Graduate Student Loan Information
CU Denver participates in the Federal William D. Ford Direct Loan program, and the U.S. Department of Education is the lender. Eligible graduate students are offered a Federal Direct Unsu​bsidized Loan, and may also be offered a credit-based Graduate PLUS Loan.
Interest Rates for Direct Unsubsidized Loans*
| Loan Type | Interest Rate First disbursed on or after July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2025 | Interest Rate First disbursed on or after July 1, 2023 through June 30, 2024 |
| Graduate Unsubsidized Loans | 8.08% | 7.05% |
* The rate for each loan is a fixed interest rate for the life of the loan.
Loan Origination Fees for Direct Subsidized and Unsubsidized Loans
An origination fee is a percentage of your loan amount charged by the lender for the processing of your loan. Federal student loans have an origination fee; therefore, the amount you may receive as a disbursement may be slightly lower than the amount you accept.
| Loan Type | Origination Fee First disbursed on or after October 1, 2024 - September 30, 2025 | Origination Fee First disbursed on or after October 1, 2023 - September 30, 2024 |
| Unsubsidized Loans | 1.057% | 1.057% |
Graduate Student Direct Loan Annual and Lifetime Aggregate Limits
Annual Unsubsidized Limit: $20,500
Lifetime Limit: $138,500, of which, no more than $57,500 may be from undergraduate Direct Loan limits.
Federal Graduate PLUS Loan
The Federal Graduate PLUS loan is a federal loan that graduate or professional degree students can use to help pay education expenses. The US Department of Education makes Direct PLUS Loans to eligible borrowers through CU Denver's participation in the
Federal Direct Loan Program. Find more information about the Federal Graduate PLUS loan.
Interest Rates for Direct Graduate PLUS Loans*
| Loan Type | Interest Rate First disbursed on or after July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2025 | Interest Rate First disbursed on or after July 1, 2023 through June 30, 2024 |
| Graduate PLUS Loan | 9.08% | 8.05% |
* The rate for each loan is a fixed interest rate for the life of the loan.
Loan Origination Fees for Direct Graduate PLUS Loans
An origination fee is a percentage of your loan amount charged by the lender for the processing of your loan. Federal student loans have an origination fee; therefore, the amount you may receive as a disbursement may be slightly lower than the amount you accept.
| Loan Type | Origination Fee First disbursed on or after October 1, 2024 - September 30, 2025 | Origination Fee First disbursed on or after October 1, 2023 - September 30, 2024 |
| Graduate PLUS Loan | 4.228% | 4.228% |
Complete the Loan Process
If you accept a Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loans or apply and are approved for a credit-based Graduate PLUS Loan, you will have steps to complete for each loan borrowed. All loan requirements must be completed for the university to apply a loan to your CU Denver tuition.