Please note: You should exhaust all federal eligibility through the Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan program before applying for a PLUS loan.

Loan Application Due Dates

Students should submit loan applications by the following dates for their funds to post by the billing due date, and for their refunds to be available as early as possible. Students can still submit loan applications after the deadline, but the loan may not post to the student account by the due date.

Fall Semester: Second week in July

Spring Semester: Second week in November

Summer Semester: First week in June

Application Instructions

To request a Graduate PLUS Loan, please go to the Department of Education and select the “Sign In” button in the upper left-hand corner. (You will need your FSA ID to sign in. If you have not yet created an FSA ID, you should do so first.) Once you have logged in, you will need to complete three steps:

  1. Application: Once you have logged in using your FSA ID, you will be taken to the welcome screen with several options. Select the “Apply for a PLUS Loan" (third option in center of page). You will need to enter the amount of the loan you are requesting and choose Brandeis for the institution (Title IV school is 002133). DO NOT select Brandeis GSAS — this is an old selection and will not allow you to fill out the online application. Your credit will be checked to confirm your eligibility for a Graduate PLUS Loan. If you denied for a credit reason, you will be able to appeal or add a cosigner through this website.
  2. Entrance Counseling: Select the “Complete Counseling” option on the welcome page (this should be the first option). On the next screen, again select the first option — Entrance Counseling — by clicking on the "Start Entrance Counseling" button. Important: Do not select PLUS counseling — this is only required for individuals who have adverse credit and have obtained an endorser. During your entrance counseling, you will be provided information regarding the terms and conditions associated with the Graduate PLUS Loan program, and you will need to complete a short quiz regarding what you have learned from this introduction.
  3. Complete the Master Promissory Note: Select the “Complete MPN” option from the left-hand column. You will be required to confirm your name and address, supply two references, and sign this form electronically. Important: Please select "Brandeis University"; do not select "Brandeis University-Graduate School of Arts and Sciences" on the Department of Education's website. Steps 2 and 3 will only need to be done the first time you borrow a Graduate PLUS Loan, as your promissory note is good for up to 10 years. This loan can only be posted to your SAGE account after all steps are completed.  
Upon approval for Graduate PLUS Loan, the GSAS Office will send an award letter to you outlining the amount and disbursement schedule for your loans. You are not required to take this loan. If the cancellation of this loan will cause a balance due on your account, please first make other arrangements for your bill to avoid a hold being placed on your registration.

Once you have fulfilled all loan and course registration requirements, you may then file for a refund of your credit balance through your student account.