US Loans: how to apply
An overview of various loans available to US students and how to apply for them.
On this page:
Please note, the University of Sheffield has made a decision to withdraw from any further participation in the US Department of Veteran Affairs programme.
Federal Student Aid
The University of Sheffield participates in the William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan Programme. You can find out more about the loans programme from their website.
Eligibility
To be eligible to apply for these loans you must meet all of the criteria below:
- You are an American national or permanently reside in America.
- You have accepted an offer to study at the University of Sheffield for the following academic year.
- You are studying an eligible course (see below).
- Programmes that are not eligible to receive Federal Student Aid
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- Specific courses within the Faculty of Health, including MBChB and BDS, or any course with clinical modules. If your course is within this faculty, we will review the eligibility once you have submitted an application.
- Foundation years, this is either as a standalone year or as part of an undergraduate degree. The remainder of the undergraduate course may be eligible for Federal Student Aid. Please email our team for further information about this.
- Certificate and Diploma degrees
- First-professional degrees
- Courses of either Distance Learning or Remote Location mode of attendance
- Courses that include a period of study abroad; this includes conducting any study within the USA
- Courses off campus, ie attending City College in Thessaloniki, Sofia and Tirana
- Courses at Sheffield International College or the English Language Teaching Centre
- Visiting and exchange students or students on an Erasmus/Study Abroad programme (you should apply for funds through your home institution)
- Courses that include Erasmus/Study Abroad (please contact us to check this as some may be eligible)
- Courses run by the University of Law at the University of Sheffield campus, such as the Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL) and Legal Practice Course (LPC)
- Courses that include placement years and internships
A full list of eligibility criteria can be found on the Federal Student Aid website.
If you are not eligible for Federal Loans, you may be eligible to apply for a private loan.
How much can you borrow?
The amount you can borrow is calculated by adding your tuition fee and estimated living cost together and then deducting any scholarships or other fee reductions and the Student Aid Index (SAI) from your FAFSA Submission Summary (FSS).
These figures are all taken from the Cost of Attendance spreadsheet.
Federal Aid - Calculating Your Package Entitlement (PDF, 108KB)
How to apply for Federal Student Aid
Applications for the 2024-25 academic year are open from 7 May 2024; details on how to apply for the 2024-25 academic year are shown below.
1. Apply to FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) for your loans and inform them that you intend to study at the University of Sheffield with the School Code G08398 / 00839800.
2. Once you have submitted your application for FAFSA, you will receive an email confirming submission and details of your estimated Federal Student Aid. This notification will include estimated Federal Pell Grant, minimum available Direct Loans, and Average Work Study.
Please note: in the UK, we are only able to offer the Direct Loan Funding. If you have any questions, please email usloans@sheffield.ac.uk.
3. We will access your FAFSA via the US Federal Loan system. We will calculate your Cost of Attendance, indicating the funding package available to you, and send this, along with a Funding Package Notification Letter, where you will need to confirm the level of funding you require.
4. Complete the next relevant steps online via Federal Student Aid to apply for your funding:
- Entrance counselling
- Master Promissory Note (for Stafford and/or PLUS loans)
And if you are applying for a PLUS loan:
Please note: your application for a PLUS loan is not complete until you have submitted your application and received confirmation from them via email of approval and that your Credit Check has been completed.
5. Once you have completed these steps, return the Funding Notification Letter accepting your funding offer.
6. We will then process your loan application within 10-15 working days of receiving your Funding Package Notification Letter and issue your Official Loan Letter confirming your eligibility for loans.
To ensure your funds are in place for September 2024, we must be able to access your FAFSA by August 2024. You can still apply after this date; however, there may be a delay in processing your application and your funds may not be available for the start of your course.
Please note:
- UG students' funding will not be released until 30 days after registration, so you will require funding to cover living costs during this period.
- UK bank details must be added to your University MUSE account before and funds can be disbursed.
- The exchange rate used to calculate your funding package can be found on your Cost of Attendance calculation. The rate used allows for exchange rate fluctuations. Funds are disbursed from your University account at the current rate.
Applying for additional funds
If you experience a change of circumstances during your studies, you may be able to apply for additional funds within the total amount shown on your Cost of Attendance.
The deadline to apply for Federal Student Aid for the 2024-25 academic year is Friday 23 May 2025.
Please contact the Student Fees and Funding Team via usloans@sheffield.ac.uk if you are wanting to apply for funding during the academic year.
Private loans
As far as the University is aware, there are only two private lenders that make loans available to US students completing a degree at a UK institution. These private loans are available from Sallie Mae Student Loans or Earnest Student Loans.
Further information about the loans are available from their websites:
Sallie Mae Student Loans website
Eligibility
To be eligible to apply for these loans via the University of Sheffield you must meet both of the criteria below:
- You have submitted an application with either Sallie Mae Student Loans or Earnest Student Loans and have been approved for funding.
- You have accepted an offer to study at the University of Sheffield for the next academic year.
How to apply for private loans
1. Once you have received an offer to study with ourselves, you should email usloans@sheffield.ac.uk. Within 7-10 working days of our team receiving your email, we will calculate a provisional Cost of Attendance document indicating the funding package available to you.
2. This document should be used to apply to either Sallie Mae or Earnest Student Loans for your loans and inform them that you intend to study at the University of Sheffield. If the school code is required, please use either G08398 / 00839800. Please use the Private Education Loan Applicant Self-Certification Form (PDF, 186KB).
3. Upon receiving confirmation from your chosen lender, we will confirm your Cost of Attendance, indicating the funding package available to you, and send this, along with a Funding Package Notification Letter, where you will need to confirm the level of funding you require. Once you have completed this, please return via email to usloans@sheffield.ac.uk.
4. We will then process your loan application within 10-15 working days of receiving your Funding Package Notification Letter and issue your Official Loan Letter confirming your eligibility package for loans.
Please note:
- We are unable to certify the details of your private loan until you register for the academic year 2024-25.
- UK bank details must be added to your University MUSE account before and funds can be disbursed.
- The exchange rate used to calculate your funding package can be found on your Cost of Attendance calculation. The rate used allows for exchange rate fluctuations. Funds are disbursed from your University account at the current rate.
Additional information
If you are in receipt of Federal Loans whilst you are studying at the University, we are required to report your registration status with the National Student Loan Data System for Students (NSLDS) every 60 days.
If you are not in receipt of loans but require your registration status to be reported for loan deferment purposes, please contact the Student Fees and Funding Team via usloans@sheffield.ac.uk to request this.
More information about deferment forms and other forms completed by The University of Sheffield can be found on the US loans consumer information web page.
Contact the Student Fees and Funding Team
For specific questions about US loans, get in touch: usloans@sheffield.ac.uk.
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