Federal Direct PLUS Loans

Graduate Students

Starting July 1, 2026, graduate students who have not already borrowed Federal Direct loans for their current degree program will not be eligible to borrow new Federal Direct PLUS loans. Those who have already borrowed Direct loans may continue to borrow new PLUS loans for the duration of their degree program (as long as they are continuously enrolled) or until June 30, 2029, whichever comes first.

1. Accepting your Loan in AXESS

  • From the My Finances menu, select Financial Aid > Accept/Decline Loans. Use the red Change button to switch to the correct academic year, if necessary. For each loan offer, use the drop-down under Award Decision to Accept or Decline your loan. If you wish to accept a lower amount, choose Accept, then click the Reduce box, then enter the amount you wish to accept. When you are ready, click Submit.
  • If you have not applied for financial aid, please complete the graduate student Applying for Aid requirements.
  • If you do not have federal loans included in your award and you have already completed Grad Loan Application, submit a request to financialaid@stanford.edu.

Note: If you completed an Entrance Counseling (EC) or Direct PLUS Loan Master Promissory Note (MPN) in a prior academic year at Stanford, you are not required to complete this again. Your existing MPN and EC covers your Direct Loan borrowing for up to ten years.

2. Completing Entrance Counseling

  1. Go to the Direct Loan website at https://studentaid.gov/.
  2. Locate and select "Log In" button.
  3. Log in using your FSA ID (Username). If you forgot your FSA ID, go to Retrieve Your Log-in Information.
  4. From the navigation at the top of the page, find the dropdown list for Grants and Loans.  Select "Loan Entrance Counseling."
  5. Click on "Start" in the Graduate section to begin Entrance Counseling.
  6. To notify the correct school, choose CALIFORNIA as the state and STANFORD UNIVERSITY as the school. Click “Add” to add this school, then click “Continue.”
  7. Follow the prompts to complete the entrance counseling process. The Stanford Financial Aid Office will be notified upon completion of your entrance counseling.

3. Completing Master Promissory Note

  1. Go to the Direct Loan website at https://studentaid.gov/.
  2. Locate and select the "Log In" link.
  3. Log in using your FSA ID (Username). If you forgot your FSA ID, go to Retrieve Your Log-in Information.
  4. From the navigation at the top of the page, find the dropdown list for Grants and Loans.  Select “Master Promissory Note (MPN).”
  5. Click “Select MPN Type,” then click “Start” next to MPN for Subsidized and Unsubsidized Loans.To notify the correct school, choose CALIFORNIA as the state and STANFORD UNIVERSITY as the school. Click “Add” to add this school, then click “Continue.”
  6. Follow the prompts to complete the remaining items, including the electronic signature. You will have the opportunity to print a copy of your completed, signed MPN. The Stanford Financial Aid Office will be notified when you have completed and signed your MPN.
Updated on April 27, 2026 11:42 AM