loan repayment

• Federal Direct Graduate PLUS Loan

  The Federal Direct Graduate PLUS Loan (Grad PLUS loan) is a fixed-interest loan for credit-worthy graduate students who submit the FAFSA, to help with out-of-pocket costs needed to attend college. 

  The Graduate PLUS Loan program will begin it's phase-out process on July 1, 2026. Only existing Direct loan borrowers—those who borrowed a Direct loan at DU prior to July 1, 2026 for their same program of study— will be considered legacy borrowers. The legacy loan provision allows legacy borrowers the option to continue borrowing through Graduate PLUS loan program for up to three additional  academic years, or for the remainder of that program's published length at DU, whichever period is shorter.

  In addition to current law students, graduate students who will begin their program in the summer quarter of 2026 will see the Grad PLUS loan included in their 2025-26 financial aid offer. Beginning with the 2026-27academic year, only legacy borrowers will see the Graduate PLUS loan option included ion their financial aid offer.

  >>>Learn more about the Legacy Loan Provision

  Credit Check Requirements 

  To be approved for the Graduate PLUS loan, you must not have an adverse credit history. Students who are denied a Graduate PLUS loan because of adverse credit may reapply with a credit-worthy cosigner. If there are documented extenuating circumstances related to your credit history, you may appeal the denial by submitting documentation to the Department of Education.

  Conditions that result in an adverse credit history include:

  • One or more debts with a total combined outstanding balance greater than $2,085 that are 90 or more days delinquent, or that have been placed in collection or charged-off (written off) during the two years preceding the date of the credit report.
  • Having been subject to any of the following conditions during the five years preceding the date of the credit report:
    • Default determination
    • Discharge of debts in bankruptcy
    • Foreclosure
    • Repossession
    • Tax lien
    • Wage garnishment
    • Write-off of a federal student aid debt

  
  Students may borrow up to total cost of attendance, minus all other offered and accepted financial aid.

  Interest Rates and Fees

  • For loans borrowed during the 2025-26 academic year: 8.94%
  • Interest rates for the 2026-27 academic year will be announced in May. 

  
  Interest rates are fixed for the life of the loan and begin accruing when the loan is first disbursed. Interest continues to accrue throughout the life of the loan. You can pay the interest directly to your servicer as it accrues if you wish. If not paid, interest will be capitalized when repayment begins.

  Origination Fee:

  A loan origination fee is proportionately deducted at the disbursement of each installment of the loan. For loans with a first disbursement before Oct. 1, 2026, the fee is 4.228%.

  
  Steps to Apply Online

  Current students interested in securing a Grad PLUS loan for the 2025-26 academic year may apply online using the following steps:

  1. Visit StudentAid.gov.
  2. Under the Grants and Loans drop-down menu, select "PLUS Loans: Graduate PLUS and Parent PLUS."
  3. Next to the borrower type I am a Graduate or Professional Student option, click "Learn More."
  4. Click "Log In" to begin the online application.
  5. If approved, you'll also need to complete a Master Promissory Note (MPN) on StudentAid.gov.

   

  Loan Disbursement Requirements 

  In addition to an approved credit check, you must also complete a Master Promissory Note, and remain enrolled in a minimum of 4 credit hours to receive a disbursement of loan funds applied to your tuition account.

  Loan Repayment  

  No payments are required while you're in school, and repayment begins six months after you graduate or drop below half-time enrollment. Payments are made to your Direct Loan servicer each month. Your monthly payment amount will depend on your total borrowing and chosen repayment plan.

  The standard repayment period is 10 years but can be as long as 25 years depending on total borrowing and chosen repayment plan. The Grad PLUS loan can be consolidated with other federal loans.

  >>>>>Learn more about Direct Loan repayment plans and options

• Private Student Loan Options

  Many financial institutions offer private student loans, sometimes called alternative loans. These programs may offer interest rates and terms that are competitive with those of federal loans. However, federal student loans are legally required to provide a range of repayment options, including income-based repayment plans and loan forgiveness benefits. Private loans are not required to offer any such flexibility. Since Federal Direct loans are available to all students regardless of financial need, they often represent a preferable funding option. Learn more about federal versus private loans.

• Private Loan Information and Historical Lender List

  Interest rates, origination fees, and repayment information all vary widely from lender to lender. If you choose to pursue a private education loan, you will need to apply directly through the lender of your choice. Apply early, as processing may take several weeks. As part of the application process, you will be required to complete the Private Education Loan Applicant Self-Certification Form, which is also available on each lender's website. Information needed to complete this form, such as cost of attendance, can be obtained from either your financial aid offer or via My4D.

  Eligibility: Private education loans are available to all credit-worthy students (no FAFSA needed). Eligibility for private loans varies among lenders, but a credit check and/or debt-to-income ratio is usually required. A co-borrower may also be required.

  Maximum Loan Amount: Up to your total cost of attendance, less all other financial aid.

  Historical Lenders: We maintain a historical list of institutions that have provided loans to DU borrowers. Lenders included on this list have issued loans to at least five unique DU borrowers within the last five years. You can view this list through ELMSelect, which allows you to compare lenders by interest rate and repayment benefits.

  We will certify loan requests from all lenders, including those that do not appear on our private loan lender list. Loans will first pay toward your charges, and if you have borrowed an amount greater than your bill, the Office of Student Billing will generate a refund to you for the difference.