Loan Information for Parents
The Federal Parent PLUS loan is a federal loan that parents of dependent undergraduate students can use to help pay education expenses.
What is the the Federal Parent PLUS loan?
The U.S. Department of Education makes PLUS Loans to eligible borrowers through the CU Denver’s participation in the Federal Direct Loan Program.
Find more information about the Federal Parent PLUS Loan.
Read more about Interest Rates and Loan Fees.
Interest Rate for Parent PLUS Loans*
| Loan Type | Interest Rate First disbursed on or after July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2025 | Interest Rate First disbursed on or after July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Parent PLUS Loan | 8.94% | 9.08% |
* The rate for each loan is a fixed interest rate for the life of the loan.
Parent PLUS Loan Aggregate limits (Effective July 1, 2026)
- Starting July 1, 2026, Parent PLUS loans will be capped at $20,000 per student per year, with a $65,000 lifetime limit per dependent student.
- Existing Parent PLUS borrowers who have borrowed for their students before July 1, 2026, can continue with the current limits for 3 more years or until the student’s program ends.
Loan Origination Fees for Direct Parent PLUS Loans
An origination fee is a percentage of your loan amount charged by the lender for the processing of your loan. Federal student loans have an origination fee; therefore, the amount you may receive as a disbursement may be slightly lower than the amount you accept.
| Loan Type | Origination Fee First disbursed on or after October 1, 2024 - September 30, 2026 | Origination Fee First disbursed on or after October 1, 2023 - September 30, 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Parent PLUS Loan | 4.228% | 4.228% |
Complete the Loan Process
Parents who choose to borrow a Federal Direct Parent PLUS Loan to assist with educational expenses will have steps to complete for each loan borrowed. All loan requirements must be completed for the university to apply Parent PLUS Loan funds to your student’s CU Denver tuition.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
- Direct PLUS Loans are loans made to parents of dependent undergraduate students to help pay for education expenses not covered by other financial aid.
- Eligibility is not based on financial need, but a credit check is required.
- A biological, adoptive parent, or a stepparent that is included on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) of a dependent undergraduate student enrolled at least half time (6 credit hours).
- Grandparents (unless they have legally adopted the dependent student) and legal guardians are not eligible to apply for a Parent PLUS, even if they have had primary responsibility for raising the student.
- You may apply for the credit-based loan at StudentAid.gov
- Be sure to pick the correct aid year and the correct Loan Period
- For a Fall – Spring Loan pick Academic Year Loan Period
- For a summer loan select Summer Only Loan Period
- If approved for the loan, complete required loan paperwork
- The application for each aid year generally opens mid-June the summer before the Fall term.
- Parents can borrow up to the entire cost of attendance for an academic year, minus any financial aid the student accepted or plans to accept. Visit the Cost of Attendance Estimator and review all expenses included in your student’s cost of attendance. You student can view their estimated Cost of Attendance used for the aid offer in their UCDAccess Portal, and can visit our How To Page for instructions.
- Determine which expenses you would like to fund with a Parent PLUS loan.
- Review student aid offer for the amount CU Denver charges covered by the student’s scholarships. grants and Federal Direct Student Loans. If the student aid does not cover all the CU Denver charges we recommend you add that amount to the additional costs you would like to cover with the Parent PLUS loan.
- We will receive notification within 2-3 business days after you have completed a PLUS Loan application.
- If you are eligible for the loan based on the credit check, the Parent PLUS loan will be added to the student your student’s UCDAccess portal.
- Credit-based private education loans are available to student borrowers if federal loan options are either not available or families feel they need additional financing. These loans typically require a student borrower to secure a creditworthy co-signer. We encourage families to exhaust all federal loan options before utilizing this type of loan to assist with educational expenses.
Visit https://studentaid.gov/understand-aid/types/loans/plus for more information on Federal Parent PLUS Loans.