Welcome to students from USA

We typically require the following qualifications from American students:

*Some courses may vary and/or have specific requirements – for details of the entry requirements for your course, please see our course pages or contact us to check your qualifications. Please note that all applications are assessed on an individual basis.

The University of Hertfordshire accepts FAFSA Financial Aid loan applicants. The University's Federal FAFSA School Code is G10525.

There are some programmes which are not eligible for US Federal Loan funding. These include Nursing, Foundation Courses, distance learning courses and study periods based in the US as part of your research degree (excluding a 1 year writing up period). This list is not exhaustive and subject to regulation change.

If you wish to apply for a loan for 2018/19 please follow the six step application process below once you have had an offer from our admissions department.

1. Complete your FAFSA. You can make an online application via FAFSA Financial Aid Loan.
2. Complete your Plus Loan Request if applicable.
3. Complete your Master Promissory Note(s) (MPNs) and credit check if applying for a Plus Loan.
4. Complete your entrance counselling.
5. Complete the University of Hertfordshire US Loan Eligibility Questionnaire.  Please open our online form with one of the following browsers: IE version 11, Chrome, Firefox or Safari. Please also see guidance notes for completing the online form.
6. Email a copy of the following documentation to usloans@herts.ac.uk.

• Copy of your FAFSA.
• Copy of your Direct Loan MPN.
• Copy of your Plus Loan MPN and completed credit check if you have applied for a Plus Loan.
• Copy of your entrance counselling.
• Copy of your passport photo page.

Once your loan has been approved you will be sent a loan award letter. This must be taken to your visa interview when applying for a student visa.

We are also able to accept applicants from the post 9/11 GI Bill programme. You can make an application via GI Bill.

Financial aid is also available from Sallie Mae as a private student loan.

Please note, the deadline for all US loan applications is August 2018.

If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact usloans@herts.ac.uk.

How much you can borrow and how to apply

Applications for 2018/19

Applicants may borrow up to the cost of attendance which is set by the school. The maximum loans you can receive cannot exceed the yearly cost of attendance, less any financial aid you may be receiving. This financial aid includes:

• sponsorship
• financial aid from the University of Hertfordshire such as scholarships and or awards
• other Financial aid from the UK
• other Financial aid from the USA

The US Loan Eligibility Questionnaire is broken down into two sets of costs:

• regular costs, for example, rent, food, books etc.
• suggested single costs, for example flights to and from the US, laptop, visa application, etc.

These costs are broken down in our eligibility questionnaire, which you MUST complete.

Documents to download:

• File 1: Guidance Notes (PDF - 0.41 Mb)
• File 2: US Loan Eligibility Questionnaire

Please note our School Code: G10525

If any documents are missing from your email to us, we cannot begin processing your application and we will email and advise you to start again.

When you have finished, submit the questionnaire and email all supporting documentation to usloans@herts.ac.uk with the subject of your surname, forename and your University of Hertfordshire application ID.

When we have completed our input and matching all your documents on the US Department of Education's systems, we will send you a signed and stamped letter. This will confirm your loans. You need it for your UK visa application.

The US Loan Eligibility Questionnaire is set by the school but may be adjusted by the student to reflect your specific needs but keeping within the parameters set by the school. You may borrow up to the cost of attendance and no more.

• 2 types of loans are available to you, Federal Direct loans, and private loans.
• Students should only use the cost of attendance spreadsheet for the academic year in which they are registered.
• The University of Hertfordshire school code (OPE) is G10525.

Federal Direct Loan lending

There is an entitlement to subsidised (undergraduates only) and unsubsidised loans which have fixed limits depending on whether the student is dependent, independent or postgraduate. These may be topped up to the full cost of attendance with a PLUS loan which is not an entitlement, but is subject to credit checking and may be declined by the Department of Education. Please note that a PLUS loan is not available to undergraduate students.

The US Education Department charge an origination fee on all loans and this is deducted from each disbursement. The value of the fees and the disbursements are shown in the cost of attendance spreadsheet. For more detailed information regarding your loans please visit the student aid website.

Please note - you are not eligible to study our UHOnline courses if you are accessing federal funding.

Satisfactory academic progress (SAP)

University of Hertfordshire is required by US Department of Education Regulations to ensure that all students receiving Federal aid (subsidised, unsubsidised and PLUS) are making satisfactory academic progress. If you fail to meet SAP you will become ineligible for US Direct Loans.

Eligibility by course type

There are some programmes which are not eligible for US Federal Loan funding. These include Nursing, Foundation Courses, distance learning courses and study periods based in the US as part of your research degree (excluding a 1 year writing up period). This list is not exhaustive and subject to regulation change. You will be advised by the student finance team during the application process if your programme is ineligible.

Military

Eligible students should first visit the GI Bill site and apply for benefits. You will then need to send us your Certificate of Eligibility. Only approved courses are eligible for financial aid through your GI Bill funding. Please contact us on USLoans@herts.ac.uk to see if your course is already approved.

Before applying for a private loan, students are encouraged to apply for the maximum amount they are eligible for in direct loans. (Total borrowing cannot exceed the total cost of attendance amount set on our eligibility questionnaire).

Graduate level students and parents of dependant undergraduates may find a Federal PLUS loan more competitive than a private loan.

We currently only accept Sallie Mae private loans.

We are also happy to work with any other loan provider you may identify. Once you have selected your lender for your private loan please contact the usloans@herts.ac.uk with details of the loan you have applied for, if possible please submit a copy of the application form, so that the correct school certification can also be submitted.

At the University of Hertfordshire, the administration Federal and Private US loans is managed by the student finance team. Our email is usloans@herts.ac.uk and you can call us on +44 1707 284800.

Consumer information

• Careers and Recruitment
• Code of conduct
• Copyright infringement - UP
• Courses
• Degree Accreditation
• Drug and Alcohol Misuse by Students
• Freedom of Information
• SAP - Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy (PDF - 0.38 Mb)
• Services and facilities for students with disabilities
• Student support
• Return to Title IV Funds
• Why choose the University of Hertfordshire

ALL federal loans originated by the University of Hertfordshire will be disbursed in the three equal instalments during the first week of each term.

The actual GBP sterling you receive will vary as it is dependent upon the exchange rate from USD $ to GBP £ at the time of disbursement. The disbursement dates for academic year 2017/18 are:

1. September 20 2017
2. January 4 2018
3. April 4 2018

Please note these dates are subject to change, we will aim to update students to any change of the advertised schedule.

The dates shown above are dates of disbursement from the U.S. NOT the date you will receive funds. Under normal circumstances the funds will be physically transferred to the University's bank account in the first instance. From there the funds will be converted into sterling and your tuition fee instalment deducted and any outstanding accommodation fees. The remaining credit is then refunded to you.

All disbursements are subject to the following conditions:

• You are making satisfactory academic progress
• You are enrolled at least part time
• You are not in USA
• You have not violated any federal compliance regulations (for example repayment default, fraud, drugs)

Before we can disburse anything to you, you need to open a UK bank Account. Please note that it can take up to 10 days to open a UK bank account. Once you have opened your bank account you need to provide us with the details of this account via our disbursement form which will be sent to you when you register. Information on opening a UK Bank account.

Deadlines: To ensure your loan is disbursed in time the student finance team must have received your completed application by August 11 2017. Any applications received after this date will be deemed late applications and as such disbursements could fall outside of the advertised dates. If you fall into this category we will email you to advise of the next available disbursement dates.

You will receive an email when your disbursement is available. When you receive this email, you may contact us to reduce or cancel the disbursement. Please note if you wish to cancel or reduce a loan during the year we may require a minimum of 10 business days prior to the next disbursement. If you wish to reduce your loan please clearly state the $ USD amount you wish to reduce your disbursement by.

WARNING - if you don't warn us in advance not to draw down your disbursement, then you will be responsible for all interest charges and for its repayment.

When we initiate disbursement, if there is anything which prevents us from making payment to you, we will immediately contact you by email and tell you what to do. Make sure that the email address the University of Hertfordshire has for you is current. Once registered, you can amend your contact details on StudyNet.

If your loan disbursement is not enough to cover one third of your tuition and one third of your accommodation fee, there may not be an amount to disburse to you.

How much money you will get and in which currency

The government deducts an 'Origination Fee' from each disbursement. This is outlined on our eligibility questionnaire. The value you are going to receive is shown on the letter sent to you by the University of Hertfordshire when we originated your loan.

You will only get one third of your loans each term, this is a US Department of Education regulation, there are deductions taken from that value. Your disbursement will be in £ sterling, no exceptions.

As your disbursements will be in £ sterling, you need to open a UK bank account to be able to use it for living expenses. Information on opening a UK bank account.

Please ensure you have sufficient funds to cover two weeks of maintenance costs should your loan be delayed for any reason.

Deferments

We are not able to sign any deferment forms until after you have registered and will not accept any deferment forms to complete.

We will advise you by email when it is ready for collection from the Student Centre, requests are completed within 5 business days.

Entrance and exit counselling for Federal student loan borrowers

Federal regulations require you to complete entrance and exit counselling, this is audited. The school is required to ensure that you have completed entrance and exit counselling, this is also audited and the findings are reviewed by the USDE. There is no exception to this.

Entrance counselling

All students wishing to borrow via the Direct Lending programme are required to undergo entrance counselling, this process will assist your understanding of the loan programme and underline your rights and responsibilities.

You can complete entrance counselling via studentloans.gov. You will need the pin you used to access FAFSA. Please be aware that the University of Hertfordshire will not process your loan application, if you have not submitted confirmation of your entrance counselling with your application pack.

PLUS counselling

US regulations require that any applicant of a PLUS loan must complete PLUS counselling. Please note that this does not fulfil the entrance counselling requirement for first-time graduate/professional students. Plus counselling is provided ONLY via studentloans.gov.

Exit counselling

US regulation required all students who withdraw, graduate, or drop below half-time attendance (even if you plan to transfer to another school) to complete exit counselling.

Exit counselling helps you understand your rights and responsibilities as a student loan borrower. It provides useful tips and information to help you manage your loan.

1. You must complete NSLDS exit counselling. This is done online just like your entrance counselling, just go to NSLDS and work through the pages (you will need your FAFSA log-in and PIN). You can also download the PDF guide exit counselling guide on the Federal Student Aid website.
2. You must send proof that you have successfully completed the counselling. Scan/PDF the final "congratulations" page and email this to usloans@herts.ac.uk.