2021-2022 Federal Direct Graduate PLUS Loan Credit Authorization Form

Please note that federal regulations do not allow Direct Graduate PLUS loan requests to be processed for an academic year that has already ended. Please review the maximum amount of the Direct Unsubsidized Loan for which you are eligible, along with the terms and conditions for both loans. 

All Students:
Complete all the information requested on this form and submit the form by signing via electronic signature at the end of the document. To be eligible for the Direct Graduate PLUS loan, the student must:

• Be enrolled in a degree-granting program for at least six credits required for degree completion each term
• Have a valid FAFSA on file for the 2021-2022 academic year
• The standard financial aid budget assumes a student will enroll and maintain enrollment for a minimum of 12 credits. To remain eligible for federal loans and to be able to borrow for living expenses, your enrollment must include courses that span the full length of the semester. Students electing to enroll in courses which span only a portion of the semester (e.g. A-term only, B-term only or block weeks at the beginning and end of the semester only) will require an adjustment to their financial aid budget that reflects the proportionate number of days actually enrolled. Students considering enrollment which does not include at least one full-semester length course should consult with the Office of Financial Aid to understand their eligibility. Please review this page for more information about this policy.

First-Time Applicants Only:

After completing this form, you must complete a Master Promissory Note (MPN). Please follow these additional steps to ensure that your Federal Direct Graduate PLUS Loan is processed:

1. Visit https://studentaid.gov and log in to site with your FSA ID. If you do not have a Federal Student Loan ID, go to https://fsaid.ed.gov/npas/index.htm to create one.

2.  Complete a Direct Graduate PLUS Loan Master Promissory Note (MPN) and the required entrance counseling.

Complete Aid Process-->Complete Master Promissory Note (MPN)
o    For the school name, select Columbia University in the City of New York in the drop down
o    Do not complete any online forms in the section “Apply for Aid” -->Apply for Grad PLUS Loan as it will not be accepted and will give you an error message
o    You will not be asked for a dollar amount in this application

Once you submit this form, the U.S. Department of Education will perform a credit check. You will receive separate notification from them regarding the approval or denial of your loan.

I certify that I will use any federal funds I receive during the award year covered by this application solely for expenses related to attendance at Columbia University. I also certify that I am not in default on a federal student loan or owe a repayment on any federal financial aid. I further agree that the Financial Aid Office may transfer Graduate PLUS loan proceeds to my student account for the purpose of paying any mandatory charges.

Consent to Obtain Credit Report
I consent to the U.S. Department of Education and its agents obtaining a report of my credit record and using the information from that report in determining whether to approve a Direct Graduate PLUS Loan for me. I understand that I will be notified in writing by the Department of Education of the results of the credit check with respect to my loan application.

Privacy Act Disclosure 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 information requested on this form is 451 et seq. of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended. Your disclosure of this information is voluntary. However, if you do not provide this information, you cannot be considered for a Direct PLUS Loan. The information on this form will be used to determine your eligibility for a Direct PLUS Loan. The information in your file may be disclosed to third parties as authorized under routine uses in the Privacy Act notices called "Title IV Program Files" (originally published on April 12, 2004, Federal Register, Vol 59 p. 17351) and "National Student Loan Data System" (originally published on December 20, 1994, Federal Register, Vol 59 p. 65532). Thus this information may be disclosed to federal and state agencies, private parties such as relatives, present and former employers and creditors, and contractors of the Department of Education for purposes of administration of the student financial assistance program, for enforcement purposes, for litigation where such disclosure is compatible with the purposes for which the records were collected, for use by federal, state, local, or foreign agencies in connection with employment matters or the issuance of a license, grant, or other benefit, for use in any employee grievance or discipline proceeding in which the Federal Government is a party, for use in connection with audits or other investigations, for research purposes, for purposes of determining where particular records are required to be disclosed under the Freedom of Information Act, and to a Member of Congress in response to an inquiry from the congressional office made at your written request.

Because we request your social security number (SSN), we must inform you that we collect your SSN on a voluntary basis but section 484(a)(4) of the HEA (20 U.S.C. 1091(a)(4)) provides that, in order to receive any grant, loan or work assistance under Title IV of the HEA, a student must provide his or her SSN. Your SSN is used to verify your identity, and as an account number (identifier) throughout the life of your loans(s) so that data may be recorded accurately.