Parent PLUS loan

Apply for a Parent PLUS Loan

If the aid you received does not cover all your college costs, a Federal Parent PLUS loan is an option for parents to borrow an additional loan to help cover your costs. Check out what a Parent PLUS loan is and if it is the right option for you. We have also provided the steps you need to take to apply. The average processing time is 4 - 6 weeks.

Step 1

You must first have completed a FAFSA, received an award letter, and be enrolled at least half time for the loan period your parent is choosing to borrow on your behalf. If you have questions about your enrollment status, please contact Blugold Central.

Step 2

Print and complete the current Parent PLUS loan application. The parent should return the completed application to Blugold Central. Any credit holds must be removed so the credit check can be processed. The Financial Aid Office will review the application for accuracy and ensure eligibility remains. 

2025-26 Parent PLUS Loan Application

2026-27 Parent PLUS Loan Application - We encourage you to submit the Parent PLUS Loan Application to our office, however, due to changes the Department of Education recently made to the FAFSA application, our office is experiencing delays in processing 2026-27 financial aid while we wait for our software to be updated. We anticipate the ability to begin processing Parent PLUS Loan applications by early August. 

Step 3

Once the Parent PLUS loan has been approved or denied, an email is sent to the parent borrower using the email address provided on the PLUS application. The student will also receive a campus email in reference to the Parent PLUS loan decision at this time.

Step 4

If the PLUS Loan is approved, a Master Promissory Note (MPN) must be completed by the parent who applied for the loan. In order to sign you must:

• Obtain an FSA ID, which serves as your electronic signature on the MPN.
• Complete and sign your Parent PLUS MPN, using the FSA ID
• Print a copy of the PLUS MPN for your records.

Step 5

In some cases, the PLUS Loan is denied. In that situation,

1. We can award additional Unsubsidized Direct Loan to the student (if that’s what both the student and parent agree to)
2. The parent can appeal the denial
3. The parent can look for a credit-worthy co-signer.

Note: Parents who are denied the Parent PLUS Loan and are seeking a co-signer or parents who have their credit decision overturned are required to complete PLUS Loan Counseling before the PLUS loan can be disbursed. If you have any questions about the process or status of your application for a Parent PLUS loan, please contact the Blugold Central Office.

Deferment Option Available

Typically, loan repayment on a Parent PLUS Loan begins 60 days after the final disbursement of the loan, however, the borrower may request a Parent PLUS Borrower Deferment Request form and defer repayment until 6 months after the student graduates, withdraws, or is no longer enrolled on at least a half-time basis. 

After the loan has disbursed, the Parent PLUS Borrower Deferment Request form can be obtained from the loan servicers website. In section 4, the form will request enrollment verification which can be obtained online by the student and submitted with the deferment form. Attaching the enrollment verification information is sufficient to completing section 4.

Completed Parent PLUS Borrower Deferment forms are submitted directly to the loan servicer, not UW Eau Claire.