Form 1845-0068 Direct PLUS Loan MPN
William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan (Direct Loan) Program Federal Direct PLUS Loan Master Promissory Note and Endorser Addendum
DL PLUS MPN With Data Labels_TENTATIVE FINAL_2014-01-15
Federal Direct PLUS Loan Application and Master Promissory Note
OMB: 1845-0068
Direct PLUS Loan MPN (continued)
SECTION F: MPN TERMS AND CONDITIONS
GOVERNING LAW
The terms of this Master Promissory Note (MPN) will be interpreted in accordance with the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended (the HEA) (20 U.S.C. 1070 et seq.), the U.S. Department of Education’s (ED’s) regulations, any amendments to the HEA and the regulations in accordance with the effective date of those amendments, and other applicable federal laws and regulations (collectively referred to as the “Act”).
Under applicable state law, except as preempted by federal law, you may have certain borrower rights, remedies, and defenses in addition to those stated in this MPN and the Borrower’s Rights and Responsibilities Statement.
DISCLOSURE OF LOAN TERMS
This MPN applies to Federal Direct PLUS Loans (Direct PLUS Loans). Under this MPN, the principal amount that you owe, and are required to repay, will be the sum of all disbursements that are made (unless you reduce or cancel any disbursements as explained below under Loan Cancellation), plus any unpaid interest that is capitalized and added to the principal balance.
Each loan made under this MPN is separately enforceable based on a true and exact copy of this MPN.
At or before the time of the first disbursement of each loan, you will receive a disclosure statement identifying the amount of the loan and additional terms of the loan. The Borrower’s Rights and Responsibilities Statement accompanying this MPN contains important additional information. The Borrower’s Rights and Responsibilities Statement and any disclosure statement you receive in connection with any loan under this MPN are hereby incorporated into this MPN.
You may request additional loan funds to pay for your or the student’s educational costs by contacting the school’s financial aid office. The school will determine if you are eligible for any additional loan funds. You will be notified of any increase or other change in the amount of your loan.
ED may use a servicer to handle billing and other communications related to your loan.
LOAN CANCELLATION
You may pay back all or part of a loan disbursement within the timeframes set by the Act, as explained in the Borrower’s Rights and Responsibilities Statement and in a disclosure statement that you will receive. If you return the full loan amount within those timeframes, you will not have to pay any loan fee or interest charges. If you return part of a disbursement within those timeframes, ED will reduce the loan fee and interest charges in proportion to the amount returned.
INTEREST
Unless ED notifies you in writing that a different rate will apply, the interest rate for any loan you receive under this MPN is a fixed rate that is calculated in accordance with a formula specified in the Act. The interest rate for Direct PLUS Loans is calculated each year. When the rate is calculated, it applies to Direct PLUS Loans for which the first disbursement is made during the period beginning on July 1 of one year and ending on June 30 of the following year. Different interest rates may apply to different loans you receive under this MPN, depending on when the loan is first disbursed. The maximum interest rate for Direct PLUS Loans is 10.5%. ED will notify you of the interest rate on each of your loans.
Interest accrues on the unpaid principal balance of each loan from the date of disbursement until the loan is paid in full, including during deferment, forbearance, or other periods. You agree to pay all interest charges on your loan. You will be given the opportunity to pay the interest that accrues during a period of authorized deferment or forbearance. If you do not pay this interest, ED may capitalize the interest (add it to the principal balance of your loans) at the end of the deferment or forbearance.
LOAN FEE
As provided by the Act, ED charges a loan fee for each Direct PLUS Loan you receive under this MPN. The loan fee is a percentage of the loan amount and will be deducted proportionately from each disbursement of each of your loans. The specific loan fee that you are charged will be shown on disclosure statements that will be sent to you. ED may refund the loan fee only as permitted by the Act.
LATE CHARGES AND COLLECTION COSTS
ED may collect from you:
A late charge of not more than six cents for each dollar of each late payment if you do not make any part of a required installment payment within 30 days after it becomes due, and
Any other charges and fees that are permitted by the Act related to the collection of your loans.
If you default on your loans, you must pay reasonable collection costs, plus court costs and attorney fees.
REPAYMENT
You must repay the full amount of the loans made under this MPN, plus accrued interest. You will repay each loan in monthly installments during a repayment period that begins on the day of the final disbursement of that loan. Generally, payments that you make or that someone else makes on your behalf will be applied first to late charges and collection costs that are due, then to interest that has not been paid, and finally to the principal amount of the loan. However, any payments made under the Income-Based Repayment Plan or the Pay As You Earn Plan will be applied first to interest that is due, then to fees that are due, and then to the principal amount.
ED will provide you with a choice of repayment plans. The Borrower’s Rights and Responsibilities Statement includes Information on these repayment plans.
ED will provide you with a repayment schedule that identifies your payment amounts and due dates. If you intend to repay your loan but are unable to make your scheduled loan payments, ED may grant you a forbearance that allows you to temporarily stop making payments or to temporarily make a smaller payment amount, which extends the time for making payments.
ED may adjust payment dates on your loans or may grant you a forbearance to eliminate a delinquency that remains even though you are making scheduled installment payments.
You may prepay all or any part of the unpaid balance on your loans at any time without penalty. If you do not specify which loans you are prepaying, ED will determine how to apply the prepayment in accordance with the Act.
After you have repaid in full a loan made under this MPN, ED will send you a notice telling you that you have paid off your loan.
ACCELERATION AND DEFAULT
At ED’s option, the entire unpaid balance of a loan made under this MPN will become immediately due and payable (this is called “acceleration”) if any one of the following events occurs:
(1) You (or the student) do not enroll as at least a half-time student at the school that certified your loan eligibility;
(2) You do not use the proceeds of the loan solely for your or the student’s educational expenses;
(3) You make a false representation that results in your receiving a loan for which you are not eligible; or
(4) You default on the loan.
The following events will constitute a default on your loan:
(1) You do not pay the entire unpaid balance of the loan after ED has exercised its option under items (1), (2), and (3) above;
(2) You do not make installment payments when due, and your failure to make payments has persisted for at least 270 days; or
(3) You do not comply with other terms of the loan, and ED reasonably concludes that you no longer intend to honor your repayment obligation.
If you default, ED may capitalize all outstanding interest. This will increase the principal balance of your loan, and the full amount of the loan, including the new principal balance and collection costs, will become immediately due and payable.
If you default, the default will be reported to nationwide consumer reporting agencies (credit bureaus) and will significantly and adversely affect your credit history. A default will have additional adverse consequences as explained in the Borrower’s Rights and Responsibilities Statement. Following default, you may be required to repay the loan (potentially including amounts in excess of the principal and interest) under the Income-Based Repayment Plan or the Income-Contingent Repayment Plan in accordance with the Act.
LEGAL NOTICES
Any notice required to be given to you will be effective if it is sent by first class mail to the most recent address ED has for you, by electronic means to an address you have provided, or by any other method of notification that is permitted or required by applicable statute or regulation. You must immediately notify ED of a change of contact information or status as specified in the Borrower’s Rights and Responsibilities Statement under “Information you must report to us after you receive your loan.”
If ED does not enforce or insist on compliance with any term of this MPN, this does not waive any right of ED. No provision of this MPN may be modified or waived except in writing by ED. If any provision of this MPN is determined to be unenforceable, the remaining provisions will remain in force.
Information about your loans will be submitted to the National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS). Information in NSLDS is accessible to schools, lenders, and guarantors for specific purposes as authorized by ED.
NOTICE ABOUT SUBSEQUENT LOANS MADE UNDER THIS MPN
This MPN authorizes ED to make multiple loans to you to pay your educational expenses or, if you are a parent borrower, the educational expenses of the student identified in Section C during the multi-year term of this MPN, upon your request and upon the school’s annual certification of your loan eligibility. If you have an adverse credit history and obtain an endorser to receive a Direct PLUS Loan, only one loan may be made under this MPN.
At schools that are authorized to use the multi-year feature of the MPN and choose to do so, subsequent loans may be made under this MPN for subsequent academic years. At any school, subsequent loans may be made under this MPN for the same academic year.
No subsequent loans will be made under this MPN after the earliest of the following dates:
(1) The date ED or the school receives your written notice that no further loans may be made;
(2) One year after the date you sign the MPN or the date ED receives the MPN if no disbursements are made under the MPN; or
(3) Ten years after the date you sign the MPN or the date ED receives the MPN.
Direct PLUS Loan MPN (continued)
SECTION G: IMPORTANT NOTICES
GRAMM-LEACH-BLILEY ACT NOTICE
In 1999, Congress enacted the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (Public Law 106-102). This Act requires that lenders provide certain information to their customers regarding the collection and use of nonpublic personal information.
We disclose nonpublic personal information to third parties only as necessary to process and service your loan and as permitted by the Privacy Act of 1974. See the Privacy Act Notice below. We do not sell or otherwise make available any information about you to any third parties for marketing purposes.
We protect the security and confidentiality of nonpublic personal information by implementing the following policies and practices. All physical access to the sites where nonpublic personal information is maintained is controlled and monitored by security personnel. Our computer systems offer a high degree of resistance to tampering and circumvention. These systems limit data access to our staff and contract staff on a “need-to-know” basis, and control individual users’ ability to access and alter records within the systems. All users of these systems are given a unique user ID with personal identifiers. All interactions by individual users with the systems are recorded.
PRIVACY ACT NOTICE
The Privacy Act of 1974 (5 U.S.C. 552a) requires that the following notice be provided to you:
The authority for collecting the requested information from and about you is §451 et seq. of the Higher Education Act (HEA) of 1965, as amended (20 U.S.C. 1087a et seq.) and the authorities for collecting and using your Social Security Number (SSN) are §§428B(f) and 484(a)(4) of the HEA (20 U.S.C. 1078-2(f) and 1091(a)(4)) and 31 U.S.C. 7701(b). Participating in the William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan (Direct Loan) Program and giving us your SSN are voluntary, but you must provide the requested information, including your SSN, to participate.
The principal purposes for collecting the information on this form, including your SSN, are to verify your identity, to determine your eligibility to receive a loan or a benefit on a loan (such as a deferment, forbearance, discharge, or forgiveness) under the Direct Loan Program, to permit the servicing of your loan(s), and, if it becomes necessary, to locate you and to collect and report on your loan(s) if your loan(s) become delinquent or in default. We also use your SSN as an account identifier and to permit you to access your account information electronically.
The information in your file may be disclosed, on a case by case basis or under a computer matching program, to third parties as authorized under routine uses in the appropriate systems of records notices. The routine uses of this information include, but are not limited to, its disclosure to federal, state, or local agencies, to private parties such as relatives, present and former employers, business and personal associates, to consumer reporting agencies, to financial and educational institutions, and to guaranty agencies in order to verify your identity, to determine your eligibility to receive a loan or a benefit on a loan, to permit the servicing or collection of your loan(s), to enforce the terms of the loan(s), to investigate possible fraud and to verify compliance with federal student financial aid program regulations, or to locate you if you become delinquent in your loan payments or if you default. To provide default rate calculations, disclosures may be made to guaranty agencies, to financial and educational institutions, or to state agencies. To provide financial aid history information, disclosures may be made to educational institutions. To assist program administrators with tracking refunds and cancellations, disclosures may be made to guaranty agencies, to financial and educational institutions, or to federal or state agencies. To provide a standardized method for educational institutions to efficiently submit student enrollment status, disclosures may be made to guaranty agencies or to financial and educational institutions. To counsel you in repayment efforts, disclosures may be made to guaranty agencies, to financial and educational institutions, or to federal, state, or local agencies.
In the event of litigation, we may send records to the Department of Justice, a court, adjudicative body, counsel, party, or witness if the disclosure is relevant and necessary to the litigation. If this information, either alone or with other information, indicates a potential violation of law, we may send it to the appropriate authority for action. We may send information to members of Congress if you ask them to help you with federal student aid questions. In circumstances involving employment complaints, grievances, or disciplinary actions, we may disclose relevant records to adjudicate or investigate the issues. If provided for by a collective bargaining agreement, we may disclose records to a labor organization recognized under 5 U.S.C. Chapter 71. Disclosures may be made to our contractors for the purpose of performing any programmatic function that requires disclosure of records. Before making any such disclosure, we will require the contractor to maintain Privacy Act safeguards. Disclosures may also be made to qualified researchers under Privacy Act safeguards.
FINANCIAL PRIVACY ACT NOTICE
Under the Right to Financial Privacy Act of 1978 (12 U.S.C. 3401-3421), ED will have access to financial records in your student loan file maintained in compliance with the administration of the Direct Loan Program.
PAPERWORK REDUCTION NOTICE
According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB Control Number. The time required to complete this information collection is estimated to average 0.5 hours (30 minutes) per response, including the time to review instructions, search existing data sources, gather and maintain the data needed, and complete and review the information. If you have any comments concerning the accuracy of the time estimate(s) or suggestions for improving the form, please write to: U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Ave., SW, Washington, DC 20210-4537 and reference OMB Control Number 1845-0068. If you have any comments or concerns regarding the status of your individual submission of this form, write directly to:
U.S. Department of Education
Common Origination and Disbursement School Relations Center
Attn: Applicant Services
PO Box 9002
Niagara Falls, NY 14302
Direct PLUS Loan MPN (continued)
SECTION H: INSTRUCTIONS FOR COMPLETING THE MPN
ED will perform a credit check with a national consumer reporting agency before approving each loan. If you have an adverse credit history, you may not borrow a Direct PLUS Loan unless you:
(1) Obtain an endorser who does not have an adverse credit history, or
(2) Document to ED’s satisfaction that there are extenuating circumstances related to the adverse credit history.
An endorser is someone who agrees to repay the loan if you do not do so. If you are a parent borrower, the endorser may not be the student for whom you are borrowing the loan.
Type or print using blue or black ink. Do not use pencil. Enter all dates as month-day-year (mm-dd-yyyy). Use only numbers. Example: January 31, 2014 = 01/31/2014.
Some of the items in Sections A and C may have been completed for you. If so, review these items carefully to make sure that the information is correct.
Cross out any information that is incorrect and enter the correct information. Put your initials next to any information that you change.
SECTION A: BORROWER INFORMATION
IMPORTANT: Check the appropriate box to indicate whether you are a Graduate or Professional Student or a Parent of a Dependent Undergraduate Student before completing the Borrower Information section.
Item 1. Enter the two-letter abbreviation for the state that issued your current driver’s license, followed by your driver’s license number. If you do not have a driver’s license, enter N/A.
Item 2. Enter your nine-digit Social Security Number.
Item 3. Enter your date of birth.
Item 4. Enter your preferred e-mail address for receiving communications. You are not required to provide this information. If you do, we may use your e-mail address to communicate with you. If you do not have an e-mail address or do not wish to provide one, enter N/A.
Item 5. Enter your last name, then your first name and middle initial. Enter your permanent address (number, street, apartment number, or rural route number and box number, then city, state, zip code). If your mailing address is a post office box or general delivery, you must list both your street address and your mailing address. If you do not have a permanent street address or rural route number and box number, provide the physical location of your residence. A temporary school address is not acceptable.
Item 6. Enter the area code and telephone number at which you can most easily be reached. (Do not list your work telephone number here.) If you do not have a telephone, enter N/A.
Item 7. Complete this item only if you are a parent borrower. Place a check in the box that corresponds to your citizenship status. If you check box (2), enter your Alien Registration Number.
(1) “U.S. Citizen” includes citizens of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands. “National” includes not only all U.S. citizens, but also citizens of American Samoa and Swain’s Island.
(2) “Permanent Resident” means someone who can provide documentation of this status from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). “Other Eligible Non-Citizen” includes individuals who can provide documentation from the USCIS that they are in the United States for a purpose that is not temporary, with the intention of becoming a citizen or permanent resident. This category includes refugees, persons granted asylum, Cuban-Haitian entrants, temporary residents under the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986, and others.
NOTE: If your citizenship status is not one of the categories described above, you are not eligible to receive a Direct PLUS Loan.
Item 8. Enter your employer’s name and address (street, city, state, zip code). If you are self-employed, enter the name and address of your business. If you are not employed, enter N/A.
Item 9. Enter your work area code and telephone number. If you are self-employed, enter the area code and telephone number of your business.
Item 10. Enter the requested information for two adults with different U.S. addresses who do not live with you and who have known you for at least three years. If you are a parent borrower, do not list the student for whom you are borrowing as a reference. References who live outside the United States are not acceptable. If a reference does not have a telephone number or e-mail address, or does not wish to provide an e-mail address, enter N/A. If you provide an e-mail address for a reference, ED may use it to communicate with the reference.
SECTION B: SCHOOL INFORMATION
This section will be completed by the school that certifies your loan eligibility.
SECTION C: DEPENDENT UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT INFORMATION
Complete this section only if you are a parent borrowing for a dependent undergraduate student.
Item 14. Enter the student’s last name, then first name and middle initial.
Item 15. Enter the student’s nine-digit Social Security Number.
Item 16. Enter the student’s date of birth.
SECTION D: BORROWER REQUEST, CERTIFICATIONS, AUTHORIZATIONS, AND UNDERSTANDINGS
Items 17, 18, 19, and 20. Read these items carefully.
SECTION E: PROMISE TO PAY
Items 21, 22, 23, and 24. Read these items carefully.
Items 25 and 26. Sign your full legal name, in blue or black ink, and enter the date you signed this MPN.
By signing this MPN, you:
(1) Acknowledge that you have read, understand, and agree to the terms and conditions of the MPN, including the Borrower Request, Certifications, Authorizations, and Understandings in Section D and the accompanying Borrower’s Rights and Responsibilities Statement.
(2) Agree to repay in full all loans made under this MPN according to the terms and conditions of the MPN.
Important Notice: This Borrower’s Rights and Responsibilities Statement provides additional information about the terms and conditions of the loans you receive under the accompanying Federal Direct PLUS Loan (Direct PLUS Loan) Master Promissory Note (MPN). Please keep this Borrower’s Rights and Responsibilities Statement for your records. You may request another copy of this Borrower’s Rights and Responsibilities Statement at any time by contacting your servicer.
Throughout this Borrower’s Rights and Responsibilities Statement, the words “we,” “us,” and “our” refer to the U.S. Department of Education. The word “loan” refers to one or more loans made under the Direct PLUS Loan MPN.
Note to Endorser: An endorser is someone who agrees to repay a Direct PLUS Loan if the borrower does not repay the loan. If you are the endorser of a Direct PLUS Loan, you are not entitled to all of the same benefits as a Direct PLUS Loan borrower, and not all of the terms and conditions of a Direct PLUS Loan apply to you. However, you should read the entire Borrower’s Rights and Responsibilities Statement. We have highlighted important information that applies to you as an endorser.
1. The William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan Program. The William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan (Direct Loan) Program includes the following types of loans, known collectively as “Direct Loans”:
Federal Direct Stafford/Ford Loans (Direct Subsidized Loans)
Federal Direct Unsubsidized Stafford/Ford Loans (Direct Unsubsidized Loans)
Federal Direct PLUS Loans (Direct PLUS Loans)
Federal Direct Consolidation Loans (Direct Consolidation Loans)
The Direct Loan Program is authorized by Title IV, Part D, of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended, 20 U.S.C. 1070 et seq (HEA).
Direct Loans are made by the U.S. Department of Education. We contract with servicers to service, answer questions about, and process payments on Direct Loans. We will provide you with the address and telephone number of your servicer after the school notifies us that the first disbursement of your loan has been made.
2. Laws that apply to this MPN. The terms and conditions of loans made under this MPN are determined by the HEA and other applicable federal laws and regulations. These laws and regulations are referred to as “the Act” throughout this Borrower’s Rights and Responsibilities Statement. Under applicable state law, excepted as preempted by federal law, you may have certain borrower rights, remedies, and defenses in addition to those stated in the MPN and this Borrower’s Rights and Responsibilities Statement.
NOTE: Any amendment to the Act that affects the terms of this MPN will be applied to your loans in accordance with the effective date of the amendment.
3. Direct PLUS Loans. Direct PLUS Loans are loans made to graduate or professional students or to parents of dependent undergraduate students to help pay for the cost of education beyond high school. (“Dependent” is defined in the Act and is different from the definition used by the Internal Revenue Service.) To be eligible for a Direct PLUS Loan:
You must be a graduate or professional student or the biological or adoptive parent of the dependent undergraduate student for whom you are borrowing. If you are the spouse of the dependent undergraduate student’s parent (that is, if you are the student’s stepparent), you may borrow a Direct PLUS Loan if you are considered to be a parent in accordance with the instructions on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for purposes of reporting your income and assets on the FAFSA.
You, and if you are a parent borrower your child, must be a U.S. citizen or national, a permanent resident of the United States, or an otherwise eligible non-citizen.
You, and if you are a parent borrower your child, must not be in default on a federal education loan or owe an overpayment on a federal education grant, and must not have been convicted of, or have pled nolo contendere (no contest) or guilty to, a crime involving fraud in obtaining funds under the Act.
You must not have an adverse credit history (unless you meet certain other requirements – see below).
You, or if you are a parent borrower your child, must be enrolled at least half-time at a school that participates in the Direct PLUS Loan Program.
We will check your credit history each time you request a Direct PLUS Loan. If you have an adverse credit history, you may not borrow a Direct PLUS Loan unless you:
(1) Document to our satisfaction that there are extenuating circumstances related to the adverse credit history, or
(2) Obtain an endorser who does not have an adverse credit history.
An endorser is someone who agrees to repay the Direct PLUS Loan if you do not do so. If you are a parent borrower, the endorser of a Direct PLUS Loan may not be the student for whom you are borrowing the loan.
If you are a graduate or professional student, you must complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and your school must determine your eligibility for the maximum annual Direct Subsidized Loan and Direct Unsubsidized Loan amounts before you apply for a Direct PLUS Loan.
If you have questions about your eligibility for a Direct PLUS Loan, contact the financial aid office at the school you attend or are planning to attend or, if you are a parent borrower, the school the student attends or is planning to attend.
4. About the MPN. You may receive more than one loan under this MPN over a period of up to 10 years to pay for your educational costs (if you are a graduate or professional student borrower) or for the educational costs of the student identified in Section C of the MPN (if you are a parent borrower), as long as the school is authorized to use the multi-year feature of the MPN and chooses to do so.
If the school is not authorized to use the multi-year feature of the MPN or chooses not to do so, or if you do not want to receive more than one loan under this MPN, you must sign a new MPN for each loan that you receive. If you do not want to receive more than one loan under this MPN, you must notify the school or your servicer in writing.
If you are a parent requesting more than one Direct PLUS Loan to pay for the educational costs of more than one dependent undergraduate student, you must sign a separate MPN for each student. You must also sign separate MPNs if you are a parent borrowing on behalf of a dependent undergraduate student and you also wish to obtain a Direct PLUS Loan to pay for your own attendance in a graduate or professional degree program.
If we determine that you have an adverse credit history and you obtain an endorser (see Item 3, “Direct PLUS Loans”), you may receive only one loan under this MPN. If you later want to receive another Direct PLUS Loan, you must sign a new MPN. If you receive a loan under this MPN without an endorser, but are later determined to have an adverse credit history and obtain an endorser for a future Direct PLUS Loan, you will have to sign a new MPN for that loan.
5. Direct PLUS Loans and eligibility for other financial aid. If you borrow a Direct PLUS Loan, this may affect your eligibility for other financial aid. Therefore, we suggest that you contact the school’s financial aid office to determine eligibility for grants, work-study funds, or other forms of federal, state and private student aid that do not have to be repaid before you apply for a Direct PLUS Loan.
6. Use of your loan money. You may use the loan money you receive only to pay for your authorized educational expenses or, if you are a parent borrower, for the student’s authorized educational expenses for attendance at the school that determined you were eligible to receive the loan. Authorized expenses include the following:
Tuition
Room
Board
Institutional fees
Books
Supplies
Equipment
Dependent child care expenses
Transportation
Commuting expenses
Rental or purchase of a personal computer
Loan fees
Other documented, authorized costs
7. Information you must report to us after you receive your loan. You must notify your servicer and/or the financial aid office at the school about certain changes.
Until you or (if you are a parent borrower) the student graduate or otherwise leave school, you must notify the school’s financial aid office if:
You change your address or telephone number;
You change your name (for example, maiden name to married name);
You or (if you are a parent borrower) the student --
Do not enroll at least half-time for the loan period certified by the school, or
Do not enroll at the school that determined you were eligible to receive the loan;
You or (if you are a parent borrower) the student stop attending school or drop below half-time enrollment;
You or (if you are a parent borrower) the student transfer from one school to another school; or
You or (if you are a parent borrower) the student graduate.
You must also notify your servicer if any of the above events occur at any time after you receive your loan. In addition, you must notify your servicer if you:
Change your employer, or your employer’s address or telephone number changes; or
Have any other change in status that would affect your loan (for example, if you receive a deferment while you are unemployed, but you find a job and therefore no longer meet the eligibility requirements for the deferment).
Note to Endorser: You must notify your servicer if you change your address, telephone number, name, or employer, or if your employer’s address or telephone number changes.
8. Amount you may borrow. For each academic year, you may borrow up to – but not more than – the amount of your estimated cost of attendance (if you are a graduate or professional student borrower) or the student’s estimated cost of attendance (if you are a parent borrower), minus the amount of any other financial aid received for that academic year. The school determines the cost of attendance using federal guidelines. It is important not to borrow more than you can afford to repay, even if you are eligible to borrow more.
9. Interest rate. The interest rate on a Direct PLUS Loan is a fixed rate that is calculated in accordance with a formula specified in the Act. The interest rate is calculated each year. When the rate is calculated, it applies to all Direct PLUS Loans for which the first disbursement is made during the period beginning on July 1 of one year and ending on June 30 of the following year. Different interest rates may apply to separate loans made under this MPN depending on when the loan is first disbursed. The maximum interest rate for Direct PLUS Loans is 10.5%. We will notify you of the interest rate for each loan you receive in a disclosure statement that we send to you.
If you qualify under the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act, the interest rate on your loans obtained prior to military service may be limited to 6% during your military service. Contact your servicer for information about how to request this benefit.
Note to Endorser: You are eligible for the reduced interest rate described above based on the borrower’s military service or your own military service, but only for a Direct PLUS Loan for which you signed an Endorser Addendum prior to the earlier of the beginning date of the borrower’s military service or the beginning date of your military service.
10. Payment of interest. Except as provided below for borrowers who serve in the military, you are required to pay the interest that accrues on each Direct PLUS Loan you receive from the date the loan is first disbursed until it is repaid in full, including during periods of deferment or forbearance.
No accrual of interest benefit for active duty service members
Under the no accrual of interest benefit for active duty service members, you are not required to pay the interest that accrues on any type of Direct Loan Program loan first disbursed on or after October 1, 2008 during periods of qualifying active duty military service (for up to 60 months).
Interest capitalization
If you do not pay the interest as it accrues on a Direct PLUS Loan, as described above, we will add the accrued interest to the unpaid principal balance of your loan. This is called “capitalization.” Capitalization increases the unpaid principal balance of your loan, and interest then accrues on the increased principal balance. We capitalize unpaid interest when you resume repayment after periods of deferment or forbearance. We may also capitalize unpaid interest that has accrued since the first disbursement of your loan when you enter repayment for the first time.
The chart that follows shows the difference in the total amount you would repay on a $15,000 Direct PLUS Loan if you pay the interest as it is charged during a 12-month deferment or forbearance period, compared to the amount you would repay if you do not pay the interest and it is capitalized.
|
If you pay the interest as it accrues… |
If you do not pay the interest and it is capitalized… |
Loan Amount |
$15,000 |
$15,000 |
Interest for 12 Months |
$1,575 |
$1,575 |
Principal to be Repaid |
$15,000 |
$16,575 |
Monthly Payment |
$202 |
$224 |
Number of Payments |
120 |
120 |
Total Repaid |
$25,863 |
$26,839 |
The example in the chart above shows payments made under the Standard Repayment Plan at an interest rate of 10.5% (the maximum interest rate for a Direct PLUS Loan). In this example, you would pay $22 less per month and $975 less altogether if you pay the interest as it is charged during a 12-month deferment or forbearance period.
You may be able to claim a federal income tax deduction for interest payments you make on Direct Loans. For further information, refer to IRS Publication 970, which is available at http://www.irs.ustreas.gov.
11. Loan fee. For each Direct PLUS Loan you receive under this MPN, we charge a loan fee that is a percentage of the principal amount of each loan. This fee will be subtracted proportionately from each disbursement of your loan. The loan fee will be shown on a disclosure statement that we send to you.
12. Repayment incentive programs. A repayment incentive is a benefit that we offer to encourage you to repay your loan on time. The repayment incentive program described below may be available to you.
Interest Rate Reduction for Automatic Withdrawal of Payments
Under the automatic withdrawal option, your bank automatically deducts your monthly loan payment from your checking or savings account and sends it to us. Automatic withdrawal helps to ensure that your payments are made on time. In addition, you receive a 0.25% interest rate reduction while you repay under the automatic withdrawal option. Your servicer will provide you with information about the automatic withdrawal option. You can also get the information on your servicer’s web site, or by calling your servicer. Your servicer’s web site address and toll-free telephone number are provided on all correspondence that your servicer sends you.
13. Disbursement (how your loan money will be paid out). Generally, the school will disburse (pay out) your loan money in more than one installment, usually at the beginning of each academic term (for example, at the beginning of each semester or quarter). If the school does not use academic terms or does not have academic terms that meet certain requirements, it will generally disburse your loan in at least two installments, one at the beginning of the period of study for which you are receiving the loan, and one at the midpoint of that period of study. The school determines the schedule for disbursing your loan money in accordance with the Act.
The school may disburse some or all of your loan money by crediting it to your account at the school (if you are a graduate or professional student borrower) or to the student’s account at the school (if you are a parent borrower), or may give it to you directly by check or other means. Your servicer will notify you in writing each time the school disburses part of your loan money.
If you are a graduate or professional student and have not previously received a Direct PLUS Loan or a Federal PLUS Loan under the Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) Program, you must receive entrance counseling before your school can make the first disbursement of your loan. Your school will tell you if entrance counseling is required, and will provide instructions for completing entrance counseling.
If the school credits your loan money to your or the student’s account and the amount credited is more than the amount of the tuition and fees, room and board, and other authorized charges, the excess amount is called a credit balance.
Unless you authorize the school to hold the credit balance for you, the school must pay you the credit balance within the following timeframes:
If the credit balance occurs after the first day of class of a payment period (the school can tell you this date), the school must pay you the credit balance no later than 14 days after the date the balance occurs.
If the credit balance occurs on or before the first day of class of a payment period, the school must pay you the credit balance no later than 14 days after the first day of class of the payment period.
If you are a parent borrower, you may authorize the school to pay the credit balance to the student.
14. Canceling your loan. Before your loan money is disbursed, you may cancel all or part of your loan at any time by notifying the school. After your loan money is disbursed, there are two ways to cancel all or part of your loan:
You may notify the school (within certain timeframes). If the school obtains your written confirmation of the types and amounts of Title IV loans that you want to receive for an award year before crediting loan money to your or the student’s account at the school, you may tell the school that you want to cancel all or part of that loan within 14 days after the date the school notifies you of your right to cancel all or part of the loan, or by the first day of the school’s payment period, whichever is later (the school can tell you the first day of the payment period).
If the school does not obtain your written confirmation of the types and amounts of loans you want to receive before crediting the loan money to your or the student’s account, you may cancel all or part of that loan by informing the school within 30 days of the date the school notifies you of your right to cancel all or part of the loan.
If you ask the school to cancel all or part of your loan within the timeframes described above, the school will return the cancelled loan amount to us. If you ask the school to cancel all or part of your loan outside the timeframes described above, the school may process your cancellation request, but it is not required to do so.
You may return all or part of your loan to us. Within 120 days of the date the school disburses your loan money (by crediting the loan money to your or the student’s account at the school, by paying it directly to you, or both), you may cancel all or part of your loan by returning all or part of the loan money to us. Contact your servicer for guidance on how and where to return your loan money.
You do not have to pay interest or the loan fee on the part of your loan that is cancelled or returned within the timeframes described above. We will adjust your loan amount to eliminate any interest and loan fee that applies to the amount of the loan that is cancelled or returned.
15. Repaying your loan. The repayment period for each Direct PLUS Loan made under this MPN begins on the date of the final disbursement for that loan. This means that the repayment period for each loan you receive under this MPN will begin on a different date. Unless you receive a deferment or forbearance (see Item 21), your first payment on each loan will be due within 60 days of the final disbursement of that loan. Your servicer will notify you of the date your first payment is due.
You must make payments on your loan even if you do not receive a bill or repayment notice.
You must repay all of your Direct Loans under the same repayment plan, unless you want to repay your loans under the IBR Plan, the Pay As You Earn Plan, or the ICR Plan (see below) and you have other Direct Loans that do not qualify for repayment under those plans. In that case, you may select the IBR, Pay As You Earn, or ICR plan for the loans that are eligible for repayment under those plans, and may select a different repayment plan for the loans that may not be repaid under the IBR, Pay As You Earn, or ICR plan.
Repayment plans for all Direct PLUS Loan borrowers
The following repayment plans are available to all Direct PLUS Loan borrowers:
Standard Repayment Plan
Under this plan, you will make fixed monthly payments and repay your loan in full within 10 years (not including periods of deferment or forbearance) from the date the loan entered repayment. Your payments must be at least $50 a month ($600 a year) and will be more, if necessary, to repay the loan within the required time period.
Graduated Repayment Plan
Under this plan, you will usually make lower payments at first, and your payments will gradually increase over time. You will repay your loan in full within 10 years (not including periods of deferment or forbearance) from the date the loan entered repayment. Your monthly payment must at least be equal to the amount of interest that accrues each month. No single payment will be more than three times greater than any other payment.
Extended Repayment Plan
You are eligible for this plan only if (1) you have an outstanding balance on Direct Loan Program loans that exceeds $30,000, and (2) you had no outstanding balance on a Direct Loan Program loan as of October 7, 1998 or on the date you obtained a Direct Loan Program loan after October 7, 1998.
Under this plan, you will repay your loan in full over a period not to exceed 25 years (not including periods of deferment or forbearance) from the date the loan entered repayment. You may choose to make fixed monthly payments or graduated monthly payments that start out lower and gradually increase over time. Your payments must be at least $50 a month ($600 a year) and will be more, if necessary, to repay the loan within the required time period. If you make graduated payments, your monthly payment must at least be equal to the amount of interest that accrues each month. No single payment under the graduated option will be more than three times greater than any other payment.
Additional repayment plans only for graduate and professional student Direct PLUS Loan borrowers
NOTE: Parent Direct PLUS Loan borrowers may not repay their Direct PLUS Loans under these plans.
If you are a graduate or professional student Direct PLUS Loan borrower, the following additional repayment plans are available:
Income-Based Repayment Plan (IBR Plan)
Under the IBR Plan, your monthly payment amount is generally 15% (10% if you are a new borrower; see Note below) of your annual discretionary income, divided by 12. Discretionary income for this plan is the difference between your adjusted gross income and 150% of the poverty guideline amount for your state of residence and family size. If you are married and file a joint federal income tax return, the income used to determine your IBR Plan payment amount will be the combined adjusted gross income of you and your spouse.
To initially qualify for the IBR Plan and to continue to make payments that are based on your income, the amount you would be required to pay on your eligible student loans under the IBR Plan (as described above) must be less than the amount you would have to pay under the Standard Repayment Plan. If your IBR Plan payment amount is less than the amount you would have to pay under the Standard Repayment Plan, you are considered to have a “partial financial hardship.”
If you are married and file a joint federal income tax return, the loan amount we use to determine whether you have a partial financial hardship will include your eligible loans and your spouse’s eligible loans.
While you are repaying under the IBR Plan, you must annually provide documentation of your income and certify your family size so that we may determine whether you continue to have a partial financial hardship. Your monthly payment amount may be adjusted annually based on the updated income and family size information that you provide. If we determine that you no longer have a partial financial hardship, you may remain on the IBR Plan, but your monthly payment will no longer be based on your income. Instead, your monthly payment will be what you would be required to pay under the Standard Repayment Plan, based on the amount you owed on your eligible loans at the time you entered the IBR Plan.
Under the IBR Plan, if your loan is not repaid in full after you have made the equivalent of 25 years (20 years if you are a new borrower) of qualifying monthly payments and at least 25 years (20 years if you are a new borrower) have elapsed, any remaining loan amount will be forgiven. You may have to pay federal income tax on the loan amount that is forgiven.
Note: You are a new borrower for the IBR Plan if you have no outstanding balance on a Direct Loan Program or FFEL Program loan on July 1, 2014, or if you have no outstanding balance on a Direct Loan Program or FFEL Program loan on the date you obtain a Direct Loan Program loan after July 1, 2014. Your servicer will determine whether you are a new borrower based on the information about your loans in the U.S. Department of Education’s National Student Loan Data System.
Pay As You Earn Repayment Plan (Pay As You Earn Plan)
Under the Pay As You Earn Plan, your monthly payment amount is generally 10% of your annual discretionary income, divided by 12. Discretionary income for this plan is the difference between your adjusted gross income and 150% of the poverty guideline amount for your state of residence and family size. If you are married and file a joint federal income tax return, the income used to determine your Pay As You Earn Plan payment amount will be the combined adjusted gross income of you and your spouse.
The Pay As You Earn Plan is available only to new borrowers. You are a new borrower for the Pay As You Earn Plan if:
(1) You had no outstanding balance on a Direct Loan Program or FFEL Program loan as of October 1, 2007, or you have no outstanding balance on a Direct Loan Program or FFEL Program loan when you obtain a new loan on or after October 1, 2007, and
(2) You receive a disbursement of a Direct Subsidized Loan, Direct Unsubsidized Loan, or student Direct PLUS Loan (a Direct PLUS Loan made to a graduate or professional student) on or after October 1, 2011, or you receive a Direct Consolidation Loan based on an application received on or after October 1, 2011. However, you are not considered to be a new borrower for the Pay As You Earn Plan if the Direct Consolidation Loan you receive repays loans that would make you ineligible under part (1) of this definition.
In addition to being a new borrower, to initially qualify for the Pay As You Earn Plan and to continue to make payments that are based on your income, the amount you would be required to pay on your eligible student loans under the Pay As You Earn Plan (as described above) must be less than the amount you would have to pay under the Standard Repayment Plan. If your Pay As You Earn Plan payment amount is less than the amount you would have to pay under the Standard Repayment Plan, you are considered to have a “partial financial hardship.”
If you are married and file a joint federal income tax return, the loan amount we use to determine whether you have a partial financial hardship will include your eligible loans and your spouse’s eligible loans.
While you are repaying under the Pay As You Earn Plan, you must annually provide documentation of your income and certify your family size so that we may determine whether you continue to have a partial financial hardship. Your monthly payment amount may be adjusted annually based on the updated income and family size information that you provide. If we determine that you no longer have a partial financial hardship, you may remain on the Pay As You Earn Plan, but your monthly payment will no longer be based on your income. Instead, your monthly payment will be what you would be required to pay under the Standard Repayment Plan, based on the amount you owed on your eligible loans at the time you entered the Pay As You Earn Plan.
Under the Pay As You Earn Plan, if your loan is not repaid in full after you have made the equivalent of 20 years of qualifying monthly payments and at least 20 years have elapsed, any remaining loan amount will be forgiven. You may have to pay federal income tax on the loan amount that is forgiven.
Income Contingent Repayment Plan (ICR Plan)
Under this plan, your monthly payment amount will be either 20% of your discretionary income or a percentage of what you would repay under a Standard Repayment Plan with a 12-year repayment period, whichever is less. Discretionary income for this plan is the difference between your adjusted gross income and the poverty guideline amount for your state of residence and family size. If you are married and file a joint federal income tax return, the income used to determine your ICR Plan payment amount will be the combined adjusted gross income of you and your spouse. Until we obtain the information needed to calculate your monthly payment amount, your payment will equal the amount of interest that accrues monthly on your loan unless you request a forbearance.
While you are repaying under the ICR Plan, you must annually provide documentation of your income and certify your family size. Your monthly payment amount may be adjusted annually based on the updated income and family size information that you provide.
Under the ICR Plan, if your loan is not repaid in full after you have made the equivalent of 25 years of qualifying monthly payments and at least 25 years have elapsed, any remaining loan amount will be forgiven. You may have to pay federal income tax on the loan amount that is forgiven.
Additional repayment plan information
If you are a graduate or professional student, these repayment plans will be explained in more detail during your exit counseling session.
Under each plan, the number or amount of payments may need to be adjusted to reflect capitalized interest and/or new loans made to you.
If you can show to our satisfaction that the terms and conditions of the above repayment plans are not adequate to meet your exceptional circumstances, we may provide you with an alternative repayment plan.
If you do not choose a repayment plan, we will place you on the Standard Repayment Plan.
The “Repaying Your Loans” charts at the end of this Borrower’s Rights and Responsibilities Statement allow you to estimate the monthly and total amounts you would repay under the repayment plans listed above based on various initial loan amounts.
You can also use the Repayment Estimator at StudentAid.gov/Repayment-Estimator to estimate your monthly and total payment amounts under the different repayment plans and to evaluate your eligibility for the IBR and Pay As You Earn plans. The calculators are for informational purposes only. Your servicer will make the official determination of your payment amount and, for the IBR and Pay As You Earn plans, your eligibility for the plan.
You may change repayment plans at any time after you have begun repaying your loan. However, you may not change to a different repayment plan that has a maximum repayment period of less than the number of years your loan has already been in repayment, except that you may change to the IBR Plan, the Pay As You Earn Plan, or the ICR Plan at any time. There is no penalty if you make loan payments before they are due, or pay more than the amount due each month (prepayments).
Note to Endorser: If you are making payments on the borrower’s Direct PLUS Loan, you may request a change of repayment plans by contacting your servicer.
We apply your payments made under any repayment plan other than the IBR Plan and the Pay As You Earn Plan in the following order: (1) late charges and collection costs, (2) outstanding interest, and (3) outstanding principal.
We apply your payments made under the IBR Plan or the Pay As You Earn Plan in the following order: (1) outstanding interest, (2) late charges and collection costs, and (3) outstanding principal.
We apply any prepayments in accordance with the Act. Your servicer can provide more information about how prepayments are applied.
When you have repaid a loan in full, your servicer will send you a notice telling you that you have paid off your loan. You should keep this notice in a safe place.
16. Transfer of loan. We may transfer one or all of your loans to another servicer without your consent. If there is a change in the address to which you must send payments or direct communications, we will notify you of the new servicer’s name, address and telephone number, the effective date of the transfer, and the date when you must begin sending payments or directing communications to that servicer. Transfer of a loan to a different servicer does not affect your rights and responsibilities under that loan.
17. Late charges and collection costs. If you do not make any part of a payment within 30 days after it is due, we may require you to pay a late charge. This charge will not be more than six cents for each dollar of each late payment. If you do not make payments as scheduled, we may also require you to pay other charges and fees involved in collecting your loan.
18. Demand for immediate repayment. The entire unpaid amount of your loan becomes due and payable (this is called “acceleration”) if you:
Receive loan money, but you or the student for whom you obtained the loan do not enroll at least half-time at the school that determined you were eligible to receive the loan;
Use your loan money to pay for anything other than expenses related to your or the student’s education at the school that determined you were eligible to receive the loan;
Make a false statement that causes you to receive a loan that you are not eligible to receive; or
Default on your loan.
19. Defaulting on your loan. Default (failing to repay your loan) is defined in detail in the Terms and Conditions section of your MPN (Section F). If you default:
We will require you to immediately repay the entire unpaid amount of your loan.
We may sue you, take all or part of your federal tax refund or other federal payments, and/or garnish your wages so that your employer is required to send us part of your salary to pay off your loan.
We will require you to pay reasonable collection fees and costs, plus court costs and attorney fees.
You will lose eligibility for other federal student aid and assistance under most federal benefit programs.
You will lose eligibility for loan deferments.
Note to Endorser: If the borrower defaults on the loan, and you do not make payments on the loan, you may also be subject to the actions described above.
We will also report your default to nationwide consumer reporting agencies (see Item 20, “Consumer reporting agency notification”). This will harm your credit history and may make it difficult for you to obtain credit cards, home or car loans, or other forms of consumer credit.
20. Consumer reporting agency notification. We will report information about your loan to nationwide consumer reporting agencies (commonly known as “credit bureaus”) on a regular basis. This information will include the disbursement dates, amount, and repayment status of your loan (for example, whether you are current or delinquent in making payments). Your loan will be identified as an education loan.
If you default on a loan, we will also report this to nationwide consumer reporting agencies. We will notify you at least 30 days in advance that we plan to report default information to a consumer reporting agency unless you resume making payments on the loan within 30 days of the date of the notice. You will be given a chance to ask for a review of the debt before we report it.
If a consumer reporting agency contacts us regarding objections you have raised about the accuracy or completeness of any information we have reported, we are required to provide the agency with a prompt response.
Note to Endorser: If the borrower of a Direct PLUS Loan becomes delinquent in making payments or defaults on the loan, we may also report your name to consumer reporting agencies in connection with the delinquent or defaulted loan.
21. Deferment and forbearance (postponing payments).
If you meet certain requirements, you may receive a deferment that allows you to temporarily stop making payments on your loan. If you cannot make your scheduled loan payments, but do not qualify for a deferment, we may give you a forbearance. A forbearance allows you to temporarily stop making payments on your loan, temporarily make smaller payments, or extend the time for making payments.
Deferment
You may receive a deferment:
While you are enrolled at least half-time at an eligible school;
During the 6-month period after you cease to be enrolled at least half-time;
While the student for whom you obtained a Direct PLUS Loan is enrolled at least half-time at an eligible school;
During the 6-month period after the student for whom you obtained a Direct PLUS Loan ceases to be enrolled at least half-time;
While you are in a full-time course of study in a graduate fellowship program;
While you are in an approved full-time rehabilitation program for individuals with disabilities;
While you are unemployed (for a maximum of three years; you must be diligently seeking, but unable to find, full-time employment);
While you are experiencing an economic hardship (including Peace Corps service), as defined in the Act (for a maximum of three years);
While you are serving on active duty during a war or other military operation or national emergency or performing qualifying National Guard duty during a war or other military operation or national emergency and, if you were serving on or after October 1, 2007, for an additional 180-day period following the demobilization date for your qualifying service; or
If you are a member of the National Guard or other reserve component of the U.S. Armed Forces (current or retired) and you are called or ordered to active duty while you are enrolled at least half-time at an eligible school or within 6 months of having been enrolled at least half-time, during the 13 months following the conclusion of your active duty service, or until you return to enrolled student status on at least a half-time basis, whichever is earlier.
You may be eligible to receive additional deferments if, at the time you received your first Direct Loan, you had an outstanding balance on a loan made under the FFEL Program before July 1, 1993. If you meet this requirement, contact your servicer for information about additional deferments that may be available.
You may receive a deferment while you are enrolled in school on at least a half-time basis (and, if you are a graduate or professional student, during the 6-month period after you cease to be enrolled at least half-time) if (1) you submit a deferment request to your servicer along with documentation of your eligibility for the deferment, or (2) your servicer receives information from the school you are attending that indicates you are enrolled at least half-time. If your servicer processes a deferment based on information received from your school, you will be notified of the deferment and will have the option of canceling the deferment and continuing to make payments on your loan.
For all other deferments, you (or, for a deferment based on active military duty or qualifying National Guard duty during a war or other military operation or national emergency, your representative) must submit a deferment request to your servicer, along with documentation of your eligibility for the deferment. In certain circumstances, you may not be required to provide documentation of your eligibility if your servicer confirms that you have been granted the same deferment for the same time period on a FFEL Program loan. Your servicer can provide you with a deferment request form that explains the eligibility and documentation requirements for the type of deferment you are requesting. You may also obtain deferment request forms and information on deferment eligibility requirements from your servicer’s web site.
If you are in default on your loan, you are not eligible for a deferment.
You are responsible for paying the interest on a Direct PLUS Loan during a period of deferment.
Note to Endorser: You are not eligible to receive a deferment.
Forbearance
We may give you a forbearance if you are temporarily unable to make your scheduled loan payments for reasons including, but not limited to, financial hardship and illness.
We will give you a forbearance if:
You are serving in a medical or dental internship or residency program, and you meet specific requirements;
The total amount you owe each month for all of the student loans you received under Title IV of the Act (Direct Loan Program loans, FFEL Program loans, and Federal Perkins Loans) is 20% or more of your total monthly gross income (for a maximum of three years);
You are serving in a national service position for which you receive a national service award under the National and Community Service Trust Act of 1993. In some cases, the interest that accrues on a qualified loan during the service period will be paid by the Corporation for National and Community Service;
You qualify for partial repayment of your loans under a student loan repayment program administered by the Department of Defense; or
You are called to active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces.
To request a forbearance, contact your servicer. Your servicer can explain the eligibility and documentation requirements for the type of forbearance you are requesting. You may also obtain information on forbearance eligibility requirements from your servicer’s web site.
Under certain circumstances, we may also give you a forbearance without requiring you to submit a request or documentation. These circumstances include, but are not limited to, the following:
Periods necessary for us to determine your eligibility for a loan discharge;
A period of up to 60 days in order for us to collect and process documentation related to your request for a deferment, forbearance, change in repayment plan, or consolidation loan (we do not capitalize the interest that is charged during this period);
Periods when you are involved in a military mobilization, or a local or national emergency; or
Periods necessary to align repayment of Direct PLUS Loans that do not qualify for a 6-month post-enrollment deferment with other Direct PLUS Loans that qualify for this deferment, or with Direct Subsidized Loans and Direct Unsubsidized Loans that have a grace period. Contact your servicer for more information.
You are responsible for paying the interest on a Direct PLUS Loan during a period of forbearance.
Note to Endorser: Although you are not eligible to receive a deferment, you may receive a forbearance.
22. Discharge (having your loan forgiven).
Loan discharge due to death, bankruptcy, total and permanent disability, school closure, false certification, identity theft, or unpaid refund
We will discharge (forgive) your loan if:
You die, or the child on whose behalf you obtained a Direct PLUS Loan dies. Your servicer must receive acceptable documentation (as defined in the Act) of your death or the child’s death.
Your loan is discharged in bankruptcy after you have proven to the bankruptcy court that repaying the loan would cause undue hardship. Direct Loans are not otherwise automatically discharged if you file for bankruptcy.
You become totally and permanently disabled (as defined in the Act) and meet certain other requirements.
In certain cases, we may also discharge all or a portion of your loan if:
You (or the child on whose behalf you obtained a Direct PLUS Loan) could not complete a program of study because the school closed;
Your loan eligibility was falsely certified by the school;
A loan in your name was falsely certified as a result of a crime of identity theft; or
The school did not pay a refund of your loan money that it was required to pay under federal regulations.
Public Service Loan Forgiveness
A Public Service Loan Forgiveness program is also available. Under this program, we will forgive the remaining balance due on your eligible Direct Loan Program loans after you have made 120 payments on those loans (after October 1, 2007) under certain repayment plans while you are employed full-time in certain public service jobs. The required 120 payments do not have to be consecutive.
Additional loan discharge information
The Act may provide for certain loan forgiveness or repayment benefits on your loans in addition to the benefits described above. If other forgiveness or repayment options become available, your servicer will provide information about these benefits.
For a discharge based on your death or the death of the child on whose behalf you obtained a Direct PLUS Loan, a family member must contact your loan servicer. To request loan discharge or forgiveness based on one of the other conditions described above (except for a discharge due to bankruptcy), you must complete an application. Your servicer can tell you how to obtain an application.
In some cases you may assert, as a defense against collection of your loan, that the school did something wrong or failed to do something that it should have done. You can make such a defense against repayment only if the school’s act or omission directly relates to your loan or to the educational services that the loan was intended to pay for, and if what the school did or did not do would give rise to a legal cause of action against the school under applicable state law. If you believe that you have a defense against repayment of your loan, contact your servicer.
We do not guarantee the quality of the academic programs provided by schools that participate in federal student financial aid programs. You must repay your loan even if you or (if you are a parent borrower) the student do not complete the education paid for with the loan, are unable to obtain employment in the field of study for which the school provided training, or are dissatisfied with, or do not receive, the education paid for with the loan.
Note to Endorser: If we discharge the full amount of the borrower’s loan for any of the conditions described above, you are no longer obligated to make any payments on the loan. However, if a loan is reinstated after a discharge, you will again be obligated to make payments on the loan if the borrower does not make payments.
23. Loan consolidation. A Direct Consolidation Loan Program is available that allows you to consolidate one or more of your eligible federal education loans into a new loan with a single monthly payment, and may allow you to extend the period of time that you have to repay your loans. This may make it easier for you to repay your loans. However, you will pay more interest if you extend your repayment period through consolidation, since you will be making payments for a longer period of time. Contact your servicer for more information about loan consolidation.
Note to Endorser: You are not eligible to apply for a Direct Consolidation Loan to repay a Direct PLUS Loan for which you are the endorser.
24. Department of Defense and other federal agency loan repayment. Under certain circumstances, military personnel may have their federal education loans repaid by the Secretary of Defense. This benefit is offered as part of a recruitment program that does not apply to individuals based on their previous military service or to those who are not eligible for enlistment in the U.S. Armed Forces. For more information, contact your local military service recruitment office.
Other agencies of the federal government may also offer student loan repayment programs as an incentive to recruit and retain employees. Contact the agency’s human resources department for more information.
Repaying Your Loans: Standard, Graduated, and Extended Repayment Plans
(These plans are available to all Direct PLUS Loan borrowers.)
Debt |
Standard
Repayment Plan |
Graduated
Repayment Plan |
Extended-Fixed
Repayment Plan |
Extended-Graduated
Repayment Plan |
||||||
Payment |
Total Paid |
Minimum Payment |
Maximum Payment |
Total Paid |
Payment |
Total Paid |
Minimum Payment |
Maximum Payment |
Total Paid |
|
$10,000 |
$135 |
$16,192 |
$88 |
$227 |
$17,865 |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
$20,000 |
$270 |
$32,384 |
$175 |
$453 |
$35,731 |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
$30,000 |
$405 |
$48,577 |
$263 |
$680 |
$53,597 |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
$40,000 |
$540 |
$64,769 |
$350 |
$906 |
$71,463 |
$378 |
$113,302 |
$350 |
$457 |
$119,720 |
$50,000 |
$675 |
$80,961 |
$438 |
$1,133 |
$89,329 |
$472 |
$141,627 |
$438 |
$571 |
$149,662 |
$60,000 |
$810 |
$97,153 |
$525 |
$1,359 |
$107,195 |
$567 |
$169,953 |
$525 |
$686 |
$179,585 |
$70,000 |
$945 |
$113,345 |
$613 |
$1,586 |
$125,061 |
$661 |
$198,278 |
$613 |
$800 |
$209,518 |
$80,000 |
$1,079 |
$129,538 |
$700 |
$1,812 |
$142,927 |
$755 |
$226,604 |
$700 |
$914 |
$239,457 |
$90,000 |
$1,214 |
$145,730 |
$788 |
$2,039 |
$160,793 |
$850 |
$254,929 |
$788 |
$1,028 |
$269,396 |
$100,000 |
$1,349 |
$161,922 |
$875 |
$2,265 |
$178,658 |
$944 |
$283,255 |
$875 |
$1,143 |
$299,328 |
Notes:
All estimated payments shown in the chart above are calculated using a fixed interest rate of 10.5%.
The payment amounts shown in this chart are estimates. Your actual payment amount may differ from these estimates depending on factors such as the interest rate(s) of your loans and the amount of your loan debt. Your loan servicer will provide you with your actual monthly payment amount after you select a repayment plan.
For the Extended Repayment Plan, an entry of “N/A” means that you are not eligible for this plan based on the loan amount owed.
You may use the Repayment Estimator at StudentAid.gov/Repayment-Estimator to estimate payment amounts based on your actual loan debt.
Repaying Your Loans: Income-Based Repayment Plan (IBR Plan) for Borrowers Who Are Not New Borrowers on or after July 1, 2014
(The IBR Plan is available only to graduate and professional student Direct PLUS Loan borrowers.)
Debt |
Starting income of $25,000 |
Starting income of $40,000 |
Starting income of $60,000 |
|||||||||
Initial Payment |
Final Payment |
Total Paid |
Time to Repay (Mos.) |
Initial Payment |
Final Payment |
Total Paid |
Time to Repay (Mos.) |
Initial Payment |
Final Payment |
Total Paid |
Time to Repay (Mos.) |
|
$20,000 |
$97 |
$245 |
$43,861 |
219 |
Not Eligible |
- |
- |
- |
Not Eligible |
- |
- |
- |
$40,000 |
$97 |
$491 |
$89,628 |
300 |
$285 |
$491 |
$72,680 |
173 |
Not Eligible |
- |
- |
- |
$60,000 |
$97 |
$642 |
$94,175 |
300 |
$285 |
$736 |
$148,999 |
268 |
$535 |
$736 |
$97,093 |
143 |
$80,000 |
$97 |
$642 |
$94,175 |
300 |
$285 |
$981 |
$193,464 |
300 |
$535 |
$981 |
$156,150 |
193 |
$100,000 |
$97 |
$642 |
$94,175 |
300 |
$285 |
$1,227 |
$201,322 |
300 |
$535 |
$1,227 |
$236,102 |
251 |
Repaying Your Loans: Pay As You Earn Repayment Plan (Pay As You Earn Plan) for Eligible Borrowers and IBR Plan for New Borrowers on or after July 1, 2014
(The Pay As You Earn Plan and the IBR Plan are available only to graduate and professional student Direct PLUS Loan borrowers.)
Debt |
Starting income of $25,000 |
Starting income of $40,000 |
Starting income of $60,000 |
|||||||||
Initial Payment |
Final Payment |
Total Paid |
Time to Repay (Mos.) |
Initial Payment |
Final Payment |
Total Paid |
Time to Repay (Mos.) |
Initial Payment |
Final Payment |
Total Paid |
Time to Repay (Mos.) |
|
$20,000 |
$65 |
$245 |
$38,488 |
240 |
$190 |
$245 |
$31,254 |
134 |
Not Eligible |
- |
- |
- |
$40,000 |
$65 |
$309 |
$40,127 |
240 |
$190 |
$491 |
$85,707 |
240 |
$356 |
$491 |
$64,729 |
143 |
$60,000 |
$65 |
$309 |
$40,127 |
240 |
$190 |
$625 |
$89,727 |
240 |
$356 |
$736 |
$129,366 |
222 |
$80,000 |
$65 |
$309 |
$40,127 |
240 |
$190 |
$625 |
$89,727 |
240 |
$356 |
$981 |
$154,976 |
240 |
$100,000 |
$65 |
$309 |
$40,127 |
240 |
$190 |
$625 |
$89,727 |
240 |
$356 |
$1,046 |
$155,860 |
240 |
Repaying Your Loans: Income-Contingent Repayment Plan (ICR Plan)
(The ICR Plan is available only to graduate and professional student Direct PLUS Loan borrowers.)
Debt |
Starting income of $25,000 |
Starting income of $40,000 |
Starting income of $60,000 |
|||||||||
Initial Payment |
Final Payment |
Total Paid |
Time to Repay (Mos.) |
Initial Payment |
Final Payment |
Total Paid |
Time to Repay (Mos.) |
Initial Payment |
Final Payment |
Total Paid |
Time to Repay (Mos.) |
|
$20,000 |
$151 |
$199 |
$43,436 |
249 |
$193 |
$219 |
$33,513 |
161 |
$219 |
$251 |
$30,761 |
131 |
$40,000 |
$225 |
$423 |
$96,630 |
274 |
$385 |
$438 |
$67,027 |
161 |
$438 |
$502 |
$61,523 |
131 |
$60,000 |
$225 |
$694 |
$146,629 |
300 |
$475 |
$658 |
$106,605 |
175 |
$658 |
$754 |
$92,284 |
131 |
$80,000 |
$225 |
$1,018 |
$162,256 |
300 |
$475 |
$939 |
$176,175 |
233 |
$809 |
$1,015 |
$124,521 |
240 |
$100,000 |
$225 |
$1,018 |
$163,256 |
300 |
$475 |
$1,360 |
$281,310 |
298 |
$809 |
$1,296 |
171,619 |
158 |
Notes:
For the IBR Plan, the Pay As You Earn Plan, and the ICR Plan, the estimated payment amounts shown in the charts above are calculated using a fixed interest rate of 8.25% and the 2013 Poverty Guidelines (published by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services). For the ICR Plan, the calculations also use the 2013 income percentage factors. For all three plans, the calculations are based on an assumption that you are single and do not have any children or anyone else in your household, that you live in one of the 48 contiguous states, and that your income will increase at a rate of 5% per year.
The payment amounts shown in these charts are estimates. Your actual payment amount may differ from these estimates depending on factors such as the interest rate(s) of your loans, the amount of your loan debt, your income, and whether and how quickly your income increases.
For the IBR Plan and the Pay As You Earn Plan, an entry of “Not Eligible” means that you would not have a partial financial hardship based on the loan debt and starting income shown and therefore would not be eligible to initially select the plan.
You may use the Repayment Estimator at StudentAid.gov/Repayment-Estimator to evaluate your eligibility for the IBR and Pay As You Earn plans, and to estimate your payment amounts under the IBR, Pay As You Earn, and ICR plans based on your actual loan debt, income, family size, and state of residence.
Page
| File Type | application/msword |
| File Title | DL.PLUS.MPN.draft11 |
| Author | EPJUTZ |
| Last Modified By | Jon Utz |
| File Modified | 2014-01-30 |
| File Created | 2014-01-15 |
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