US loans for American students

A Federal Direct Subsidised loan is awarded on the basis of financial need. The U.S. government pays interest on a Subsidised loan while you are enrolled at university at least half-time and during deferment periods. Visit the Federal Student Aid webpage for up-to-date information on Federal Interest Rates.

A Federal Direct Unsubsidised loan is awarded regardless of need. Visit the Federal Student Aid webpage for up-to-date information on Federal Interest Rates.

You are not required to pay the interest on this loan while at university, but we recommend that you do. You will be charged interest starting at disbursement until it is paid in full. If the interest accumulates, it will be added to the principal amount of the loan and increase the amount to be repaid.

Fees

Most Federal Student Loans are subject to loan fees, which are a percentage of the total loan amount. Loan fees come out of the amount of money that is disbursed, which means you will receive less than the amount you actually borrowed. Visit the Federal Student Aid webpage for up-to-date information on loan fees.

Parents of dependent undergraduate students can borrow a Federal Direct Parent PLUS loan to help pay for educational expenses at the university.

Parents can borrow up to the total Estimated Cost of Attendance minus all other sources of financial aid the student receives.

Parent PLUS loans are the financial responsibility of the parents and not the student.

A Parent PLUS loan borrower must meet the same citizenship and residency requirements as the student. The parent must not owe a refund on a Federal Student Financial Aid Grant or be in default on a Federal Student Loan.

A credit check is conducted when your parent begins the loan application process. Undergraduates whose parents do not qualify for a PLUS loan can borrow additional Federal Direct Unsubsidised loan funds.

Visit the Federal Student Aid webpage for up-to-date information on Federal Interest Rates.

Fees

Direct Parent PLUS loans are subject to origination fees. Visit the Federal Student Aid webpage for up-to-date information on loan fees.

Endorser

If your credit decision was denied for the Graduate or Parent PLUS Loan, you may still borrow a Direct PLUS Loan by obtaining an endorser. An endorser is someone who agrees to repay the Direct PLUS Loan if you do not repay the loan. An endorser must not have an adverse credit history and may not be the student on whose behalf you are requesting a Direct Plus Loan.

You can complete the Endorser Addendum online. You will need an Endorser Code, which is the identifying number associated to a Direct PLUS Loan.

The Federal Direct Graduate PLUS loan is a Federal loan that graduate students with good credit histories may borrow to help pay their educational expenses.

A graduate student may borrow up to the total Cost of Attendance less all other financial aid received by the student.

They also must have applied for their annual loan maximum eligibility under the Federal Unsubsidised Direct Loan Programme before applying for a Graduate/Professional PLUS loan.

Visit the Federal Student Aid webpage for up-to-date information on Federal Interest Rates.

Fees

Direct Graduate PLUS loans are subject to origination fees. Visit the Federal Student Aid webpage for up-to-date information on loan fees.

Repayment begins on the date of the last disbursement of the loan and the first payment is due within 60 days after the date the loan is fully disbursed. A Graduate PLUS borrower may receive a deferment while still enrolled on at least a half-time basis at an eligible school. Upon dropping to less than half-time enrolment status, the borrower is not entitled to a grace period on PLUS loans.

Endorser

If your credit decision was denied for the Graduate or Parent PLUS Loan, you may still borrow a Direct PLUS Loan by obtaining an endorser. An endorser is someone who agrees to repay the Direct PLUS Loan if you do not repay the loan. An endorser must not have an adverse credit history and may not be the student on whose behalf you are requesting a Direct Plus Loan.

You can complete the Endorser Addendum online. You will need an Endorser Code, which is the identifying number associated to a Direct PLUS Loan.

Students in receipt of Direct Loans must always remain in good academic standing and maintain a GPA equivalent of at least 2.0. Any remedial work will be factored into the Qualitative measurement.

For programmes greater than two academic years, the school must check the qualitative measurement at the end of the second academic year.

The maximum timeframe for completion of a degree programme may not exceed 150% of the published length of a programme as measured in credit hours. Periods when a student does not receive funds will be included in the maximum timeframe.

Students must complete their course at a pace which ensures that they will graduate within the maximum timeframe. Pace is calculated by dividing the total number of credits successfully completed by the number attempted.

For example:

Please note that while a student may maintain their eligibility for US Direct Loans, institutional academic progress rules and student visa restrictions may impact on your ability to continue within the programme. Conversely, a student may lose eligibility for US Direct Loans, and still meet institution requirements for continued enrolment.

Typically, all periods of enrolment contribute when assessing progress, even periods when the student did not receive Federal Student Aid, however there are some exceptions and special cases as listed below:

If a student withdraws from their course, or is discharged from the programme, they must reapply if they wish to return to study at the University of Central Lancashire. If the University accepts a new application to study, any credit gained due to prior study at the University of Central Lancashire would count against the applicable Maximum Time Frame. Likewise, the student would return at the same level of eligibility status regarding the Qualitative standards. For example, if they left on a Financial Aid Warning, they would return at the same warning level.

If a student were to change programmes, the work completed in the previous programme would count towards their Maximum Time Frame and their grades would also be considered as continuing towards their Qualitative grade measurement.

All attempted credits and courses count towards the Maximum Time Frame and grades will be calculated as part of Qualitative grade measurement.

Credits transferred in from another university will not count towards the Maximum Time Frame at the University of Central Lancashire. The grades may be considered for the Qualitative measurement if the prior university’s grade system is equivalent to the UK system.

Prior to a loan disbursement of any Federal Student Aid, SAP will be confirmed by the University's US Loans Team utilising the student administration systems which records student’s academic progress, giving assurance that SAP is being maintained based on an assessment of student progress and achievement, as well as attendance and engagement, in line with qualitative and maximum timeframe measures.

These results will be obtained prior to the disbursement of loan monies at each semester in the academic year to determine whether students are meeting progression requirements that will determine whether the pace of study remains within the specified parameters.

In instances where Satisfactory Academic Progress has not been made, options for continuing their studies will be presented to students in writing.

Where Satisfactory Academic Progress has not been met at the end of a term, the student will be placed on 'Financial Aid Warning’ for the period of the next academic semester and will continue to be eligible to receive funding for that period only.

Maintaining eligibility for the Federal Student Aid requires that students on a Financial Aid Warning complete that period of their academic study at a level that would bring their overall standing in line with Satisfactory Academic Progress requirements.

The US Loans Team will communicate the Financial Aid Warning in writing and inform the student of the need to bring grades, and attendance, in line with the SAP requirements.

If satisfactory progress has not been achieved at the end of the Financial Aid Warning period, a student's loan eligibility will be terminated.

The University does not have the right to waive the Satisfactory Academic Progress requirement for any student.

It is possible for students to receive more than one warning period during an academic year, however, students cannot be placed on a Financial Aid Warning period consecutively.

Students who subsequently lose eligibility for Federal Student Aid because they have failed to maintain SAP may appeal the SAP decision if one or more of the following circumstances exist:

• Death of an immediate family member (parent, spouse, sibling, dependent child)
• An extended period of continuous illness which has resulted in an absence from academic activities, and is supported by medical notes
• The extended illness of an immediate family member that places hardship on the student
• Other mitigating circumstances accepted by the University’s Financial Aid Appeal Committee

Please note that International students are still subject to UKVI regulations regarding extended absences.

Within 10 days of receiving the Financial Aid Decision, students wishing to appeal must have submitted their appeal in writing to the University’s US Loans Team, detailing the reason(s) for failing to meet the SAP requirements and/or why there should be no suspension of aid. Appeals can only be made by the student. Parents and third parties cannot appeal Financial Aid Decisions on behalf of a student.

All supporting documentation should be submitted with the appeal. This process is separate to any academic appeals process.

Grounds for the appeal may also include:

• The University’s US Loans Office did not follow the University’s Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Policy.
• The evidence submitted to challenge the decision to withhold financial aid was not considered by the University’s US Loans Team.

The appeal will be considered by the Student Fees & Funding Senior Manager. The University will notify the student in writing of the outcome of the appeal decision. The appeal will be considered on its merits and a response to the appeal will be provided within 14 working days.

If the appeal is denied a student may regain eligibility if they continue to study and their minimum cumulative pass grade, and attendance, reaches the required levels. Students will be notified in writing of their change in status within 14 working days after they complete the applicable payment period.

Financial Aid probation

Where a student’s appeal has been upheld, the student retains their eligibility for funding for the subsequent term. However, during the study term the student is placed on Financial Aid Probation, for a period of no longer than one term, and must meet SAP requirements in order to remain eligible for financial aid.

The University of Central Lancashire has a range of scholarships and bursaries available to support students while studying with the University. Visit the scholarships and bursaries webpage for more information.

This webpage provides information regarding:

• Student Eligibility Requirements
• How to apply
• Cost of Attendance
• Loan amounts and disbursement
• Entrance and Exit counselling
• Leave of Absence, Withdrawal procedures, refund policies and Return of Title IV funds
• Satisfactory Academic Progress
• Exit counselling
• US Private Loans
• Veterans Affairs

US Federal regulation 34 CFR § 668.32 states that you must have a secondary school completion credential (high school diploma) or the recognized equivalent of a secondary school completion credential to be eligible to receive Federal Student Aid.

The US Department of Education provides information for students regarding Federal Student Aid at studentaid.gov

Visit the University of Central Lancashire webpage for a list of degree programmes offered at the University. Courses for each degree are listed accordingly and link directly to the course catalogue where detailed descriptions of each course can be found.

Student policies can be found by visiting the Student Policies and Regulations webpage.

The following programme types are not eligible for Title IV funding at the University of Central Lancashire:

• Medical Programs
• Dental Programs
• Clinical Programs
• Veterinary Programs
• Nursing Programs
• Degree Apprenticeship Programs
• CPD and Short Course Programs
• Online/Distance Learning Programs

The University of Central Lancashire offers a number of online courses, however, Title IV Aid is not eligible for online, or online learning courses. Students in receipt of Title IV Aid at the University are required to study, in person, on Preston Main Campus.

Some on campus programmes at the University of Central Lancashire offer partial online teaching. Please email the University's US Loans Team for further information on eligibility of partial online teaching.

Information regarding Tuition Fees can be found on the University’s Fees and funding webpage.

For an indication of average monthly living expenses during studies at the University of Central Lancashire, please visit the University’s Student budget calculators webpage.

The University of Central Lancashire offers a number of support services for students. Please visit the university’s Student Hub pages for Inclusive Support and Wellbeing Services.

The University of Central Lancashire’s Tuition Fee Policy and Refund Policy will be adhered to in all instances.

The Return of Title IV funds (R2T4) policy overrules the University of Central Lancashire’s refund policy.

If you are in receipt of Federal Student Aid, you are not allowed to study abroad in the US. You are also not allowed to study abroad at a school that is not approved for Title IV Aid. For further information regarding study abroad eligibility for Federal Student Aid, email the University's US Loans Team.

If you withdraw from your course at the University of Central Lancashire, this will affect your eligibility for Federal Student Aid.

In the event of withdrawal from the course, you will need to complete Exit Counselling for your student loan.

The University of Central Lancashire believes that students and staff should have reasonable expectations of one another, while behaving professionally and respectfully. The Student Charter has been developed in conjunction with the Students’ Union and outlines our culture and principles.

To view more of the University of Central Lancashire's policies, visit the Student Policies and Regulations webpage.

The University of Central Lancashire complies with the General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018 whenever it processes personal data. For further information regarding the University’s Data Protection Policy and Information Management Policy, visit the University’s Data Protection webpage.

The University of Central Lancashire will confirm the enrolment status and academic achievement of students to the US Department of Education as required by Federal Student Aid regulations, and in line with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). By Accepting Federal Student Aid, students are acknowledging and consenting to this sharing of data.

More information relating to sharing of information can be found on the Master Promissory Note (MPN) when taking out Federal Student Aid.

The University of Central Lancashire will hold itself to the highest levels of integrity and will not knowingly provide any false, erroneous, or misleading statements to a student or prospective student, to the family of an enrolled or prospective student, or to the US Department of Education.

The University of Central Lancashire is committed to operating in an environment of integrity. Each member of the University's community is responsible for assuring that the actions and activities conducted at the University promote such an environment.

The University of Central Lancashire does not have a Preferred Lender Agreement with any specific lender of private education loans. In most cases, the University will work with whichever private lender a prospective borrower decides to use, provided such lenders chose to offer loans to students studying outside the US.

At the date of publication, the University of Central Lancashire is registered with both Sallie Mae and Earnest to approve private education loans, however, the University does not promote, endorse, or recommend these providers over any other private lenders.

The University of Central Lancashire has no affiliation with any private lender, and any reference to private lenders does not represent the existence of an approved lender.

Please be aware that private education loans are still limited to Cost of Attendance similar to Direct Loans. A student may hold both a private education loan and Direct Loans, however, the total cannot exceed the Cost of Attendance.

Students should be aware that they may qualify for Title IV loans, and that the lending terms and conditions of Title IV loans may be more favourable than those of private education loans. Students are advised that the University does not offer any advice on which loan to take out, and that they should conduct their own research into what loans would best meet their needs.

A private alternative loan is a non-Federal education loan, provided by a private lender, typically in the student’s name and requiring a co-signer.

Approval and interest rates are based on a credit assessment of the borrower and co-signer. Each alternative lender has different eligibility requirements, loan rates, terms, and conditions.

Students who are eligible for Federal Student Aid should complete the FAFSA and exhaust all Federal loans and scholarship opportunities, before applying for a private alternative loan. Federal student loans generally have more favourable terms and conditions than private loans. The University of Central Lancashire recommends that you utilise all Federal loan eligibility before turning to private loans.

The University of Central Lancashire does not have a Preferred Lender Agreement with any specific lender of private education loans and is willing to work with any lender who offers alternative educational loans to US students enrolled at Foreign Institutions.

The University of Central Lancashire is registered with Sallie Mae and Earnest, however, does not promote, endorse, or recommend these providers over any other private lenders. Students are advised to explore all options available to them and can opt to use any lender.

Please be aware that private education loans are still limited to Cost of Attendance similar to Direct Loans. A student may hold both a private education loan and Direct Loans, however, the total cannot exceed the Cost of Attendance.

The Federal Truth in Lending Act requires a lender to obtain a self-certification signed by the applicant before disbursing a private education loan. The university is required upon request to provide the form or the required information only for students admitted or enrolled at the university.

Independent advice relating to US Private Loans can be sought by visiting Global Education Management Services.

The University of Central Lancashire is approved by the US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to administer Education Benefits to eligible students through the GI Bill. Please note, however, that the University is unable to process Yellow Ribbon Benefits.

The VA maintains a list of approved institution of higher learning programs on its website, indicating which courses are currently approved for funding. You can check whether your course is approved by visiting the Veterans Affairs website. If your course is not currently listed, please email the University’s US Loans Team with details of your course so that we can submit a request to the VA for approval. Please be aware that the approval process can be lengthy. As such, if you enrol at the University of Central Lancashire before your VA Education Benefits are approved, you will be responsible for payment of fees through alternative means.

The VA will only approve degree programs that are similar to degrees granted by accredited US colleges and universities. The VA will not approve independent study programs, including distance learning, for courses studied at University of Central Lancashire.

Eligibility

You may be able to utilise VA Education Benefits if:

• You are veteran, service member, reservist, or qualified dependent
• Your program is approved by the VA which will lead to the award of a standard associate degree or higher, or an equivalent degree similar to degrees granted by accredited US colleges and universities.

Further information regarding VA Education Benefits at Foreign Schools can be found on the VA website for Foreign Programs.

Applying for GI Bill Benefits

If you are not currently receiving GI Bill benefits, you will need to apply for them through the How to Apply section of the VA website. Be sure to choose the correct GI Bill program based on your eligibility. The University of Central Lancashire Faculty Code is 11103174.

Once your application for GI Bill benefits is approved, please email the University's US Loans Team and provide them with the following documentation:

• Your Certificate of Eligibility letter
• Your full name
• Your University of Central Lancashire Registration number
• We may also require your Social Security Number

This will allow the University to certify your enrolment to the VA.

Important Information

• VA Education Benefits are only payable during term-time study periods. Students will not receive funding for periods between terms. Please review your documentation carefully for details on the benefits payment schedule.
• It is essential to maintain communication with the VA throughout your studies to ensure your benefits are processed accurately. Should you encounter any issues or have questions, please contact the VA for assistance.
• You must promptly inform both the VA and the University’s US Loans Team of any changes to your enrolment status.
• You must provide your VA Education Benefits to the University prior to each academic year of study.

For further information or assistance, please email the University's US Loans Team.