We make every attempt to meet your and your family’s needs without student loans.

If you decide to use loans to pay for college costs, consider these options first. Remember, loans are a form of financial aid that must be paid back to the lender, and rates and payment terms can vary.

Loan Options & Additional Information

Federal Student Loans

Direct Subsidized Federal Student Loans

The Direct Subsidized Student Loan is need-based, so your family contribution is used to determine eligibility. The federal government subsidizes the loan by paying the interest while you are in school. The maximum annual subsidized amount is $3,500 for freshmen, $4,500 for sophomores, and $5,500 for juniors and seniors.

Direct Unsubsidized Federal Student Loans

The Direct Unsubsidized Student Loan is not based on financial need, although you still need to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to obtain the loan. After the first disbursement, interest begins accruing on the unsubsidized Federal Direct Student Loan. While enrolled in school, you and your family may choose to pay all, part, or no interest at all. We encourage you to make interest payments while in school, if possible.

Interest rate information and repayment terms:

  • Federal Direct Loan Subsidized or Unsubsidized Undergraduate Interest rates are fixed.
    • 4.99% for loans first disbursed on or after July 1, 2022 and before July 1, 2023.
    • 5.50% for loans first disbursed on or after July 1, 2023 and before July 1, 2024.
  • •A 1.057% origination fee will be deducted from the proceeds of loans first disbursed on or after October 1, 2020, and before October 1, 2023.
  • Loans disbursed before October 1, 2020, will be subject to a 1.059% origination fee.
  • You are required to begin repayment on the loan six months after you graduate or drop below half-time enrollment.

How to Apply

  1. Log in to your Hopkins SIS account at sis.jhu.edu.
  2. Select the “Financial Aid” tab.
  3. Then “Online Forms.”
  4. Select FA-Loan Action Form.
  5. Your name, date of birth, email, and phone should populate automatically. After selecting the correct year and confirming your academic level, indicate the type of request and enter the required amounts.
  6. Complete the form, enter your electronic signature, and Submit.

You will receive an email when your offer is updated. Please allow our office five to ten business days to process loan requests. If you need help, please contact Student Financial Support.

Federal Parent PLUS Loans

Federal Direct Parent PLUS loans are federally guaranteed loans available to parents of undergraduates. There is no financial need requirement to receive these loans. You do not need to contact a lender—these loans are made directly with the U.S. Department of Education.

Borrower Eligibility

Borrowers apply for the Parent PLUS loan for each academic year individually. Multi-year loans may be consolidated at a later date. The loan amount may not exceed the cost of attendance for the academic year, minus any financial aid you’re eligible to receive. Borrowers are encouraged to apply for the amount needed for the entire year, not semester by semester.

  • You (the student) must be enrolled at least half-time, be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident, and you can not be in default on a student loan. Males must be registered for Selective Service.
  • The parent borrower must be the parent of an undergraduate student, be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident, and can not be in default on a student loan.
  • A credit review is required, but no “debt-to-income” review exists. A co-borrower/endorser option is offered if the borrower’s credit is denied. Credit checks are valid for 180 days. Borrowers may complete a credit check at https://studentloans.gov beginning in April for the next academic year.

Loan Terms and Disbursement

  • The interest rate for Parent PLUS loans for 2022-23 is 7.54% and 2023-2024 is 8.05%. The interest rate for each year is announced in June.
  • The origination/default fee for the Parent PLUS loan program is 4.228% for loans first disbursed on or after October 1, 2021, and before October 1, 2023.
  • Disbursements are scheduled at the beginning of each semester and are deposited directly into your Hopkins billing account.
  • Repayment begins sixty days after the loan is fully disbursed. If parents are approved for deferment, repayment may not begin until 6 months after the student’s graduation.
  • Fully disbursed means that all installments (fall and spring) have been paid.
  • Interest begins accruing after the first disbursement. There is no prepayment penalty. Consolidation options and extended or graduated repayment plans are available.

How to Apply

  • Complete the FAFSA before submitting a Parent PLUS loan request at https://studentloans.gov.
  • Your FSA ID is required to complete this process. If you need to set up an FSA ID or retrieve your username or password, go to https://fsaid.ed.gov.
    • A FSA ID is assigned to an individual and may not be used by another individual. If a different parent borrows a Federal Direct Parent PLUS Loan, that parent may not use the FSA ID assigned to the other parent but is required to obtain their own FSA ID.
  • To submit a PLUS loan request, log into https://studentloans.gov with your FSA ID and other identifying information.
    • Select the “Request a Direct PLUS Loan” option.
    • Select “Loan Type Parent PLUS.”
    • Be sure to select JOHNS HOPKINS UNIV – ASEN when asked to provide the name of your school. Hopkins has multiple campuses, and it is essential that you select ASEN (Arts & Sciences and Engineering) as the school to receive your information.
  • New PLUS borrowers will also use https://studentloans.gov to sign a promissory note online. Hopkins will contact the borrower once the loan has been processed or with any questions we have regarding the request.

Find out more by watching this educational video about Parent PLUS loans.

Private Loans

Supplemental private loans may be used in addition to federal funds. Johns Hopkins University recommends that you exhaust your eligibility for federal loans before considering private loan programs. If you are uncertain about your eligibility for federal loans, please contact the financial aid office before applying for private loans.

State Educational Loan Programs

Some states offer educational loan programs to residents of that state with interest rates and repayment terms equal to or better than the federal student and parent loans. We recommend that you and your family check with your state higher education agencies about the availability of these loans.

Private Banks

Private banks also offer loan programs for educational costs. For most of these loans, you (the student) are the borrower with your parents as a co-signer. Interest rates generally are variable.

For state or private loans, the borrowing limit is the total cost of education for the academic year (as defined by Hopkins) minus any financial aid. The University does not endorse or recommend any lender, nor does the University have any financial interest in any lending institution.

You and your family have the right to select the educational loan provider of your choice. If you want to learn more about supplemental loan funding, please review ELM Select. Johns Hopkins provides access to this interactive tool to help you and your family better understand your private loan options. Additionally, please see the Maryland College Loan Code of Conduct.

Find out more by watching this educational video about private loans.

Questions to Ask a Private Lender

  • What are your lowest interest rate and fee combination, and how can I get it? Is the rate only for a limited period, or is it for the life of the loan?
  • For variable rate loans, is there a limit on how high the variable rate can go? How often is the interest rate adjusted, and how is it determined?
  • What interest rate can I get on a fixed-rate loan?
  • How long will I be repaying the loan? Is there any penalty for paying it off early?
  • When do I have to start making payments? How long can I defer payments while I’m in school? If I go to graduate school and defer payments, how much will I owe when I start making them?
  • Will I lose my discount for paying on time if I have only one late payment or if I ask for a change in the payment schedule?
  • What proportion of your borrowers get the discounts you offer? Are your discounts guaranteed, or are they subject to change later?
  • Would you allow me to defer or reduce my payments temporarily because of economic hardship? Under what circumstances and for how long?

From the Project on Student Debt

First-Time-Borrower Information

If you are a new Direct Student Loan borrower, you must sign a master promissory note (MPN) and complete online Entrance Counseling. Make sure to have your FSA ID available to complete these steps.

  1. You will receive an email notification informing you when to sign your MPN and complete your Entrance Counseling.
  2. Sign in to the Federal Student Loans website with your FSA ID and other identifying information.
  3. You will see options to “Complete Master Promissory Note” and “Complete Entrance Counseling.” Remember to complete both.
  4. Select Subsidized/Unsubsidized for the loan type.
  5. Select “JOHNS HOPKINS UNIV – ASEN” when asked to provide the name of your school. Johns Hopkins has multiple campuses, and it is essential that you select Johns Hopkins – ASEN as the school to receive your information.
  6. Follow the instructions and remember to save a copy of the MPN for your records.

The MPN is valid for ten years of consecutive borrowing at Hopkins. The loan proceeds will be credited to your student account ten days before the semester starts.

Watch Loan Entrance & Master Promissory Note (MPN) Tutorials

Repayment and Additional Resources

The Direct Student Loan Program simplifies the application process for students and provides quicker access to loan funds. Loan repayment allows more options for repaying the loan through extended, graduated, and income-based plans. Loan repayment information will be sent with the promissory note at the time of repayment. Loan repayment information, as well as interactive calculators, are available to help you plan for repayment.

Additional Federal Direct Loan information:

Five Important Things About Repaying Your Student Loans

Loan Action Form

Adjust an existing loan or request additional loan funding.

Loan Action Form