Direct Loans
Most students take advantage of various federal loan programs which are administered through the NNU Office of Financial Aid. We share your concern about college debt and are committed to counseling and educating students and their families about the best options available.
Federal Direct Loan Program
The Federal Direct Loan Program has been in existence since the early 1990's and provides two types of loans: Subsidized Loans and Unsubsidized Loans. A Subsidized loan means that the government pays the interest on your loan while you are in school, in your grace period, or in deferment. The interest rate is fixed at 3.4% for the 2012-2013 school year.
An Unsubsidized Loan accrues interest while you are in school and you are responsible for the interest payments. The interest payments can be made while you are in school or this amount will be added to the principal of the loan. The interest rate is a fixed rate of 6.8%. Both of these loans have a 1% processing fee for the 2012-2013 school year, this amount is taken out before funds are sent to the school on the student's behalf.
To qualify for a Subsidized Loan you must demonstrate financial need. This is done by taking the information on your FAFSA form and analyzing it compared with your other financial aid. To qualify for an Unsubsidized Loan you do not have to demonstrate financial need, but the costs of your education must exceed any other financial aid you have been awarded.
To receive this loan a student borrower must be either a U.S. Citizen, U.S. National or eligible non-citizen and not be in default on any education loan or owe a refund on any education grant. The student must be at least half-time (6 credits) during a semester to receive this loan. Please refer to the award letter sent to you by the NNU Financial Aid Office to determine the type(s) and amount of Direct student loan you are eligible to receive. Once you have this information, you can apply online for the Direct student loan.
Federal Direct Student Loan Limits
Year in School | Dependent Students | Independent Students | Additional Unsubsidized Amount for Dependent / Independent Students |
|---|---|---|---|
Freshman | $3,500 | $3,500 | $2,000 / $6,000 |
Sophomore | $4,500 | $4,500 | $2,000 / $6,000 |
Junior | $5,500 | $5,500 | $2,000 / $7,000 |
Senior | $5,500 | $5,500 | $2,000 / $7,000 |
Perkins Loan
The Federal Perkins Loan is a low-interest, long-term loan which is provided by the federal government and NNU. This loan is awarded on the basis of financial need as determined by the student's Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) analysis.
NNU has very limited Perkins loans funds to offer its students in the coming year. The NNU Financial Aid Office will try to assist as many students as possible with the loan funds that are available, helping the neediest students and those who met the priority filing deadline (March 1st) for the FAFSA first.
As mentioned above, the Perkins loan is subject to fund availability, up to $4,000 may be borrowed by an undergraduate student per award year. The maximum cumulative amount an eligible undergraduate student may borrow is $20,000. The current interest rate is 5.0%. Interest begins accruing nine months after the student leaves school. Your monthly payment will depend on the size of your debt and the length of your repayment period as well as the interest rate.
While eligibility is based on need and fund availability, student's must also be enrolled at least half-time and making satisfactory academic progress to receive this loan. First consideration is given to education, social work, and nursing program majors.
For more information on the Perkins Loan repayment and credit click here.
Parent PLUS Loan
The PLUS Loan is for parents borrowing on behalf of dependent students. The PLUS loan is in the parent’s name and cannot be transferred to the student. A parent can apply for a Direct parent loan on the web at www.studentloans.gov, be sure to log-in with the parents PIN number from the FAFSA to apply and complete a new MPN and application for parent PLUS loans.
The amount you may borrow annually is determined by subtracting the financial aid awarded to the student (including any loans) from the total costs of attendance determined by the school. There are no annual borrowing limits set by the federal government. However, the amount you can borrow may be impacted by creditworthiness. Please refer to the award letter sent to your student by the NNU Office of Financial Aid to determine the amount of PLUS loan you may need to borrow.
Parent borrowers must:
- Be borrowing on behalf of a dependent undergraduate student;
- Be either a U.S. Citizen, U.S. National or eligible non-citizen;
- Not be in default on any education loan or owe a refund on any education grant;
- Not have an adverse credit history as defined by the Department of Education.
The PLUS loan interest rate is a fixed rate of 7.9%. With a PLUS loan, you pay a 4% processing fee. The origination fee (which is part of the processing fee) goes to the federal government to offset program costs, the remaining amount is sent to the school. These loan funds are electronically disbursed in two disbursements (one in fall and one in spring) directly to the school and posted to the student's account. Even though a fee is deducted, parents are responsible for repaying the entire loan amount. Loan terms vary based on total amount borrowed. Re-payment of this loan begins within 60 days of first disbursement unless the parent borrower calls the Direct Loan Servicing Center (DLSC) at 800-848-0979 to request deferment. If a parent is denied the PLUS, limited additional Direct Unsubsidized student loan funds are made available to the student.
Alternative Loans
Alternative loans are loans that are applied for directly through the bank/lending institution of the students choice. Undergraduate students typically need a credit worthy co-signer for this type of loan as the interest rate and eligibity to borrow are based upon credit. NNU makes no recommendations regarding these lenders in terms of quality of service or loan products offered.
Repayment
For Federal Direct Student Loan Programs, loan repayment begins six months after you graduate, withdraw, or drop below half-time status for the loans you have borrowed while attending NNU. The exact schedule and amount of your repayment will not be known until your loan repayment begins. Check with the Department of Education for more information and loan repayment calculators to assist you in estimating your monthly payment.
If you had student loans prior to attending NNU, please be aware that you may have already used your 6 month grace period for those loans. As soon as you graduate, withdraw, or drop below half-time status and even possibly with half-time status if you do not have a new loan for that year, you can enter repayment on those prior loans immediately.
For loan deferment options, it is best to contact the Department of Education. Please also contact the Department of Education regarding consolidation www.loanconsolidation.ed.gov. If you are unsure who your lender is, please contact the Financial Aid Office or log into www.nslds.ed,gov using your FAFSA pin number. This wesite will only show your federal student loan and grant history and does not include any alternative or outside loans you may have borrowed.
