Uniting to Save Grad PLUS
ED to MED stands with its 18 national partners and other allied groups in support of the Federal Graduate PLUS Loan Program.
What Is Grad PLUS?
Grad PLUS loans are federal Direct PLUS Loans that help graduate and professional students finance the full cost of their education. Grad PLUS loans are not capped, covering the total cost of attendance, minus any other financial aid received, and can be used to pay for tuition, textbooks, room and board, and other important living expenses. Grad PLUS loans are managed by the U.S. Department of Education.
Why Save Grad PLUS?
Capping the amount of federal financial aid graduate students can borrow would have devastating effects on graduate student debt and decrease the diversity of the future physician workforce, to the detriment of patient health.
Did You Know?
- 87 percent of osteopathic medical students graduating in the 2019 – 2020 academic year who reported receiving loans to finance their medical education relied on Grad PLUS loans.
- Forty-eight percent of medical students received Grad PLUS loans in academic year 2015 – 2016.
- Graduate student loan borrowers typically have much lower rates of default on their Grad PLUS loans (2%) compared to other types of student borrowers.
What Can You Do?
Urge Congress to #SaveGradPLUS in the reauthorization of the Higher Education Act!
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Share Your #SaveGradPLUS Story
For many students, Grad PLUS loans make it possible to pursue a career in medicine. Without this loan option, students would most likely struggle to afford their education, hospitals and clinics would struggle to hire enough health care professionals, and communities and patients would suffer the consequences. Tell Congress what the country’s health care landscape would look like without Grad PLUS, and why it’s so vital to save it. Share your #SaveGradPLUS story today.
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