Colorado State University participates in the William D. Ford Direct Loan program (Direct Loans). Direct Loans are funded by the Department of Education to you, the student.

What is the difference between Subsidized and Unsubsidized Loans?

• Subsidized loans are need-based and available to undergraduate students. The U.S. Department of Education pays the interest while you are in school at least half-time.
• Unsubsidized loans are not need-based and are available to undergraduate and graduate students. Interest is accruing while you are in school.

What do I need to know about loans?

• Repayment begins 6 months after you graduate, drop below half time, or withdraw.
• Direct Student Loans will be prorated for any undergraduate student who enrolls in only one semester and will graduate in the same academic year.
  • The prorated loan amount is determined by dividing the number of credits a student is enrolled in by 24, multiplied by the annual loan limit

Origination Fees

Date of First Disbursement	Origination Fee % for Direct Subsidized and Unsubsidized Loans
on or after 10/1/19 and before 10/1/2020	1.059%
on or after 10/1/2020 and before 10/1/2025	1.057%

Undergraduate Interest Rates

Date of First Disbursement	Subsidized/Unsubsidized
7/1/2023-6/30/2024	5.50%
7/1/2024-6/30/2025	6.53%

Graduate Unsubsidized Loan Interest Rates

Date of First Disbursement	Unsubsidized
7/1/2023 - 6/30/2024	7.05%
7/1/2024-6/30/2025	8.08%

Loan Limits

Year	Dependent Students	Independent Students (and dependent undergraduate students whose parents are unable to obtain a PLUS Loan)
Freshmen	$5,500 – No more than $3,500 may be in subsidized loans	$9,500 – No more than $3,500 may be in subsidized loans
Sophomore	$6,500 – No more than $4,500 may be in subsidized loans	$10,500 – No more than $4,500 may be in subsidized loans
Junior, Senior, and Second Bachelors	$7,500 – No more than $5,500 may be in subsidized loans	$12,500 – No more than $5,500 may be in subsidized loans
Graduate Student	Not Applicable	$20,500 (unsubsidized only)
Veterinary Medicine: 1st - 3rd year		$40,500 (unsubsidized only)
Veterinary Medicine: 4th year		$47,167 (unsubsidized only)
Undergraduate Subsidized and Unsubsidized Aggregate (lifetime) Loan Limits	$31,000 – No more than $23,000 may be in subsidized loans	$57,500 for undergraduates – No more than $23,000 of this may be in subsidized loans $138,500 for graduate or professional students – No more than $65,500 of this amount may be in subsidized loans. The graduate aggregate limit includes all federal loans received for undergraduate study
Graduate Aggregate (lifetime) Loan Limits		$138,500 (includes undergraduate loans)
Veterinary Medicine Aggregate (lifetime) Loan Limits		$224,000 (includes undergraduate and graduate loans)

How do I apply?

• First complete and submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
• Accept your loan(s) on RAMweb
• Complete Entrance Counseling and sign a Master Promissory Note (MPN)

Colorado State University participates in the William D. Ford Direct Loan Program (Direct Loans).  PLUS Loans are funded by the Department of Education. Students must meet eligibility criteria to receive the Graduate PLUS loan.

Applying and Next Steps:

• You can apply for a Graduate PLUS loan on studentaid.gov
• Complete a Graduate PLUS Direct Loan Master Promissory Note (MPN) and Entrance Counseling.

What do I need to know about Graduate PLUS?

• You must be a graduate or professional student.
• Requires a credit check; you cannot have adverse credit history.
• Interest accrues while you are in school or in deferment.
• Repayment begins 6 months after you graduate, drop below half time, or withdraw.
• Annual Limit:
  • Cost of attendance minus all other aid

Graduate PLUS Loan Origination Fee

Date of First Disbursement	Origination Fee % for Direct Graduate PLUS Loans
on or after 10/1/19 and before 10/1/2020	4.236%
on or after 10/1/2020 and before 10/1/2025	4.228%

Graduate PLUS Loan Interest Rates

Date of First Disbursement	Interest Rate
7/1/2023 - 6/30/2024	8.05%
7/1/2024-6/30/2025	9.08%

The Health Professions Loan (HPL) is a subsidized, low-interest loan available to students enrolled in the Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine program with financial need. Funds are provided from the Department of Health and Human Services and from payments collected from prior students repaying their HPL.

• To qualify, you must provide parental information on your FAFSA.
  • Parental information is used only to determine if you qualify for a Health Professions Loan, not in calculating your eligibility for other financial aid.
• There are no loan origination fees.
• The loan does not accrue interest while enrolled.
• Repayment begins 12 months after you graduate, drop below full-time, or withdraw.
• While the loan is in repayment the interest rate is a fixed 5.0 percent.
• Colorado State University is your lender for this loan, once your loan enters repayment, you will make payments back to CSU.
• Funding is limited; the amounts may vary from year to year.
• If awarded a HPL and would like to accept it in a nonelectronic form, please contact The Office of Financial Aid.

This loan program expired September 2017 and is no longer being awarded. Information about repaying a Perkins loan is available on the Business and Financial Services website.

The Federal Perkins Loan (Perkins Loan) was an undergraduate need-based loan wherein funds were provided by the Federal Government and from payments collected from students repaying their Perkins loans. Colorado State University is the lender for this loan; students in repayment can make payments back to CSU.

• If you would like to cancel or reduce a loan that hasn’t paid out yet, navigate to your financial aid awards page and click on the “request changes to your student loans” option. From there you can submit a cancellation request and specify the amount of loan you’d like to cancel.
• If the loan has already paid out, you may cancel all or a portion of your loan by submitting a borrower loan cancellation form. The request must be submitted within 14 days from the date of disbursement.
• Cancellation or reduction to your loan may result in a balance being owed to the University.  Failure to pay a balance owed by the due date could result in late fees and/or prevent future enrollment.

Loans made through the RAM Loan Program are low-interest student loans for undergraduate and graduate students who demonstrate financial need. CSU is the lender and loan servicer. Click here to learn more about RAM loan terms and eligibility

A short term is available to students who have no balance owed to CSU and are in good academic standing. These loans are designed to meet the current term needs of a student.

• Short term loans are available each semester that a student is enrolled, beginning the third week of the semester through the week prior to final exams.
• This loan is interest free, however you must repay the full amount borrowed by first payment due date of the next semester to avoid late fees.
  • For example, if you borrow during the Fall semester, your loan will be due in January.

If you fail to pay or default on your short term loan:

• Late fees will be charged to your student account in accordance with Student Accounts policy.
• Late payment may make you ineligible for a short term loan in the following semester.
• If the balance is not paid in full by the end of the add/drop enrollment period of the following semester (Census Date):
  • You become ineligible for a future short term loan.
  • Your loan could be assigned to a collection agency.
• If you are having trouble making your payment, contact Business and Financial Services.

To apply contact the Office on Financial Aid.

What do I need to know about Parent PLUS loans?

• You must be the natural/adoptive parent or be a stepparent whose income information was included on the FAFSA to be an eligible borrower.
• Requires a credit check; you cannot have adverse credit history.
  • If you have adverse credit history you can obtain an endorser or appeal the denied credit decision.
• If you’re unable to borrow a PLUS due adverse credit history, your student may be eligible for additional unsubsidized loans.  Contact the Office of Financial Aid for more information.
• Annual Limit: Cost of attendance minus all other aid
• Interest accrues while your student is in school
• Repayment begins once your loan is fully disbursed
  • You may request a deferment while your child is enrolled at least half-time.
• Interest Rate:

Date of First Disbursement	Interest Rate
7/1/2023 - 6/30/2024	8.05%
7/1/2024-6/30/2025	9.08%

Date of First Disbursement	Origination Fee % for Direct PLUS Loans
on or after 10/1/19 and before 10/1/2020	4.236%
on or after 10/1/2020 and before 10/1/2025	4.228%

• Your student will need to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
• Once your student has been awarded you can apply for a PLUS loan on studentaid.gov
• Complete a PLUS Direct Loan Master Promissory Note
  • The parent who submitted their information for a credit check must be the same parent who completes the MPN.

Here are the next steps for those who apply for a Parent PLUS Loan and then decide to cancel or reduce the loan amount:

• You may cancel all or a portion of your loan by submitting a borrower loan cancellation form. The request must be submitted before the loan has paid to your student’s CSU account, or within 14 days from the date of disbursement.
• Cancellation or reduction to your loan may result in a balance being owed to the University.  Failure to pay a balance owed by the due date could result in late fees and/or prevent future enrollment.

Federal Student Loans	Private Student Loans
Repayment begins 6 months after you graduate, leave school, or drop below half-time.	Private student loans could require payments while you are still in school.
Interest rates are fixed and could be lower than private loans and credit cards.	Private loans can have fixed or variable interest rates, some above 18%.
Undergraduate students with financial need will likely qualify for a subsidized loan where the government pays the interest while you are enrolled half-time.	Interest is accruing while you are in school.
With the exception on PLUS loans, federal loans don't require a credit check.	Requires a credit check. The interest rate will depend on year credit score and other factors.
You don't need a cosigner on federal loans is most cases.	You may need a cosigner.
Interest may be tax deductible.	Interest may be tax deductible.
You can consolidate all of your federal loans	You cannot consolidate private loans with your federal loans.
If you are having trouble repaying your loan, you may be able to temporarily postpone or lower your payments.	Private student loans may not offer forbearance or deferment options.
Multiple repayment options.	Check with your lender to see what repayment options are available.
There is no prepayment penalty fee.	Prepayment penalty fees may exist.
You may be eligible to have some portion of your loans forgiven if you work in public service.	It is unlikely that your lender will offer a loan forgiveness program.

• Colorado State University does not endorse or recommend one lender over another and cannot provide a list of lenders because of the wide range terms offered by individual financial institutions.  We encourage you to check if your personal bank offers an alternative loan and to also use mainstream internet resources to search for and review lenders. We will certify a loan through any lender, if you meet that lender’s eligibility criteria.
• Some lenders offer loans for parents or other creditworthy individuals to borrow on behalf of the student.
• During the application process, your lender will require that you submit a Self-Certification form.  This form will ask for information about your cost of attendance and estimated financial assistance to help determine the amount of your loan.
• Borrowers are protected by the Truth in Lending Act (TILA).