Federal Direct Loans

UF participates in the Federal Direct Loan Program⤷. The U.S. Department of Education is the lender and provides loan funds to borrowers through UF.

All students who wish to borrow federal loans must complete the Direct Loan Request on ONE.UF (Student Self Service > Financial Aid > Aid Status). The request must be completed for every academic year in which the student wishes to borrow federal loans.

Please note: The total amount of financial aid awarded to you, including loans, cannot exceed your Cost of Attendance (COA). While students may borrow up to the COA, they are not required to do so. Conservative borrowing is encouraged.

Direct Unsubsidized Loans

The FAFSA is the only application required for Direct Unsubsidized Loans. First-time borrowers must also complete entrance counseling and the Unsubsidized Master Promissory Note (MPN) on studentaid.gov.

All DMD students except for seniors are eligible for up to $47,167 in Unsubsidized Loan funds per financial aid year (fall, spring, & summer terms, in that order). Senior (4th year) DMD students are eligible for up to $40,500 in Unsubsidized Loan funds.

Unsubsidized loans are subject to an origination fee. This fee is collected by the Department of Education at disbursement. Information on current origination fees is available at UF Office of Student Financial Aid & Scholarships⤷.

Unsubsidized loans DO accrue interest while you are in school; there is no point at which interest does not accrue on Unsubsidized loans. Information on current interest rates is available at UF Office of Student Financial Aid & Scholarships⤷.

Unsubsidized loans have an aggregate (lifetime) loan limit of $224,000 for health professions students. The lifetime limit includes ALL subsidized and unsubsidized loan debt, not just debt incurred during the DMD program.

Financial need is NOT a consideration for Unsubsidized Loan eligibility. All DMD students with a FAFSA on file may borrow up to the maximum amounts.

Graduate PLUS Loans

The FAFSA⤷ and a Graduate PLUS Loan application⤷ are required for Direct Graduate PLUS Loans. First-time borrowers will also need to complete entrance counseling and the Graduate PLUS Master Promissory Note (MPN) on Studentaid.gov⤷.

Potential borrowers must pass a credit check to be approved for a Graduate PLUS Loan. This credit check only evaluates negative, or adverse, credit history. If your application for a Graduate PLUS Loan is denied, you may document extenuating circumstances or find an endorser⤷.

The maximum amount of PLUS loan funds that a student can borrow is based on the following formula: Cost of Attendance (COA) minus all other aid received (if any). “All other aid” includes grants, scholarships, and loans.

Graduate PLUS Loans are subject to an origination fee. This fee is collected by the Department of Education at disbursement. Current information on origination fees is available at UF Office of Student Financial Aid & Scholarships⤷.

Graduate PLUS Loans DO accrue interest while you are in school; there is no point at which interest does not accrue on PLUS loans. Information on current interest rates is available at UF Office of Student Financial Aid & Scholarships ⤷. The Graduate PLUS Loan interest rate is typically 1% higher than the Unsubsidized loan interest rate.

Graduate PLUS Loans do not have an aggregate (lifetime) maximum.

Financial need is NOT a consideration for Graduate PLUS Loan eligibility. All DMD students with a FAFSA on file who pass the Graduate PLUS credit check may borrow up to the maximum amounts.

Additional Information

The above information is for individuals currently in or starting the DMD Program.