Awarding PLUS Loans

Purpose: Use this document as a reference on how to award a PLUS loan using ctcLink.

Audience:  Financial Aid staff.

Assign Awards to a Student

You must have at least one of these local college managed security roles:

  • ZD FA Award Processing
  • ZD FA Director
  • ZZ FA Award Processing
  • ZZ FA Award Processor

If you need assistance with the above security roles, please contact your local college supervisor or IT Admin to request role access.

Navigation:  Financial Aid > Awards > Award Processing > Assign Awards to a Student

  1. The Award Entry search page displays.  
  2. Enter the ID.
  3. Enter the Academic Institution.
  4. Enter the Aid Year.
  5. Select the Search button.  
  6. The Assign Awards to a Student page displays.
  7. From the Award section, insert a new row.
  8. Enter the Award Sequence Nbr if not auto-populated. If there other awards already present on the award screen, award the PLUS loan last in the NUM sequence so that the awarded amount applies to the remaining Financial Need and Cost of Attendance.
  9. Enter the Action (‘B’ for Offered/Accepted).
  10. Enter the appropriate Plus Loan Item Type.
  11. Enter the Amount.
  12. Select Validate.
  13. Select Post.
  14. Process complete - next, you will need to create a parent EMPL record, if none already exists.

Note: The Department of Education conducts credit checks at the time the parent borrower applies for the PLUS loan. The COD response file (ex: crdlxxop) includes the results of the parent borrower’s credit check information. The credit information will automatically be updated on the Manage Direct Loan Application page once the response file is successfully loaded into ctcLink.

Video Tutorial

The video below demonstrates the process actions described in steps listed above. There is no audio included with this video. Select the play button to start the video.

Video Tutorial Via Panopto

View the external link to Awarding a PLUS Loan - Assigning Awards to a Student. This link will open in a new tab/window.

Create Parent Borrower EMPL ID Record

In the Create Parent Borrower EMPL ID Record step, you are creating a parent EMPL ID record.  You must be very careful not to create a duplicate ID if one already exists for the parent.  Perform a Search Match on the parent name, date of birth, and SSN before creating a new EMPL ID record.  To run a Search Match, follow this QRG: Running Search/Match (Fluid)

The example below assumes the parent is brand new to ctcLink and needs an EMPL ID.

You must have at least one of these local college managed security roles:

  • ZC CC Personal Information
  • ZC CC SOGI
  • ZD CC Personal Information
  • ZD CC SOGI
  • ZD CC Super user
  • ZZ CC Pers Info NID Update
  • ZZ CC Personal Information
  • ZZ CC SOGI

If you need assistance with the above security roles, please contact your local college supervisor or IT Admin to request role access.

Navigation:  Campus Community > Personal Information > Add/Update a Person

  1. The Add/Update a Person Search Criteria page displays.
  2. Select the Add a New Value tab, the NEW value will populate the ID field-- you are creating a new EMPLID for the parent.
  3. Select the Add button.
  4. On the Biographical Details tab, in the Person Information group box, enter the:
    • First Name
    • Last Name
    • Date of Birth
  5.  In the Biographical History group box, define the:
    • Marital Status - do not define as 'unknown'; it will cause relationship errors
    • Sex - do not define as 'unknown'; it will cause relationship errors

Tip!  Use the Correct 20xx-20xx ISIR Records page and review the parent information tab to determine the parent borrower's marital status

  1. In the National ID group box, define the National ID (SSN).
  2. In the Contact Information Group Box, enter the:
    • Phone number
    • Email address
    • Address (Select the Edit Address link and enter, and select the OK button when done)
  3. Select the Citizenship link and define the:
    • Country
    • Citizenship Status (Select the OK button when done)
  4. Select the Save button back on the Add/Update a Person page.  Note the newly assigned EMPL ID; you will use it in the next step.

Warning! If the SSN, Date of Birth, and Citizenship information is not populated/updated on the parent's EMPL record, COD will reject the loan transmission.

Video Tutorial

The video below demonstrates the process actions described in steps listed above. There is no audio included with this video. Select the play button to start the video.

Video Tutorial Via Panopto

View the external link to Awarding a PLUS Loan - Create Parent Borrower EMPL ID Record.  This link will open in a new tab/window.

Establishing a Student/Parent Relationship

You must have at least one of these local college managed security roles:

  • ZC CC Personal Information
  • ZD CC Personal Information
  • ZD CC Super user
  • ZZ CC Pers Info NID Update
  • ZZ CC Personal Information

If you need assistance with the above security roles, please contact your local college supervisor or IT Admin to request role access.

Navigation: Campus Community > Personal Information > Biographical > Relationships > Relationships

  1. The Relationships search page displays.
  2. Select the Add a New Value tab.
  3. Enter ID that belongs to the student (not the parent).
  4. Select Add button.  
  5. The Relationships page displays.
  6. Enter the Effective Date, which is usually the current date.
  7. Select the Active list item on the Status row.
  8. Enter the Related ID, which is the parent’s ID (not the student's) - Bio/demo information for the parent should then auto-populate in the fields below (ex: Name, Marital Status, National ID, etc).
  9. Select the appropriate Relationship value from the drop-down menu.
  10. For the Guardian value, select Parent Guardian from the drop-down menu.  Do not leave this undefined.
  11. Select the Relationship Address tab.  
  12. The Relationship Address tab displays.
  13. Verify mailing address under the Related ID (or Name) section.
  14. Verify the email address is populated for the parent under the Related ID (or Name) section.
  15. Select the Save button.
  16. The process to establish a student/parent relationship is now complete.  The parent record can now be added to the student's PLUS loan record.

Video Tutorial

The video below demonstrates the process actions described in steps listed above. There is no audio included with this video. Select the play button to start the video.

Video Tutorial Via Panopto

View the external link to Awarding PLUS Loans - Establishing a Student/Parent Relationship.  This link will open in a new tab/window.

The next step is to originate the loan--simply originate a single Direct loan--which will create the shell for the Manage Direct Loan Application (MDLA) page.  

Once the shell for the MDLA page is built, the following step is to link the parent to the PLUS loan record.

To follow instructions to originate a loan, please select this QRG:  https://ctclinkreferencecenter.ctclink.us/m/FA_loans/l/1005682-9-2-originate-direct-loans