Applying for Student Loans
Loan periods
Student loans are available to help finance the cost of education. The amount borrowed must be for educational expenses and cannot exceed (including all other sources of aid) your Cost of Attendance for the loan period. The loan period is the term for which the funds are being borrowed. The minimum loan period is (1) quarter. The maximum loan period is (4) quarters.
Requirements
The student must (a) be currently enrolled, (b) intend to enroll or (c) have been enrolled during the entire loan period. In other words, you cannot receive student loan assistance for any term(s) during which you are not enrolled.
See the Dates and Deadlines page for the timeline to apply.
Federal versus private loans
Student loans may be federal or private. See the Federal Loans page for eligibility requirements for federal loans. Eligible students are strongly encouraged to review the federal loan programs before applying for a private educational loan. Federal loans have fixed interest rates, flexible repayment options and offer deferment and loan forgiveness benefits. Compare federal and private loans.
To apply for federal student loans, please follow the steps
Students who are not eligible for federal loans may apply for a private student loan directly on a lender website. See our private student loan pages for additional details including a list of lenders. When your loan is approved, your lender will contact our office to confirm your student status and your eligibility for the loan amount.