NYU Stern Graduate Financial Aid | Eligibility

In order to borrow Federal Direct Loans, you must:

• Be a U.S. citizen or a U.S. permanent resident (with a green card)
• Have a valid Social Security Number
• File a FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) each academic year
• Be enrolled at least half-time (a minimum of 4.5 credits per semester). If you take less than 4.5 credits, you will not be eligible to apply for federal loans, and additionally, any previous loans you borrowed will enter their grace period
• Be below the annual, aggregate, and lifetime maximum loan limits. (See chart below)
• Meet satisfactory academic progress as defined in the Stern Bulletin
• Must not be in default on a federal student loan
   

Graduate PLUS Loan Credit Check

After accepting a Graduate PLUS Loan on the NYU Albert system, the Department of Education will check your credit to confirm approval. Your credit history is considered adverse if your credit report shows that you are experiencing any of the following credit conditions:

• Accounts with a total outstanding balance greater than $2,085 that are 90 or more days delinquent as of the date of the credit report, or that have been placed in collection or charged off* during the two years preceding the date of the credit report.
• Bankruptcy discharge during the five years preceding the date of the credit report.
• Repossession during the five years preceding the date of the credit report
• Foreclosure during the five years preceding the date of the credit report.
• Charge-off/write-off of a federal student aid debt during the five years preceding the date of the credit report.
• Wage garnishment during the five years preceding the date of the credit report.
• Tax lien during the five years preceding the date of the credit report.

* Charged off means a debt that a creditor has written off as a loss, but that is still subject to collection action.

If you apply for a Direct PLUS Loan and are notified that you have an adverse credit history, the Department of Education will provide detailed instructions for documenting extenuating circumstances (appeal).
 

Direct Subsidized Loans and Direct Unsubsidized Loans have three different types of loan limits

Annual loan limit: The maximum loan amount you can borrow each academic year.

Aggregate loan limit: The maximum amount of unpaid principal balance minus any capitalized interest that you can have outstanding at any point in time on all of your subsidized and unsubsidized loans for undergraduate, graduate, or professional study

Lifetime maximum loan limit: The maximum amount you can receive, regardless of any amount paid or discharged, in any combination of subsidized loans, unsubsidized loans, and PLUS loans for graduate or professional study.

Federal Student Loan Limits

*Student borrowers with a federal loan (Unsubsidized or Graduate PLUS) disbursed before July 1, 2026, for their current degree program.

When prompted by the Department of Education, NYU is required to check if you have reached or exceeded your loan borrowing limits. The Stern Graduate Financial Aid Office will review your loan borrowing history to determine your federal aid eligibility.