Contact Info
Office of Financial Aid
Georgia Southern University
Post Office Box 8065 Statesboro, Georgia 30460-8065
Parent PLUS Loans
How to Apply
You may apply online at studentaid.gov after logging in with your FSA ID. (Do not use the student’s FSA ID.) Click on the gray tab labeled “Parent Borrowers” for more information.
Once the student’s file is complete, and provided the student is making Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP), your approved PLUS loan will be applied to your student’s account.
If your PLUS application is denied by the U.S. Department of Education, your student will be offered the maximum of additional unsubsidized loan funds for which they are eligible. The student will then be required to accept, decline, or reduce the loan through their WINGS account.
If your PLUS application is denied, but you choose to obtain an endorser (co-signer) for your PLUS loan, follow the instructions regarding endorsers on studentaid.gov. The endorser will also need their own FSA ID. If you obtain an endorser, you will be required to complete online PLUS Counseling.
Petition for PLUS Override Review
Federal regulations allow a specific amount of Federal Stafford loan eligibility to a student based on their grade level. If a student needs more than the amount allowed for a Federal Stafford loan, the parent should apply for a PLUS. However, the Department of Financial Aid at Georgia Southern University realizes that students and their families experience circumstances that could keep a parent from being able to apply for PLUS such as Bankruptcy or Foreclosure. If you have/had active bankruptcy (within the last seven years) or have had a foreclosure on your home, you may qualify for a PLUS Override. In order to be reviewed to see if you qualify, you must complete the Petition for PLUS Override Review form below and submit a court-signed copy of your Bankruptcy or Foreclosure paperwork to the Financial Aid office.
2023-2024 Petition for PLUS Override Review Form (Fall 2023, Spring 2024, and Summer 2024 semesters)
PLUS Counseling Requirement for PARENT Applicants with Adverse Credit History
(Those obtaining an endorser and/or providing extenuating circumstances documentation related to the adverse credit information)
The U.S. Department of Education added a requirement that PLUS Counseling must be completed by Direct PLUS Loan applicants (parents of dependent undergraduate students) with an adverse credit history who qualify for a Direct PLUS Loan by obtaining an endorser who does not have an adverse credit history, or who document to the satisfaction of the Department that there are extenuating circumstances related to the adverse credit information.
The PLUS Counseling requirement will apply to all Direct PLUS Loan applicants with an adverse credit decision date on or after March 29, 2015 regardless of the academic year or loan period associated with the Direct PLUS loan.
Graduate/Professional PLUS Loans
How to Apply
You may apply online at studentaid.gov after logging in with your FSA ID. Click on the gray tab labeled “Graduate/Professional Students” for more information.
Once your file is complete, and provided that you are making Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP), your approved PLUS loan will be applied to your account.
If your PLUS application is denied by the U.S. Department of Education, but you choose to obtain an endorser (co-signer) for your PLUS loan, follow the instructions regarding endorsers on studentaid.gov. The endorser will also need their own FSA ID. If you obtain an endorser, you will be required to complete online PLUS Counseling.
PLUS Counseling Requirement for GRAD/PROFESSIONAL Applicants with Adverse Credit History
(Those obtaining an endorser and/or providing extenuating circumstances documentation related to the adverse credit information)
The U.S. Department of Education added a requirement that PLUS Counseling must be completed by Direct PLUS Loan applicants (Graduate/Professional students) with an adverse credit history who qualify for a Direct PLUS Loan by obtaining an endorser who does not have an adverse credit history, or who document to the satisfaction of the Department that there are extenuating circumstances related to the adverse credit information.
The mandatory PLUS Counseling for certain applicants who are determined to have an adverse credit history is a separate module and does not fulfill the entrance counseling requirement for first-time graduate/professional student Direct PLUS loan applications. Depending on a graduate/professional student’s circumstances, he/she may have to complete both modules.