The Office of Student Financial Services encourages students
to explore various grants and scholarship opportunities and to
evaluate loan options carefully. Borrow only what is really needed
and remember that loans must be repaid.
What is a Federal Direct Student
loan?
Federal Direct Student loans are one form of student "self
help" financial aid. Through the federal Direct Student loan
program students borrow money for college from the federal
government.
How much can I
borrow?
- $5,500 is the maximum annual amount a first
year student is eligible for, no more than $3,500 of which can be
subsidized.
- $6,500 is the maximum annual amount a second
year student is eligible for, no more than $4,500 of which can be
subsidized.
- $7,500 is the maximum annual amount a third or
fourth year student is eligible for, no more than $5,500 of which
can be subsidized.
- Independent students and students whose parent(s) are denied a
Federal PLUS Loan qualify for additional unsubsidized loans.
What is the difference between a
subsidized and an unsubsidized loan?
For the Federal Direct Subsidized Student Loan,
the federal government will pay the interest until you enter your
grace period; the time you are no longer enrolled
on at least a half-time basis. Repayment begins six months
after you cease to be enrolled at least half-time (including leaves
of absence). The interest rate for Federal Direct
Subsidized Loans for undergraduate students for which the first
disbursement is made on or after July 1, 2013 and before July 1,
2014 will be 6.8%.
Please note: For all new
borrowers who receive a loan on or after July 1, 2013 a 150%
limitation is in effect. This means a student who is eligible
for a subsidized loan will reach their subsidized limit at 150% of
a program’s length of study. Once a student has reached their
150% limitation, their interest subsidy Loan limit will end on all
outstanding loans that were disbursed after July 1, 2013, and
interest will begin to accrue. Students are therefore encouraged to
complete undergraduate study on a timely
basis.
For the Federal Direct Unsubsidized Student
Loan, the government does not pay the interest while
a student is in school as it does for the subsidized loan. Interest
accrues and must be paid or capitalized during periods of
enrollment in school and/or deferment. The interest rate
for Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loans for all students disbursed on
or after July 1, 2013 will be 6.8%.
Are there any federal loans
available to parents?
The Federal Direct PLUS Loan (parent loan for undergraduate,
dependent students) is a loan from the U.S. Department of Education
for parents of undergraduate students who complete a FAFSA and meet
general eligibility requirements. The amount your parent will be
eligible to borrow for the 2013-2014 school year will be indicated
on your award letter. The interest rate on PLUS loans
is 7.9%. For information on how to apply for a Federal
Direct PLUS Loan, refer to the Federal Direct PLUS Loan
Process.
What fees, if any, are associated
with these loans?
For Student Loans, an origination fee of 1.051% of the total
loan will be assessed will automatically be deducted. For PLUS
loans, an origination fee of 4.204% will be assessed and
automatically deducted. The net disbursement will reflect
these fees; therefore, the amount credited to the student’s account
will be less than the loan amount. This fee is determined by the
U.S. Department of Education.
How do I apply for a Federal
Direct Student loan?
Federal Direct Student Loan
Process
Step 1: All students who wish to borrow a
Federal Direct Student Loan must first accept their loans.
Loans are accepted or declined on the student’s personal UIS
account by following the instructions below:
- Log in to UIS and click on the Financial Aid tab
- Click on My Award Information then Award by Aid Year
- Select the 2013-2014 aid year and submit
- Click on the Accept Award Offer tab
- Follow the on screen instructions to fully accept, partially
accept, or decline your loan awards
Important Note:
- St. John’s will begin processing 2013-2014 loans beginning May
1.
- It is the policy of St. John's University to process
loans only after an admission deposit has been paid and the loans
have been accepted by the student on their UIS
account.
- If you wish to reinstate a loan you have already declined or
modify a loan you have already accepted, please print, complete and
return a Student Loan Change Form available
online.
Step 2: First time Direct Loan borrowers
only must complete a Federal Student Loan Entrance Counseling
Session in accordance with federal regulations. Sign in to:
www.StudentLoans.gov and
click on “Complete Entrance Counseling”.
Step 3: First time Direct Loan borrowers
only must complete a Direct Loan Master Promissory Note (MPN) at www.StudentLoans.gov.
Borrowers will need their FAFSA Personal Identification Number
(PIN) in order to complete the MPN. If you do not have a PIN
or cannot recall it, you can request your PIN at www.pin.ed.gov.
Important Note in both Step 2 and Step 3:
- Select “New York” as the School State and
“Saint John’s University” as the school name.
Step 4: Monitor the status of your loan
by checking your personal UIS account and your St. John’s e-mail
account
Where can I learn more about the
various federal student loan programs?
To learn more about the various federal student loan
programs and about debt management visit: