Loan information for US students

General eligibility conditions for financial aid

To receive aid, including Federal Direct and PLUS Loans, you must meet the following eligibility requirements:

• Must be a student enrolled or accepted for enrolment in an eligible programme at an eligible institution
• Must have a high school diploma or equivalent
• Must be enrolled at least half-time for the period for which the loan is originated
• Must comply with the University's satisfactory academic progress policy
• Must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) each year
• Must not be in default on an educational loan and must not owe a repayment on an adjusted federal grant.

 You cannot receive US government loans if you attend any of the following:

• Any Distance Learning programmes
• Any Diploma programmes
• Any Certificate programmes
• Nursing or Medical degrees
• In most cases where your programme includes a period of study for more than 25% of your programme
• Study Abroad with a school located in the United States that is not approved for Title IV (Federal) Aid.

The following University of Sunderland programs are ineligible for US government loans: 

• PGCE programmes
• Foundation programmes
• Students studying off campus at a TNE partner college
• Students studying at the Sunderland ONCampus or the English Language Teaching Centre
• Students studying at our campus in Hong Kong
• Professional courses which do not lead to a full degree award such as the Legal Practice Course (LPC)
• Distance Learning programmes

If you do want to study in the non-eligible areas or programmes, you will need to look at your financial plan carefully. There are private non-governmental loans, for U.S. citizens that could fund these programmes. 

Types of Federal Direct Loans

As a foreign school, University of Sunderland is eligible to originate loan applications for Federal Direct Loans and PLUS loans.

Federal Direct Subsidised Loan

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. Direct Subsidised loans for undergraduate students will have an interest rate of 3.73% (from 1 July 2021).

Federal Direct Unsubsidised Loans

A Federal Direct Unsubsidised loan is awarded regardless of need. The interest rate for Federal Direct Unsubsidised loans is fixed at 3.73% (from 1 July 2021) for undergraduate borrowers and 5.28% (from 1 July 2021) for graduate borrowers. 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: A fee of 1.057% will be deducted from the gross amount of the loan you borrow, so you may wish to take this into consideration when determining the amount you need to borrow.

Federal Direct Parent PLUS Loan

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 their student receives. 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. The interest rate is fixed at 6.28% (from 1st July 2021) and repayment begins within 60 days after your loan is fully disbursed and lasts ten years. Fees: Origination fees for Direct Parent PLUS loans are set at 4.228%.

Federal Direct Graduate 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 Program before applying for a Graduate/Professional PLUS loan. The interest rate is fixed at 6.28% (from 1 July 2021) and repayment begins within 60 days after your loan is fully disbursed and lasts ten years. Fees: Origination fees for Direct Parent PLUS loans are set at 4.228%. 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 he or she is 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 his or her PLUS loans. The amount in Federal Direct Loan funds that you are eligible to borrow each academic year is limited by your grade level; whether you are a dependent or an independent student; your financial need; and your cost of attendance. You cannot borrow more than your financial need or the cost of attendance. The following annual and aggregate loan limits apply to Federal Direct Loans:

Undergraduate Dependent Students

Undergraduate Independent Students

Postgraduate Students

Direct Loan Aggregate Loan Limits

How is my aid eligibility determined?

Federal Direct Subsidised and Unsubsidised Loans are available to eligible students who complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) on the Web. This Federal student aid is made available through the William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan Program to help pay for educational expenses.

For undergraduate students Direct Subsidised or Direct Unsubsidised Loan, or a combination of both loans, are based on your financial need.

The information you report on your FAFSA is used to determine your Expected Family Contribution (EFC), which is a calculated formula that allows the University to determine your financial need. To determine your financial need, your EFC is subtracted from your cost of attendance (COA) for need based awards. The University will also deduct any other aid paid to you or on your behalf for educational expenses. This is referred to as Estimated Financial Assistance (EFA).

How much can you borrow – Cost of Attendance?

Each academic year, the University establishes standard student budgets that use cost of attendance (COA) estimates for awarding financial aid funds.

The budgets reflect typical student expenses and consist of two basic components:

• Direct educational costs – tuition, fees, books and supplies
• Indirect (maintenance) costs – accommodation, board, travel, miscellaneous personal expenses 
• Your living expenses reflect living for students in the UK during the academic year for your programme

While your costs may vary depending on where you stay, we expect your cost of attendance to be roughly in line with our estimates. If you believe that the costs relating to your education are significantly higher than those we have estimated, you may contact us-federal.loans@sunderland.ac.uk to review those costs.

Cost of attendance 2023/24 – Sunderland Campus

Cost of attendance 2023/24 – London Campus

How the funds will be paid to you

Funds will be paid directly to the University. The Income Office will deduct the tuition and accommodation fees (if applicable) and arrange a cheque for the remaining balance to be paid to you.

The payment dates for 2023/24 undergraduate students are:

• 25 September 2023 (first-time borrowers are subject to a 30-day delay and will receive payment on 27 October 2023)
• 14 February 2024

The payment dates for 2023/24 postgraduate students are:

• 10 October 2023
• 11 March 2024

These dates are expected payment dates and subject to completing the required registration steps during Intro Week. If there are any delays or changes to these dates, we will notify you by email.

We advise students to have funds available to cover the first couple of weeks in Sunderland as your funds will not be requested until after registration and in case of delays.

If you want to apply for loans/additional loans during the academic year, please contact us-federal.loans@sunderland.ac.uk with your request.

Please ensure that you have considered your budget with the amount of loan that you will be requesting, taking into account your course and living costs. Increasing a PLUS loan at a later stage during the academic year is complex and not always possible due to endorser limits and system restrictions. If you are in receipt of Federal Loans whilst you are studying at the University, we are required to report your registration status with the National Student Loan Data System for Students (NSLDS) every 60 days. If you are not in receipt of loans, but require your registration status to be reported for loan deferment purposes, please contact our team to request this us-federal.loans@sunderland.ac.uk.

Private Student Loan Information

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. University of Sunderland recommends that you utilize all Federal loan eligibility before turning to private loans.

The University is willing to work with any lender who offers alternative educational loans to students enrolled at Foreign Institutions.

Currently, University of Sunderland is aware of only one such lender, Sallie Mae, but students are advised to explore all options available to them and can opt to use any lender.

More information about Sallie Mae’s programs are available at www.myglobaled.com. 

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.

Instructions: Submit the signed Self-Certification form to your private lender.

To apply for a private loan, you must be an American student enrolled in a degree-granting programme at University of Sunderland.

How to apply

1. Complete your FAFSA

The first step in applying for a US Federal Direct Loan is to complete a FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid). The Federal School Code for University of Sunderland is 021497. To apply electronically, you must have an FSA ID. Start the application process.

As soon as you have submitted your FAFSA, please inform us about your application by emailing your full name to us-federal.loans@sunderland.ac.uk.

2. Student Aid Report is generated

Once your FAFSA is completed and processed, it will generate a Student Aid Report (SAR). This is used by University of Sunderland to determine your eligibility for a loan as stipulated by the U.S. Department of Education.

3. Award Letter is sent to you

After the University receives your SAR, you will receive an Award Letter approximately two months before the beginning of the semester. The letter details the amount of loans you may be eligible for based on such elements as your Cost of Attendance, your year of study, need and other financial assistance.

You will be required to sign and return an Award Acceptance Form before any loan disbursements can be made.

4. Complete your Master Promissory Note (MPN)

Once you have accepted and returned your Award Letter, you can go on to complete the applicable Master Promissory Notes (MPN). The MPN is a legal document in which you promise to repay your loans and any accrued interest and fees to the US Department of Education. It also explains the terms and conditions of your loans.

The MPN is a binding legal document that you must sign when you get a federal student loan. It lists the terms and conditions under which you agree to repay the loan and explains your rights and responsibilities as a borrower. It is important to read and save your MPN because you’ll need to refer to it later when you begin repaying your loan or at other times when you need information about provisions of the loan, such as deferments or forbearances. Complete MPN.

5. Complete your Entrance Counselling

Except for parent Direct PLUS Loan borrowers, if you have not previously received a loan, you must complete entrance counselling before University of Sunderland can make the first disbursement of your loan. This helps you to understand your responsibilities regarding your loan. You will be able to complete your entrance counselling online. Complete Entrance Counselling.

Loan Disbursement

According to US regulations, University of Sunderland is required to disburse your loan funds in multiple instalments that coincide with scheduled semester start dates. Typically, if your loan period is based on enrolment for three semesters, you will receive three disbursements, one at the start of each semester. (this may vary for some programmes of study). 

If you have not already paid your tuition fee once the University has received the amount of the disbursement from the US Federal Government, this will be deducted before any surplus is forwarded to you. 

Generally, the loans cannot be disbursed until the semester has officially started. 

Note: First year, first time borrowers must have their initial disbursements delayed until 30 days after the first date of their first semester. 

Entrance Counselling and Exit Counselling 

Entrance Counselling 

Before your loan application can be completed, you must complete Entrance Counselling. This ensures that you understand the terms and conditions of your loan and your rights and responsibilities.  

Exit Counselling 

Before you withdraw, graduate, or drop below half-time attendance (regardless if you plan to transfer to another school), regulations require that you complete an exit counselling session for your Direct Subsidised and Unsubsidised Loans. The counselling session provides information about how to manage your student loans. Begin exit counselling.

1098-T tax form

As a foreign institution the University of Sunderland does not complete the 1098-T tax form for students. However as an alternative, students are advised to request a Tuition Fee Letter, which may be used for tax purposes, from the International Office team. Please email: us-federal.loans@sunderland.ac.uk

Published: 26 July 2023