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The US Department of Education stipulates that the following regulations apply to Direct Loans and certain other federal funds.
Satisfactory Academic Progress Review
You must be in good standing and maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) each term according to UCL's Academic Regulations. A Satisfactory Academic Progress review form must be completed and returned by your academic tutor at the end of each payment period. The UCL SAP Policy is available below:
Counseling
Entrance and Exit Counseling must be completed at the appropriate times. All new students who have not received a Direct Loan must complete entrance counseling prior to any funds being requested from the U.S. Department of Education. All final-year students must complete exit counseling in their last term at UCL. If students withdraw early from their programme, they must complete exit counseling and any unearned funding must be returned to the U.S. Department of Education.
Programmes ineligible for US federal loans
Most degree programmes at UCL are eligible for Direct Loans, however, some are not.
Ineligible programmes include:
- all non-degree programmes (e.g. Graduate Diploma, PGCE)
- Foundation courses, including the UCL Undergraduate Preparatory Certificate
- programmes with any element of distance learning
- programmes based in the UCL Medical School
- programmes which include an internship period that is not an assessed, credited and/or compulsory part of the programme
- most programmes with a taught element offered at non-UCL sites
- all programmes involving study outside of the UK for more than 25% of the total programme credits. If the number of credits taken outside the UK is 25% or less (e.g. study abroad year as part of an undergraduate programme), please contact us to confirm eligibiity as written arrangements may still need to be made with your study abroad institution.
A list of currently ineligible courses can be found in the document below:
Please note that this list is continually updated, and that if your programme is not on this list, but falls into one of the ineligible categories above, you will be ineligible for loans. If you would like to check your programme with us please contact us.
Study in the US
Any student on a programme based in the US will not be eligible for Direct Loans, unless the total number of credits taken in the US is no more than 25% of the total programme credits.
Graduate research (PhD) students on study leave based in the US may be eligible for Direct Loans if the duration is no more than 25% of the total programme. PhD students can spend a year in the US whilst in CRS (i.e. writing up), provided they have not previously carried out any study in the US.
Distance learning
Students on a course which has any element offered as "distance learning" will not be eligible to receive federal loans or Veterans Affairs benefits (i.e. G.I. Bill). Examples of distance learning are where your enrolment status is "Distance learning", "Non-resident" or "Mixed Mode".
Study at another institution
If your programme at UCL includes any study element at an institution outside UCL which is not certified by the US Department of Education to offer Direct Loans your entire programme is ineligible for Direct Loans. Examples of courses that may be ineligible for funding:
- MSc Developmental Psychology and Clinical Practice
- MPlan City Planning
- IMESS: International Masters in Economy, State & Society (depending on where you spend your year abroad)
Course Duration
Undergraduate students must complete their programme within a time frame of no longer than 150% of the published length of the course, and postgraduate students within a timeframe in accordance with UCL’s Academic regulations. We will be unable to certify a loan for a longer period, unless exceptional circumstances apply.
Changes to Enrolment Status
If there are any changes to your enrolment status (e.g. if you withdraw or interrupt) you must immediately inform the UCL Student Funding Office directly. This will affect your loan eligibility and we will need to re-calculate your Cost of Attendance based on your new student status. If you withdraw early from your programme you must complete exit counseling and any unearned funding must be returned to the U.S. Department of Education according to their guidelines. The policy on returning US loan funds is available here.
If you interrupt for more than 180 days we must report you as being withdrawn for US Loans purposes. The conditions on your loans for when you are no longer studying will then come into play. If you subsequently return to education your loan can be reinstated from that point.
Additional Funding
Students are required to inform the Student Funding Office of any additional institutional funding (expected or received) before and after their student loan entitlement is calculated. This includes scholarships, grants or bursaries but excludes your own funds or gifts/loans from family. Please email us-cdn-loans@ucl.ac.uk with any such information.
Borrowers' Right to Cancel
Students will be notified by email around 30 days before each loan disbursement is requested, and will have 14 days to change/cancel any expected loan disbursements. After this period has expired students will be responsible for returning any unwanted funds directly to either the US Department of Education or the Loan Servicer.
Entrance Counselling
On top of completing Entrance Counselling, we also request that you take heed of the following:
Please be aware that Subsidised and Unsubsidised federal loans have lifetime limits on how much you can take out. Taking out a Federal loan now might impact your eligibility for taking out loans in the future, because of the reduced limit. Please visit The Student Aid Website for more information about lifetime limits.
In order to take out a federal loan, you will need to have signed a Master Promissory Note. Please visit the Student Aid Webpage on Promissory Notes for more information.
It is very important that you realise the obligation of your loan repayment. Defaulting on a loan repayment can have negative consequences for your finances. Please visit The Student Aid Webpage on Repayment Plans for more information.
If you receive a federal loan, you are required to repay that loan with interest. Please visit The Student Aid Webpage on Interest Rates for more information about the kinds of interest rates your loan will be subject to.
Borrowers of Unsubsidised loans have the option of paying interest while in school. If you choose not to pay the interest while you are in school and during grace periods and deferment or forbearance periods, your interest will accrue (accumulate) and be capitalized (that is, your interest will be added to the principal amount of your loan). This will be included in the amount you will ultimately repay after your studies.
Most students choose to complete their studies with full-time enrolment status, but some move down to half-time. Half-time enrolment concerns the mode of attendance in which you study at UCL. Half-time enrolment means that you are studying at a rate that will result in a completion of the degree in twice the time of a full-time enrolee. You will still be able to receive federal loans, and be granted deferment on previous loans, if you are half-time. However, dropping below half-time enrolment means you will no longer be eligible for Federal Loans and previous loans you have taken out will move into repayment.
It is very important that you contact the US Loan team if you choose to withdraw from your studies or change your study mode prior to the completion of a program of study. Withdrawing affects your US Loan eligibility.
Please visit The Student Aid Webpage for more information about monthly repayment amounts and samples of this.
The borrower has an obligation to repay the full amount of the loan they take out, regardless of whether the borrower completes the program or completes within the regular time for completion, is unable to obtain employment upon completion, or is otherwise dissatisfied with or does not receive the education or other services the borrower purchased from the school.
If you do not make your loan repayments, and your loan is delinquent, you risk going into default. Please visit The Student Aid Webpage on Defaults for more information.
As part of UCL’s responsibilities, we will upload your loan and enrolment information into the National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS) so that the US Department of Education can notify your loan servicers that you are enrolled at least half-time and therefore not be asked to repay loans during the time of enrolment. If you ever wish to access your record, then please email the US Loans team and we will provide that for you. We can provide a paper copy if requested.
If you have any questions about your rights as a borrower and responsibilities or terms and conditions of the loan, you can contact the US Loans team at us-cdn-loans@ucl.ac.uk