Credit Criteria

Eligibility and Credit Criteria

To be eligible, the student must be:

• accepted and matriculated in a degree granting program
• making satisfactory academic progress
• enrolled at least half-time

To borrow a PLUS loan for a dependent student, the parent must be the student’s biological or adoptive parent. A stepparent is also eligible to borrow a PLUS loan if his/her income and assets were listed on the FAFSA. A legal guardian or grandparent is not eligible to borrow a Federal Direct PLUS Loan.

A credit check is part of the PLUS Loan Application process. Parents with adverse credit, a defaulted Federal student loan, or who owe an overpayment on a Federal Student Aid grant are not eligible.