Federal William D. Ford
Direct Stafford Loan
What is a Federal Direct Stafford Loan?
The Federal William D. Ford Direct Stafford Loan is a loan for matriculated students made through the U.S. Department of Education. Direct Loans are either subsidized or unsubsidized. A subsidized loan is awarded on the basis of financial need. If you qualify for a subsidized loan, the federal government pays interest on the loan until you begin repayment. An unsubsidized loan is not awarded on the basis of need. If you qualify for an unsubsidized loan, you will be charged interest from the time the loan is disbursed until it is paid in full. You can choose to pay the interest or allow it to accumulate. If you allow the interest to accumulate, it will be capitalized--that is, the interest will be added to the principal amount of your loan and will increase the amount you have to repay. If you pay the interest as it accumulates, you will repay less in the long run.
How Much Can I Borrow?
If you are enrolled on at least a half-time basis and if you are a dependent undergraduate student, you can borrow up to:
$5,500 if you are a first-year student (0 - 23 credits earned)
$6,500 if you are a second year student (24+ credits earned)
If you are an independent undergraduate student or a dependent student whose parents are unable to qualify for a PLUS loan, you can borrow an additional $4,000 unsubsidized loan annually.
Note: The amounts given above are the maximum yearly amounts you can borrow in both subsidized and unsubsidized Direct Loans. However, you cannot borrow more than your cost of attendance minus any other financial aid for which you are eligible. This means that you may receive less than the annual maximum amounts.
The total debt you can have outstanding from all Direct Loans and Federal Family Education Loans combined is:
$31,000 as a dependent undergraduate student; (no more than $23,000 of this amount may be in subsidized loans)
$57,500 as an independent undergraduate student; (no more than $23,000 of this amount may be in subsidized loans)
Interest Rate
For students whose loans were first disbursed between July 1, 2008 and July 1, 2009, the interest rate will be 6.0%. The interest rate is scheduled to be gradually reduced to 3.4% by July 1, 2011. To find out what the current interest rate is, visit the Calculators section of the Federal Student Aid web site.
There is a fee of 1.5% (with a 1.5% rebate) that will be deducted proportionately from each disbursement of your loan.
How Do I Apply?
To apply for a Federal Direct Student Loan, all applicants must first file a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Students who indicate on the FAFSA that they are interested in student loans will automatically be offered a student loan when their financial aid awards are packaged. Students who do not indicate on their FAFSA that they are interested in a student loan, but would like to borrow a student loan, should contact the MCC Financial Aid Office. For guidelines on the Financial Aid application process, check out the Applying section of this web site.
Students who are borrowing a Federal Direct Student Loan at MCC for the first time are required to complete Loan Entrance Counseling.
Once the Loan Entrance Counseling session is completed, the MCC Financial Aid Office will receive an electronic confirmation. Students should print the confirmation form at the end and keep it for their records. Students who do not complete Loan Entrance Counseling session will NOT receive their Direct Loans.
Also, Students who are borrowing a Federal Direct Student Loan for the first time are required to sign a Master Promissory Note (MPN). By signing the MPN, the student agrees to the terms and conditions of the loan. Signing the MPN is done electronically using the student's Federal PIN at the Federal Direct Loan website. Student will be notified by the MCC Financial Aid Office if they need to sign a MPN.
How Is My Loan Disbursed?
The US Department of Education will pay your student loan funds through Monroe Community College. Your loans will be disbursed in two equal installments, one at the beginning and one at the midpoint of the loan period. If you are a 1st year, 1st time borrower, your first disbursement will be delayed until 30 days after the start of the loan period. Your loan money must first be applied to your school account to pay for tuition and fees, and other school charges. If loan money remains, you will receive the funds by check mailed to your local address.
How Do I Repay My Student Loan?
The US Department of Education will pay your student loan funds through Monroe Community College. Your loans will be disbursed in two equal installments, one at the beginning and one at the midpoint of the loan period. If you are a 1st year, 1st time borrower, your first disbursement will be delayed until 30 days after the start of the loan period. Your loan money must first be applied to your school account to pay for tuition and fees, and other school charges. If loan money remains, you will receive the funds by check mailed to your local address.
For more information on Repayment of student loans, visit the Repaying section of the Federal Student Aid web site. In addition, the repayment plans will be explained in more detail during entrance and exit counseling sessions.
For more information of the Federal Direct Student Loan program, you can go to the Federal Student Aid Direct Loan web site.
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