Visit Federal Student Aid to log in and locate your federal loan servicer(s). Contact your loan servicer for additional details.

Available to graduate and professional students; eligibility is not based on financial need.

• Minimum: $200
• Maximum: $20,500

Eligibility is not based on financial need, but a credit check is required. Borrowers who have an adverse credit history must meet additional requirements to qualify. 

• Minimum: $200
• Maximum: varies by student

To calculate maximum use: cost of attendance minus estimated financial assistance = PLUS Loan eligibility. Estimated financial assistance includes grants, scholarships, sponsorships, fee remissions, and other department resources. 

For more information, visit Graduate PLUS Loans.

The California DREAM Loan Program provides eligible AB540 students with the option to borrow a California DREAM Loan to assist with the cost of attending UC Davis. The California DREAM Loan is based on a student's financial need.  

Loan Details: 

Minimum award: $200

Maximum award: $4,000

Total Aggregate Maximum: $20,000

Loan Servicer: Heartland ECSI 

Eligibility Requirements:

To qualify for the California DREAM Loan, students must:

• Have an approved AB540 residency determination from the Registrar's Office
• File the California Dream Act Application (CADAA) for the current academic year
• Be enrolled in at least six (6) units
• Demonstrates financial need (no credit check required)

How to Apply and Accept:

• Accept the Dream Loan through your MyAwards portal
• Receive an e-mail from webmaster@ecsi.net with instructions and your Heartland ECSI PIN for completing necessary loan requirements online
• Complete the loan requirements:
  • Supplemental Loan Information through MyAwards
  • Truth in Lending documents, entrance counseling and e-sign the promissory note through Heartland ECSI. 

2024-25 loan offers can be accepted or declined in MyAwards beginning July 22, 2024. Requirements can be completed after the loan has been accepted.  

Attention 2024-25 Dream Loan borrowers: The Truth in Lending and Right to Cancel requirement access will be available after July 25, 2024. 

Interest Rates:  

Interest rates vary annually and are aligned with the Federal Direct Subsidized Loan Interest Rate:

• 2024-2025: 6.53%
• 2023-2024: 5.50%
• 2022-2023: 4.99%
• 2021-2022: 3.73%
• 2020-2021: 2.75%

Borrower is not responsible for paying the interest if:

• Enrolled at least half-time at an eligible school, OR
• Within six (6) months of having been enrolled at least half-time, OR
• During a period of deferment

Repayment:

Repayment begins 6 months after you graduate, leave school, or drop below half-time enrollment. 

• Standard repayment: up to 10 years with a minimum of $50 monthly payment 
  • You can repay your loan without penalty at any time. The faster you pay your loan, the less interest you pay over time.
• Deferment: You may quality to postpone your monthly payments in which no interest accrues if you are:
  • Unemployed (maximum 3 years)
  • In-School
  • Experiencing Economic Hardship or
  • Are in Active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces
• Forbearance: If you are not eligible for deferment, you may be eligible to postpone or reduce your monthly payments (with interest accrual) under forbearance if you are:
  • Experiencing financial hardship
  • Experiencing a prolonged illness
• Death and Disability Cancellation: The loan is canceled due to student death or becoming permanently and totally disabled. 
• Additional Cancellation: For additional cancellation request eligibility, review pages 5 and 6 of your Promissory Note. 

To apply for a deferment, forbearance, or cancellation, contact Heartland ECSI at (888) 549-3274

Exit Requirements

When you leave UC Davis, you must complete the Loan Exit Counseling. You should expect to receive an email notification with instructions on how to complete this requirement.

When considering private education loans, it's crucial to understand their specific characteristics:

• Variable Interest Rates: Private loans often have interest rates that can change with market conditions.
• Credit Rating Impact: Your credit rating influences the interest rate you'll receive on a private loan.
• Eligibility Variability: Eligibility criteria differ among lenders, including citizenship requirements and co-signer obligations.

For more information, visit Private Loans.

You can accept all or a portion of your loan at any time during the academic year, although it is important to note that the deadline to accept an offered federal and/or institutional loan for each academic year is in mid-May.

Steps to accept a loan:

• Log into MyAwards
  • Accept all or a portion of the loan(s)
  • Go to the requirements tab. Review and complete loan requirements:
    • Promissory Note 
    • Entrance Counseling 
• Review important dates to confirm when the school will begin to satisfy loan requirements. Keep confirmation of the completed requirements for your records.

Borrowers can decline all or part of the loan. Direct loan fund revisions may be requested within 120 days of the disbursement date. A balance may be created if the loan funds you are declining have already been applied to your MyBill account. Visit MyBill to review and repay any account balances created by the revision request.

Note: If the request is received outside of the 120-day disbursement period, the school will make a partial loan revision and direct you to the appropriate loan servicer for repayment guidance.

Steps to decline/reduce a loan:

• Log into MyAwards
  • Select "Awards"
  • Scroll down to select “submit a change in aid request”
  • Select "Make changes to my loans"
  • Submit form for processing