US Department of Education - Federal Student Aid Programme for USA students

Benefit

With US federal student loans, you can fund a full bachelor’s degree at the University of Greenwich in London. The loans come from the US Department of Education’s ‘William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan Programme’ and must be repaid later. They can cover both your tuition fees and your living costs. The amount you can borrow is subject to federal limits. These depend on your year of study and whether you are considered financially dependent on your parents or financially independent.

Your parents can also take out a Parent PLUS Loan, a federal loan in their own name.

The loan is paid out in three instalments per year. The university will first deduct your tuition fees and any hall of residence fees. The remaining amount will be paid into a UK bank account, so you will need one. Pell Grants and other government grants that do not need to be repaid cannot be used for studying abroad.

Eligibility

• Nationality: You are a US citizen, hold a permanent residence permit for the US, or are an eligible non-citizen.
• Age: You are over 18.
• School qualification: You hold a US high school diploma or a recognised equivalent qualification. This also applies if you have been admitted as a mature student.
• Place at Greenwich: You applied to study at the University of Greenwich before a decision had been made on your loan application.
• Degree: You study for a bachelor's degree on campus, full time or at least half time. Distance learning and module-by-module study do not count.
• Field of study: Most subjects are open. Nursing, midwifery, foundation degrees, non-degree courses, apprenticeships and sandwich programmes (degrees with a work placement year) are excluded.
• Progress: You complete your degree on a continuous basis, without having to repeat any year. If you fall behind, your loan will be suspended.

How to apply

First, complete the FAFSA application for federal student aid at studentaid.gov and specify the University of Greenwich as your institution. Then contact the university’s Direct Loan team to confirm your offer. You will also need to complete an online orientation session, which is a short course on borrowing and repayment. The team will then determine the amount of your loan.