Section 3: Effects of Your Enrollment on Federal Graduate PLUS Loans

To continue deferring (postponing) your Federal Graduate PLUS Loan payments while in-school, you must maintain at least half-time enrollment. If you drop below half-time enrollment, you will enter your six month grace period. If you have already used your grace period during a prior period of less than half-time enrollment, your Federal Graduate PLUS Loan will immediately enter repayment if you withdraw or drop below half-time enrollment.

Graduate students must take at least 5 credits to be considered half-time. Students who withdraw from the University will also enter their grace period. Per University policy, you must contact the Dean of Students Office if you decide to withdraw prior to completing your program of study. The Dean of Students Office will coordinate notification of other offices on campus. If you withdraw, you will receive notice from the Office of Student Financial Aid Services about completing the required Exit Counseling for your Federal Stafford Loans. If you withdraw after the start of the semester, the University uses a specific formula to calculate how much Title IV Aid, including Federal Graduate PLUS Loans, you've earned to that point. The Office of the Bursar calculates the number of days attended divided by the number of days of the semester and multiplies this percentage times the funds received. The amount the student is not entitled to keep is then returned to the proper program(s).

If you withdraw before the end of your loan period, the University may be required to refund all or part of your loan to your lender. The order in which unearned federal funds must be returned is: Unsubsidized Stafford Loans, Subsidized Stafford Loans, Unsubsidized Direct Stafford Loans, Subsidized Direct Stafford Loans, Perkins Loans, PLUS Loans, Direct PLUS Loans, and other Title IV grant and loan programs.