A loan must be repaid upon graduation or when no longer enrolled in school on a full- or half-time basis (depending upon the terms of the individual loan program). A promissory note (legal agreement to repay) must be signed before a loan will be disbursed. The promissory note contains detailed information about terms, responsibilities and repayment of the loan. There are no penalties for prepaying principal or interest in any student loan program. Federal regulations require all first-time Federal Direct Loan borrowers to participate in loan counseling before disbursement of the loan.
Alternative loans are non-federal educational loans available from a variety of national lending institutions. Minimums and maximums vary for these loan programs, but all require a satisfactory credit history.
Students borrowing any non-Federal loans (e.g., institutional or private loans) must sign and acknowledge disclosure forms acknowledging the specific terms of each loan and stating that the student is aware of lower cost Federal loan alternatives. The disclosure forms will be sent out by the lending institution when appropriate. Each disclosure form clearly states what steps the students must take next and in what timeframe those steps must be made.
See the code of conduct on student loans and lenders that the university established to comply with the requirements of the 2009 amendments to the Higher Education Act.
is the U.S. Department of Education's (ED's) central database for student aid. ED receives data from schools, guaranty agencies, the Direct Loan program, the Pell Grant program, and other Department of ED programs. You can find a detailed history of your federal student loans on this site.
ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ is required to inform student/parent borrowers that the loan will be submitted to NSLDS and will be accessible by guaranty agencies, lenders, and institutions determined to be authorized users of the data system.
If a borrower disputes the terms of the Federal Direct Loan in writing and the holder of the loan is unable to resolve the dispute, a borrower may seek the assistance of the Office of Education's Student Loan Ombudsman. The Student Loan Ombudsman will review and attempt to informally resolve your dispute. You may contact the Ombudsman’s Office in the following ways:
Web:
Mail:
U.S. Department of Education
FSA Ombudsman Group
P.O. Box 1843
Monticello, KY 42633
Phone: (877) 557-2575
Fax: (606) 396-4821
