U.S. Department of Education - William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan Program

What the Direct Loan gives you

As this is a US federal student loan, you will be required to repay it. It enables US students to borrow money to study at City St George’s, University of London (formerly City, University of London). The US Department of Education provides the loan, which can cover your tuition fees, living costs and the cost of study materials. There are three types:

• Direct Subsidized Loan: for students in financial difficulty. The government covers the interest during their studies and for six months afterwards.
• Direct Unsubsidized Loan: for students in the foundation stage, the main stage and on vocational degree programmes. No entrance exam is required, but there is a high level of interest right from day one.
• PLUS Loan: for parents or PhD students.

The maximum amount you can borrow is limited to your study costs: tuition fees plus weekly living costs (for example, approximately 260 GBP for accommodation, 95 GBP for food and 45 GBP for travel in London), minus any other financial support you receive. Repayment begins six months after you complete your studies or after you fall below the half-time threshold, and can extend over a period of 10 to 30 years.

Who can apply

• Nationality: You are a US citizen or have lawful non-citizen status.
• Where you study: You are enrolled at City, St George’s, University of London, on a degree programme delivered at the university’s own campuses. Degree programmes in the USA or via distance learning are not eligible.
• Study load: You are studying at least part-time (50% of a full-time degree programme).
• Course type: Your degree programme leads to a qualification. This does not apply to degree programmes in nursing and medicine, modular and short courses, or most degree programmes that do not lead to a qualification.
• Financial need: This only needs to be specified for the directly subsidised loan (undergraduate students). There is no means test for the unsubsidised loan.

How to apply

Complete the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid, the US government’s form for applying for student finance) at studentaid.gov. You will also need to sign a Master Promissory Note for each loan and attend an induction session. A credit check is also required for Parent PLUS loans. If you are a new student starting your studies on or after 1 July 2026, submit your FAFSA application by 1. June 2026 and expect a loan offer around 17 July 2026. If you are a current student continuing your studies between 2026 and 2027, submit your application by 1 May 2026. Submit your application as early as possible.

How realistic are your chances?

This is a loan, not a competitive scholarship, so you will not be assessed by a panel against other applicants. If you are a US student who has been admitted to an eligible degree programme at City St George’s and submit the required documents by the deadline, you will be assessed for eligibility. The main restrictions are the exclusion criteria for certain degree programmes (no nursing, medicine or distance-learning programmes), the cap on tuition fees, and the fact that you must repay the full amount plus interest.