Graduate Loan Options
Graduate students have two loan options: Direct unsubsidized loans and Graduate PLUS loans. Graduate PLUS loans require a credit check while direct loans do not. Graduate PLUS loans also require you to be a legacy borrower and are not available to new or transferring students. Loan acceptance opens mid-summer each year.
Unsubsidized Loans
Unsubsidized Loan Eligibility
- Complete the FAFSA
- Be enrolled at least half time
- Complete loan counseling
- Sign a Master Promissory Note
Graduate PLUS loans
Beginning July 1, 2026, Graduate PLUS loans are no longer available to students who have not previously borrowed federal loans while in their current WSU graduate program. If you are a legacy borrower, you may request Graduate PLUS loan funds after loan acceptance opens in the summer.
Graduate Loan Limits
Loan Type Annual Limit Lifetime Limit Unsubsidized Direct Loan $20,500 $100,000
$138,500 (legacy borrowers only)*Graduate PLUS Loan The maximum amount needed to cover
Cost of Attendance (after other forms of
aid are applied).N/A
Graduate Students/EMBA
| Credit Hours | Loan Eligibility |
|---|---|
| <5 | 0% |
| 5 | 50% |
| 6 | 60% |
| 7 | 70% |
| 8 | 80% |
| 9 | 90% |
| 10+ | 100% |
MBA Students
| Credit Hours | Loan Eligibility |
|---|---|
| <3 | 0% |
| 3 | 50% |
| 4 | 67% |
| 5 | 83% |
| 6+ | 100% |
Professional Student Loan Options
Professional students have three loan options:
- Unsubsidized Loans
- Graduate PLUS Loans
- Credit check required. Legacy borrowers only (not available to new or transferring students).
- Health Profession Loans
- FAFSA required. Must have demonstrated financial need and be in an applicable health profession program.
Loan acceptance opens mid-summer each year.
Professional Student Loan Limits
| Loan Type | Annual Limit | Lifetime Limit |
|---|---|---|
| Medical Students: Unsubsidized Direct Loan | $50,000 $40,500 | $200,000 $224,000 (legacy borrowers only) |
| Pharmacy Students (9-month): Unsubsidized Direct Loan | $50,000 $33,000 (legacy) | $200,000 $224,000 (legacy) |
| Pharmacy Students (12-month): Unsubsidized Direct Loan | $50,000 $37,167 (legacy) | $200,000 $224,000 (legacy) |
| Veterinary Students (9-month): Unsubsidized Direct Loan | $50,000 $40,500 (legacy) | $200,000 $224,000 (legacy) |
| Veterinary Students (12-month): Unsubsidized Direct Loan | $50,000 $47,167 (legacy) | $200,000 $224,000 (legacy) |
| Health Profession Loan | Amounts granted vary according to availability, FAFSA submission date and student SAI. | N/A |
| Private Loans | The maximum amount needed to cover Cost of Attendance (after other forms of aid are applied). | N/A |
| Credit Hours | Loan Eligibility |
|---|---|
| <5 | 0% |
| 5 | 50% |
| 6 | 60% |
| 7 | 70% |
| 8 | 80% |
| 9 | 90% |
| 10+ | 100% |
Health Professionals
Pharmacy, veterinary medicine and nursing students with financial need may qualify for low interest health profession loans.
Graduate & Professional Loans FAQ
- Sign in to myWSU
- Click on “My Student Center” in the middle of the screen
- Click on “View Financial Aid” under finances
- Click on the aid year
- Click on Accept/Decline Awards
- Select the loans you wish to accept (or click ‘accept all’)
- Enter the amount you wish to accept
- Click submit, and then click yes to accept
You may also accept your loans through Student Financial Services in-person (Pullman campus) or over the phone.
The timeline for a credit decision may vary based on the time of year your loan is accepted, typically 3-5 business days. You will receive an email notification from the U.S. Department of Education and our office as to whether the loan was approved or not.
Credit decisions are valid for 180 calendar days (approximately 6 months).
If after 5 business days you have not received a credit decision, there may be a credit freeze with one or more of the credit bureaus.
You must lift your credit freeze from all three credit bureaus for a period of at least one week before a credit check can be run.
You can lift applicable credit freezes by contacting each agency independently. Please contact Student Financial Services if removing a credit freeze after accepting your loan.
All students denied a Direct Graduate PLUS Loan because of adverse credit information have certain rights and options. You may take the following actions to see if the loan may still be approved:
- Appeal the credit decision
- Appeal directly to Federal Direct Loan (FDL) Program. They can be contacted at 1-800-557-7394 (Option 3) for more information.
- Add an endorser (co-signer) to the loan
- Obtain a credit-worthy endorser (co-signer). An endorser is someone who does not have an adverse credit history and agrees to repay the loan if the student is unable to repay it.
- An Endorser Addendum must be completed by the loan co-signer, and submitted to the Federal Direct Loan program for processing. For instructions, please contact Direct Loan Applicant Services at 1-800-557-7394 (Option 3). Even with an endorser, you must still complete the MPN each year.
In either of the above cases, you must:
- Contact our office to let us know if they are pursuing one of the above options, and
- Complete PLUS Counseling at studentaid.gov
Loan funds will not disburse until you have completed these steps.
If you are the endorser:
- Create an FSA ID and sign in at studentaid.gov
- Click on “Endorse a Direct Plus Loan”
- Enter the loan ID
- The loan ID can be found in the denial email received from the Department of Education. The ID starts with the student’s SSN followed by “P17G0380000” and ending in the number of PLUS Loans sent to Department of Education. If a student has been offered multiple PLUS Loans, the Loan ID will end in “1”, “2”, etc. (example: SSNP17G03800002).
If you are the borrower (student):
- Go to studentaid.gov
- Log into the site with your FSA ID
- Click on “Complete PLUS Counseling”
- Click on “PLUS Counseling” (if in doubt, see the blue highlighted description to the right of your selection)
The Department of Education will send our office the updated file once the PLUS Counseling has been completed. It can take the university a few days to receive the file and get it updated in myWSU.
The credit minimum for loans are:
- Undergraduates: 6 credits
- Graduate/Professional/EMBA students: 5 credits
- MBA students: 3 credits
Enrollment below these levels will result in loan offers being cancelled from your account. If you drop below the loan credit requirement after your loans have disbursed, you may owe a bill to the university for the loan amounts you took out. Cancelled or “paid back” loans under these circumstances do not count towards your lifetime eligibility for federal loans.