Red Hawk Central
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Loans

The University offers a variety of loan program links below where you can find an in-depth explanation of each loan program:

  • Loan requirements.
  • Application process.
  • Loan limits.
  • Interest rates.

For loan application assistance visit the Student Loans website.

Types of Loans

Federal Stafford Direct Student Loans (Student)

The Stafford Loan is obtained by filling out the FAFSA and is part of the federal Federal Student Aid Program.

Federal Stafford Loans

Federal Parent PLUS Loans (Parent)

The Financial Aid Office strongly recommends students borrow through the federal Stafford loan program first, before considering a Parent PLUS loan.

  • The Parent PLUS Loan is a loan that is available to the parent of a dependent student deemed by the FAFSA application.
  • Review the Private Educational Loan option below in lieu of the Parent PLUS loan; you may qualify for a lower interest rate and $0 origination fee from a private lender. Federal Parent PLUS Loans

Federal Graduate PLUS Loans (Graduate Student)

Graduate students working on a master’s degree and beyond may apply for this loan through the Federal Student Aid Program. The same terms and conditions apply to this loan that apply to the Parent PLUS loan. (Students in a post-baccalaureate certificate program do not qualify for this loan.)  

Federal Graduate PLUS Loans

Private Educational Loans (Student and/or Parent)

The Financial Aid Office strongly recommends students borrow through the federal Stafford loan program first, before considering a private educational loan.

  • Approval for these loans is credit based for the borrower, which can be the student, parent, both or a with a co-signer.
  • You may consider a private educational loan in lieu of the Federal Parent PLUS loan.

Private Educational Loans

Information and Policies

  • The amount you are eligible to receive from the federal Stafford Direct loan program is listed on your financial aid notification on NEST.
    • If you have successfully completed enough credits to move to the next grade level between the fall and spring terms, you may be eligible to receive additional loan funding for the spring term.
      • Based on your active acceptance of your loans offered on NEST, we will assume your acceptance of any grade level increase to each loan previously accepted.
    • Please complete the Aid Adjustment Form.
    • Grade levels for loan borrowing:
      • Freshman: 0 – 29
      • Sophomore: 30 – 59
      • Junior/Senior: 60 or more
      • Graduate: accepted into a Graduate degree/certificate
  • Students who are graduating, withdrawing or are less than half-time must complete Exit Counseling.
  • Financial aid recipients who enter into an agreement regarding a Title IV HEA loan (Stafford, PLUS, Grad PLUS, Perkins or TEACH) will be submitted to the National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS) and will be accessible by authorized agencies, lenders and institutions.
  • The Federal Student Loan Ombudsman is a neutral, informal and confidential resource to help resolve disputes about your federal student loans.

Loan Repayment Information

  • Wondering about how you will repay your loans?
  • Do you have questions about your repayment options?
  • For more information about loan repayment, check out our Loan Repayment information page for more details.

Links from ‘Loan Repayment’ above

The resources below can help student loan borrowers prepare for repayment of their educational loans.

The First Step: Get Organized.

Exit Counseling

  • If you borrowed a Federal Stafford Loan, complete Exit Counseling.
  • If you borrowed a Federal Perkins Loan, complete
  • If you received a Federal TEACH Grant:

Exit Counseling must be complete.

Please print a copy of your exit counseling completion for your records.

Have Questions? Contact Your Loan Servicer(s).

  • It is important that you communicate with your student loan servicer(s), (they are who you will repay). They have the most up-to-date information about your student loans, including the interest that may have accrued.
  • Having difficulty repaying your loans? Contact your loan servicer(s) to ask about deferment or forbearance or different repayment plan options.

What is Exit Counseling?

Student Loan Exit Counseling is a program instituted by the federal government to help you understand your rights and responsibilities as you enter your repayment period. Exit counseling is required of all students who graduate, withdraw or drop below half-time attendance (regardless if you plan to transfer to another school). Completing the exit counseling does not prevent you from receiving loans in the future. Regulations require you to complete an exit counseling session for your federal Stafford loan (subsidized or unsubsidized) and Perkins loans (if applicable).

During exit counseling you will be given the following information:

  • Names of your lender(s) and guarantor(s).
  • Telephone numbers for each.
  • Loan amount, interest and estimated monthly payment for each loan.
  • Name, address and telephone number of the nearest relative and two other references.
  • Name, address and telephone number of expected employer (if known).You can also obtain this information by logging onto the StudentAid.gov website and reviewing your Account Dashboard. Exit counseling will provide you with:
    • Preliminary repayment plan eligibility and estimated repayment amounts based on NSLDS loan information.
    • Information on how to manage your student loan repayment.
    • Your rights & responsibilities as a borrower in the federal student loan program.
    • Forbearance, deferment, hardship, disability, discharge and forgiveness information.
    • Other important loan servicing and default consequence information. Borrowers who use exit counseling on the National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS) website can now select their preferred loan repayment plan:
      • Those who choose income-driven plans will receive servicer follow-up, since an application and additional documentation are required.
      • For borrowers who choose standard, graduated or extended repayment, the servicer creates a repayment schedule tailored to the borrower’s balance.
      • If borrowers want to change their plan after the initial selection they can contact their servicer(s) to discuss options.

National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS) for Students

You can retrieve a summary of your federal loan and grant history by logging into the StudentAid.gov website. Information about your loans and loan servicer(s) can be found here, including contact and repayment information.

What is NSLDS?

The National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS) is the US Department of Education’s central database for student aid. It receives data from schools, agencies that guaranty loans, the Direct Loan program and other U.S. Department of Education programs. NSLDS provides a comprehensive view of Title IV student loans and grants that are tracked through their entire cycle, from aid approval through final payment.

When Is the Student Access Website Available to review NSLDS information?

The studentaid.gov website is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Sometimes maintenance of the website can occur on the weekends or during late hours. This may cause the site to be unavailable for a brief period while maintenance is performed.

What Information Do I Need To Use the StudentAid.gov Student Access Website?

In order to use the NSLDS Student Access web site, you will need your FSA ID username and password. This is the same information used when signing a FAFSA or accessing other federal aid related websites.