Loans

UofL participates in the William D. Ford Direct Loan Program. In the Direct Loan Program, eligible students and parents borrow directly from the U.S. Department of Education.

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Loans

UofL participates in the William D. Ford Direct Loan Program. In the Direct Loan Program, eligible students and parents borrow directly from the U.S. Department of Education. Direct Loans include Direct Subsidized Loans, Direct Unsubsidized Loans, Direct PLUS Loans, and Direct Consolidation Loans. You repay these loans directly to the U.S. Department of Education. For more information about the Federal Direct Loan Program, please visit the federal student aid website at U.S. Department of Education.

Students may also apply for a non-federal private/alternative student loan offered from a bank or lending institution.

First-Time Direct Loan Borrower at UofL

For student Direct Loans to disburse in a timely manner, it is critical students complete all required steps if interested in borrowing the loan funds. For loans, this includes loan acceptance in ULink and completing the Master Promissory Note(s) and Entrance Counseling with the Department of Education.

Complete Entrance Counseling and the Master Promissory Note at the U.S.Department of Education’s Federal Student Aid website.

Types of Loans

Federal Direct Subsidized and Unsubsidized Loans

Federal Direct Subsidized and Unsubsidized Loans

Direct Subsidized and Unsubsidized Loans are federal student loans available to eligible students to assist with the costs of higher education.
Federal Direct Graduate/Professional PLUS

Federal Direct Graduate/Professional PLUS

The Direct Graduate Professional PLUS Loan is designed to assist eligible graduate and professional students enrolled at least half-time in meeting their educational expenses.
Federal Direct Parent PLUS

Federal Direct Parent PLUS

Direct PLUS loans for parents are federal loans parents of dependent undergraduate students can use to help pay education expenses.
Alternative Loan

Alternative Loan

An alternative student loan (also referred to as a private student loan) is not a federal student loan, but one through a private bank or other lending institution.

Consolidation

Consolidation

Consolidation

If you have multiple student loans, you may be able to combine them into one loan with a fixed interest rate based on the average of the interest rates on the loans being consolidated.

Exit Counseling

Exit Counseling

Exit Counseling

All students who borrow a Federal Direct and/or Graduate/Professional PLUS loan are required to complete exit counseling each time they drop below half-time enrollment, graduate, or leave school.

Loan Repayment

Loan Repayment

Loan Repayment

Student loan repayment is the process by which borrowers begin to pay back the funds they borrowed for their education, typically after completing their studies or leaving school.